I believe the era you're referring to was the Ruthless Aggression Era (02-04) when the brand split and two World Champions format was introduced.
There is more individuality than there was 4/5 years ago, the raw gimmick has been re-integrated into the product at lower/mid-card level. Smackdown is most certainly the beta brand, nothing of significance or consequence ever transpires on it now a days.
Whether or not the product is in decline is a matter of opinion, but where WWE have made an impact in the past 2 years is the feeling of decline isn't a unanimous one amongst their fan base - partly due to subtle booking improvements as well as the complete self-destruction of their two main competitors in the American wrestling market. I personally don't mind the product right now, not going to organise my entire life around Raw like days gone by but it's got my attention right now
I still record both Raw & Smackdown but I never expect anything from the latter. Seems it's only really there so they can squeeze in extra promos between Raw tapings.
Raw did seem to be in decline 12 months ago but I think it's picking up nicely right now. Fan participation in particular seems as good as it's ever been since the Attitude days. Let's go Cena.....(altogether now).....
If anything, I find the PPVs are the most disappointing thing nowadays. Too many of them for a start, and the ones with gimmicks in their title (TLC, HIAC, Extreme Rules, etc) are generally the worst.
"if anything, I find the PPVs are the most disappointing thing nowadays. Too many of them for a start, and the ones with gimmicks in their title (TLC, HIAC, Extreme Rules, etc) are generally the worst."
- Its a complete and utter farce IMO. Its so obvious that these events, are no longer solely about giving storylines resolution or birth.
TLC
Hell in a cell
Extreme rules
These were once stand alone matches which gave an angle serious weight or as mentioned before concluded a feud. The E have this parasitic relationship with our desire to buy merchandise, henceforth they churn out ppvs like no tomorrow.
Like anything that goes on mass production, individual quality diminishes.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS:
Royal Rumble
King of the RING
Wrestlemania
Survivor series
(don't wanna include in ur house as this was the start of it all)
These were the ppvs, and when the company hired based on talent as opposed to marketing possibilities the ppvs were intrinsically linked creatively, thus giving us an unrelenting "skittles taste the rainbow effect".
Now its the opposite, we have so many ppvs that identity conflict has happened and character development has fallen way off the arc we are used to, sonwe are dissolussioned with the characters and storylines.
"...my entire life around Raw like days gone by but it's got my attention right now"
-Why has that happened?.Age? Lifestyle? or dissatisfaction with the product? Whilst I'd guess all 3 I'll also wager that the largest part is the 3rd in that list.
Back then we had no choice but to ride the subjective train. The product was that good! Why? I'd say because competition was strong and they fought for the right to entertain us.
The roster is so very pitiful and so devoid of charisma its laughable. The decision to give the wrong ppl the mic is sickening and then complete lack of understanding of social climate is a joke. "let's do social media coz its hot right now", ethey should be saying "why are folk using social media, what type of person is Joe average these days"
Back in the attitude era, society was passive aggressive, emotionally surpressed and on the cusp of a sexual revolution. The product encapsulated all these things and henceforth reaped critical acclaim.
It is a combination of all three, but somehow in the past I found a way to give the product my undivided attention at the expense of my lifestyle at the time. Long as I own a TV, WWE always has the potential to shift my priorities. I love wrestling's inherit entertainment value that much.
Wrestling needs another Ted Turner. Knowledge of the business would be an advantage (obviously) but the money competitor is paramount. All this era really needs is a credible rival with Punk & Heyman on payroll and wrestling will improve dramatically. I have ALOT of faith in the creative mind of HHH (his positive influence is already trickling through), he just needs that same push Vince had back in the mid 90s.
That's the thing. I actually believe this is a roster capable of producing a boom period, it's got so much diversity in experience, size, ring style, mic style, etc... the only thing it lacks is something which ties into your next point, one or more characters which truly echo the heartbeat of societal culture in the year 2013. I will say it is harder for WWE to create cross demographic stars today, the fans are so much harder to please, but it's not impossible.
Social media is the most shallow medium of expression. I remember HHH back in 11 telling Punk that his demands of merchandise featuring himself was a backwards way of doing business, WWE's understanding of social media is exactly the same - they can't seem to comprehend it's a means of evaluating your societal relevant, not a tool to enhance it...... e.g. rather than pump this ridiculous app in our faces 24/7 (Michael Cole must loath that app by now ), their focus should be getting the fans demanding they make one
I'd never actually thought about the involvement of social media but you're spot on. It's very in-your-face at the moment. Monday night they invited the universe (cringe) to vote CM Punk's tag partners against the Shield and if doing this -------> was a legitimate response then I'd have probably put my hand through my skull. Feuds should feel organic and they've never needed people to vote in order to progress.
They've even started asking people to use the app to choose which computer game match they would like to see on WWE '14.......who cares?!
Now you've brought it to my attention I can see the next few weeks of Raw being really painful for me!
Course it also sends mixed message when you invite the fans to vote on the name of your new world title, then disregard the "universe" as stupid and pick one of the other chooses instead
Here is the big question to you guys, u have been given till next year as head of creative.
What would u do?
Titles, feuds, returns etc
Actually sod the time frame.
Here is the big question to you guys, u have been given till next year as head of creative.
-------
Revolutionise
If there's one thing that WWF/E were able to do in previous decades it was up its game.
The current product seems so static.
After Montreal, the WWE really ramped it up with the Attitude era and the introduction of several controversial stables like DX and more obviously the Nation of Domination.
WWE has spent the last ten years trying to be a new version of the attitude era. Its focus has been looking back to the good days and that's why we've seen more interest in old stars coming back.
This has had a huge negative effect on the current roster who have to makeway on the biggest stages for the stars of yesterday.
Put simply, if the owners don't believe in the roster then why should we ?
In terms of creativity - we need to introduce storylines that go on for months. At the moment we get four episodes of Raw before the showdown at the PPV. There's no build up.
People have been crying out for a while about the title unification. I'm personally against it.
The WHC is devalued by people who don't know its prestige. What I would do if I were head of creative is not do a brand split but a full on product split.
Creat a new federation (albeit Vince would still own both) and let them have a showdown PPV once a year.
This would also drive competition and thus improve both products. We all know that WWE was far better when there was competition.
Anyway, these are just a few comments - but the product needs a revolution, no doubt about it.
Oh and before I go, I'd downgrade the sets/stage on Raw. Its too glitzy. Go watch the attitude era when it was just a curtain and a screen. Now its like a pantomine.
First thing I'd do is scrap both the US and IC titles, neither have a hope in hell of reigning their former prestige which will always hold back the owner of the belts.
Combine this necessity and WWE's fetish with social media, you have to ask yourself why Ryder's "Internet Championship" hasn't been officialised. That's the area to channel this social media fascination, have the people vote on everything from challengers to dates of title defences. WWE's only focus is on the main event anyway, that would at least make one portion of the mid-card an intriguing sideshow. What it would do is encourage young talent to hone their skills in manipulating a crowd to get a true baby face reaction, something WWE desperately lacks from it's wrestlers
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Decline in the WWE?
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posted on 17/12/13
I believe the era you're referring to was the Ruthless Aggression Era (02-04) when the brand split and two World Champions format was introduced.
There is more individuality than there was 4/5 years ago, the raw gimmick has been re-integrated into the product at lower/mid-card level. Smackdown is most certainly the beta brand, nothing of significance or consequence ever transpires on it now a days.
Whether or not the product is in decline is a matter of opinion, but where WWE have made an impact in the past 2 years is the feeling of decline isn't a unanimous one amongst their fan base - partly due to subtle booking improvements as well as the complete self-destruction of their two main competitors in the American wrestling market. I personally don't mind the product right now, not going to organise my entire life around Raw like days gone by but it's got my attention right now
posted on 17/12/13
I still record both Raw & Smackdown but I never expect anything from the latter. Seems it's only really there so they can squeeze in extra promos between Raw tapings.
Raw did seem to be in decline 12 months ago but I think it's picking up nicely right now. Fan participation in particular seems as good as it's ever been since the Attitude days. Let's go Cena.....(altogether now).....
If anything, I find the PPVs are the most disappointing thing nowadays. Too many of them for a start, and the ones with gimmicks in their title (TLC, HIAC, Extreme Rules, etc) are generally the worst.
posted on 18/12/13
"if anything, I find the PPVs are the most disappointing thing nowadays. Too many of them for a start, and the ones with gimmicks in their title (TLC, HIAC, Extreme Rules, etc) are generally the worst."
- Its a complete and utter farce IMO. Its so obvious that these events, are no longer solely about giving storylines resolution or birth.
TLC
Hell in a cell
Extreme rules
These were once stand alone matches which gave an angle serious weight or as mentioned before concluded a feud. The E have this parasitic relationship with our desire to buy merchandise, henceforth they churn out ppvs like no tomorrow.
Like anything that goes on mass production, individual quality diminishes.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS:
Royal Rumble
King of the RING
Wrestlemania
Survivor series
(don't wanna include in ur house as this was the start of it all)
These were the ppvs, and when the company hired based on talent as opposed to marketing possibilities the ppvs were intrinsically linked creatively, thus giving us an unrelenting "skittles taste the rainbow effect".
Now its the opposite, we have so many ppvs that identity conflict has happened and character development has fallen way off the arc we are used to, sonwe are dissolussioned with the characters and storylines.
"...my entire life around Raw like days gone by but it's got my attention right now"
-Why has that happened?.Age? Lifestyle? or dissatisfaction with the product? Whilst I'd guess all 3 I'll also wager that the largest part is the 3rd in that list.
Back then we had no choice but to ride the subjective train. The product was that good! Why? I'd say because competition was strong and they fought for the right to entertain us.
The roster is so very pitiful and so devoid of charisma its laughable. The decision to give the wrong ppl the mic is sickening and then complete lack of understanding of social climate is a joke. "let's do social media coz its hot right now", ethey should be saying "why are folk using social media, what type of person is Joe average these days"
Back in the attitude era, society was passive aggressive, emotionally surpressed and on the cusp of a sexual revolution. The product encapsulated all these things and henceforth reaped critical acclaim.
posted on 18/12/13
It is a combination of all three, but somehow in the past I found a way to give the product my undivided attention at the expense of my lifestyle at the time. Long as I own a TV, WWE always has the potential to shift my priorities. I love wrestling's inherit entertainment value that much.
Wrestling needs another Ted Turner. Knowledge of the business would be an advantage (obviously) but the money competitor is paramount. All this era really needs is a credible rival with Punk & Heyman on payroll and wrestling will improve dramatically. I have ALOT of faith in the creative mind of HHH (his positive influence is already trickling through), he just needs that same push Vince had back in the mid 90s.
That's the thing. I actually believe this is a roster capable of producing a boom period, it's got so much diversity in experience, size, ring style, mic style, etc... the only thing it lacks is something which ties into your next point, one or more characters which truly echo the heartbeat of societal culture in the year 2013. I will say it is harder for WWE to create cross demographic stars today, the fans are so much harder to please, but it's not impossible.
Social media is the most shallow medium of expression. I remember HHH back in 11 telling Punk that his demands of merchandise featuring himself was a backwards way of doing business, WWE's understanding of social media is exactly the same - they can't seem to comprehend it's a means of evaluating your societal relevant, not a tool to enhance it...... e.g. rather than pump this ridiculous app in our faces 24/7 (Michael Cole must loath that app by now ), their focus should be getting the fans demanding they make one
posted on 18/12/13
I'd never actually thought about the involvement of social media but you're spot on. It's very in-your-face at the moment. Monday night they invited the universe (cringe) to vote CM Punk's tag partners against the Shield and if doing this -------> was a legitimate response then I'd have probably put my hand through my skull. Feuds should feel organic and they've never needed people to vote in order to progress.
They've even started asking people to use the app to choose which computer game match they would like to see on WWE '14.......who cares?!
Now you've brought it to my attention I can see the next few weeks of Raw being really painful for me!
posted on 18/12/13
Course it also sends mixed message when you invite the fans to vote on the name of your new world title, then disregard the "universe" as stupid and pick one of the other chooses instead
posted on 18/12/13
Here is the big question to you guys, u have been given till next year as head of creative.
What would u do?
Titles, feuds, returns etc
Actually sod the time frame.
posted on 19/12/13
Here is the big question to you guys, u have been given till next year as head of creative.
-------
Revolutionise
If there's one thing that WWF/E were able to do in previous decades it was up its game.
The current product seems so static.
After Montreal, the WWE really ramped it up with the Attitude era and the introduction of several controversial stables like DX and more obviously the Nation of Domination.
WWE has spent the last ten years trying to be a new version of the attitude era. Its focus has been looking back to the good days and that's why we've seen more interest in old stars coming back.
This has had a huge negative effect on the current roster who have to makeway on the biggest stages for the stars of yesterday.
Put simply, if the owners don't believe in the roster then why should we ?
In terms of creativity - we need to introduce storylines that go on for months. At the moment we get four episodes of Raw before the showdown at the PPV. There's no build up.
People have been crying out for a while about the title unification. I'm personally against it.
The WHC is devalued by people who don't know its prestige. What I would do if I were head of creative is not do a brand split but a full on product split.
Creat a new federation (albeit Vince would still own both) and let them have a showdown PPV once a year.
This would also drive competition and thus improve both products. We all know that WWE was far better when there was competition.
Anyway, these are just a few comments - but the product needs a revolution, no doubt about it.
Oh and before I go, I'd downgrade the sets/stage on Raw. Its too glitzy. Go watch the attitude era when it was just a curtain and a screen. Now its like a pantomine.
posted on 19/12/13
First thing I'd do is scrap both the US and IC titles, neither have a hope in hell of reigning their former prestige which will always hold back the owner of the belts.
Combine this necessity and WWE's fetish with social media, you have to ask yourself why Ryder's "Internet Championship" hasn't been officialised. That's the area to channel this social media fascination, have the people vote on everything from challengers to dates of title defences. WWE's only focus is on the main event anyway, that would at least make one portion of the mid-card an intriguing sideshow. What it would do is encourage young talent to hone their skills in manipulating a crowd to get a true baby face reaction, something WWE desperately lacks from it's wrestlers
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