The lack of viable competition caused the brand to go stale. Some of the decisions made by the boss didn't help either but the company has grown weak w/o an organization to offer competition on Monday and whatever night Smackdown is on.
@Solaryellow: "The lack of viable competition caused the brand to go stale. Some of the decisions made by the boss didn't help either but the company has grown weak w/o an organization to offer competition on Monday and whatever night Smackdown is on."
Healthy competition could help but I don't think wrestling will ever be as popular as 1996-2001. Both WCW and WWF were beating Monday Night Football in the ratings.
I watched last night. I love watching guys on steroids wearing very little clothing pretend to beat each other up.
It does exciting things.... to my nether regions....
Wish that was true, but Vince Meek Mahaan has put on a very strict steroid policy with the company. If any employees caught with doping, they get a 30 day suspension, also repeating will result a termination of the wrestler's contract.
Your boy John Cena is challenging the Phenomenal 1, the face that runs the place, and the Champ that runs the Camp, AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. John Cena is aiming to tie Ric Flair's record to become 16 time champion before he retires.
I only watch the recap on Youtube and only segments with Chris Jericho in it (and Kevin Owens to a lesser extent). It's too bad Jericho has become essentially a punching bag though.
The only time I enjoyed wrestling was way before they called it WWE. Hulk Hogan, Jake the Snake, Sgt. Slaughter, Andre The Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper (They Live rocks), etc.
@Solaryellow: "The lack of viable competition caused the brand to go stale. Some of the decisions made by the boss didn't help either but the company has grown weak w/o an organization to offer competition on Monday and whatever night Smackdown is on."
Healthy competition could help but I don't think wrestling will ever be as popular as 1996-2001. Both WCW and WWF were beating Monday Night Football in the ratings.
The WWE went from PG-13 (or even more risque) to PG for some odd reason which I believe was to court more women and children. That idea backfired right in the face of the decision makers since it seems as if Stamford is getting killed in ratings and all around interest. I'd go back even earlier than 1996 in terms of popularity though. IMO wrestling changed when Nitro and Raw hit the waves. Those programs really started gathering the interest of people. The popularity of the Monday Night Wars was thanks to the shock effect and the pushing of the proverbial envelope by each company and that all went away thanks to the bone headed decisions down in Atlanta.
@Solaryellow: "I'd go back even earlier than 1996 in terms of popularity though."
Well 70's was dominated by territories. They made money but not big money.
Hulkmania in the 80's was huge and it was the 1st time wrestling was considered mainstream. Hulk Hogan was everywhere during that time. But that momentum died.
The New Generation led by Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart didn't do well in the early 90's.
By mid 96 it was a shift in the air and the wrestling industry was about to get a spark it needed. Eric Bisshoff(lol) NWO idea change the future of wrestling but it was also the death of WCW.
@Solaryellow: "I'd go back even earlier than 1996 in terms of popularity though."
Well 70's was dominated by territories. They made money but not big money.
Hulkmania in the 80's was huge and it was the 1st time wrestling was considered mainstream. Hulk Hogan was everywhere during that time. But that momentum died.
The New Generation led by Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart didn't do well in the early 90's.
By mid 96 it was a shift in the air and the wrestling industry was about to get a spark it needed. Eric Bisshoff(lol) NWO idea change the future of wrestling but it was also the death of WCW.
Back with the territories people were not forced with the same crap night after night like we've seen when it was two predominant companies and even more with only one today. The only thing which could make up for the same routine was mixing in some unpredictability like the days when Nitro and Raw went at it because quite honestly it was more sensationalism than anything. Wrestling started coming into its own when MTV and NBC got involved and it grew to the apex during the MNW.
The quality of in ring work is better now in wrestling than it has ever been.
The psychology of wrestling, and the ability to work a crowd however is lost.
Too many scripts, not enough letting the talent do what they can do to engage the crowd.
The problem with Professional wresting today is it has become about selling merchandise, not tickets.
I say that they're selling tkt's just fine, problem is that the WWE has a near monopoly for TV time and has no other major competition. TNA is only surviving because of Broken Matt Hardy and took only washed up WWE mid cards in their line up. Jeff Jarrett is delusional to think that he's capable to main even matches, and also a scammer for his pyramid scheme for Global Force Wrestling. So far, the indie scene is where to go now like RoH, Lucha Underground, New Japan Pro, and Shimmer (women's wrestling).
I also agree, WWE has too much talent, but have dumb writers that can't fit all of them and only go for those that sell merchandise.
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