What's the reason you (still) watch?

Bounty Hunter

Simple enough question what or who keeps you still watching Pro Wrestling (after all these years)? considering the amount of negativity we usually hear about shows, angles, wrestler, creative etc what is it you are still enjoying enough to sometimes sit through what you often criticise?

Kid Nothing

force of habit, i've been watching consistently for around 13 years so i guess i just don't have it in me to stop watching. i'm always hoping that i'll watch an episode of raw and it'll make me love it again...... still waiting though

Bubs101

I couldn't watch a whole show. I read the reviews and spoilers and watch Miz and Morrison, Kendrick and Edge. Occasionally more

krudler

For me its because even though its mostly stale, childish and more often than not nonsensical and treats the fans like idiots (this is WWE I'm talking about) when it comes to the time between the Rumble and Wrestlemania it all comes together and I remember why I like it in the first place

RebelRockChick

Pretty much force of habit for me as well, considering it's something I grew up watching (my older brother is to blame i guess :P) it kind of became routine. Stopped watching it for a few years and got back into it again. Don't watch it too much nowadays, but still check spoilers and watch the odd Raw and PPV.

CDfm

Thats like asking someone why they eat crisps. Its for the flavour...it rocks.
Its like your first metal album or your first girlfriend - except it doesnt disappoint.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Nostalgia

SuperWoody101

I just can't get into it anymore. Before I would set my clock to wake me up to watch a PPV, before I would stay in from the pub to watch a PPV, I never do that now, it's just gone bad (imo) I don't know when I had a big "mark out moment" I have gotten into MMA in a big way and what I felt about wrestling in the early 90's is what I feel for MMA now.

Red Sleeping Beauty

SuperWoody101 wrote: »

I just can't get into it anymore. Before I would set my clock to wake me up to watch a PPV, before I would stay in from the pub to watch a PPV, I never do that now, it's just gone bad (imo) I don't know when I had a big "mark out moment" I have gotten into MMA in a big way and what I felt about wrestling in the early 90's is what I feel for MMA now.

They're not really keeping the integrity of their product I don't think. Was it Jericho last week advertising Tshirts in the ring the night after losing his title belt ?

Reganio 2

Cody Rhodes

krudler

Randy Orton and Edge, the two biggest assets the WWE has right now, outside of Cena for the kids market

SuperWoody101

I did see Edge's return at the last PPV and yes it was a bit of a shock but it has been done before, they just keep going back to old ideas and (IMO) there is way to much wrestling shows on TV and that is why we are getting to see the same matches PPV after PPV, it's a shame as I have been a long time fan of pro wrestling but I don't think I will ever get back into it the way I was in the past.

Red Sleeping Beauty

SuperWoody101 wrote: »

I did see Edge's return at the last PPV and yes it was a bit of a shock but it has been done before, they just keep going back to old ideas and (IMO) there is way to much wrestling shows on TV and that is why we are getting to see the same matches PPV after PPV, it's a shame as I have been a long time fan of pro wrestling but I don't think I will ever get back into it the way I was in the past.

Too much ? Too many WWE shows or too many different wrestling companies ?

ShawnRaven

I'm guessing he means too many WWE programs. I mean lets face it, it's on 3 times a week, and then add in recap shows and vintage collection. WWE have gone somewhat overkill on their programming.

Red Sleeping Beauty

ShawnRaven wrote: »

I'm guessing he means too many WWE programs. I mean lets face it, it's on 3 times a week, and then add in recap shows and vintage collection. WWE have gone somewhat overkill on their programming.

They've had this number of programming for years and years. ECW has just taken over whatever Metal or Jakked used to be but is used as a platform for Snackdowm or RAW . The recap shows are what they are <insert shruggs shoulder smiley here>. I think WWE is only on the once on Sky 1 these days isn't it ? I remember in the 90's when there was WWF on saturday mornings or afternoon (about 11-1pm) and then again at 6pm in the evening and then the same on sundays. At least they're not repeating themselves and are actually showing different programs.

Although the quality of said programmes of course isn't what it used to be. They could to with reconsidering their branding system or something, anything. Although , it goes back to the MMA issue that the old(er) fans that were watching wrestling from the 90's through to a few years ago aren't interested in WWE these days and Vince and his boys are happy with that it seems.


Not sure if this is a related but I'm just watching the Monday Night Wars dvd here and eh they were the good auld days . Well, if you were born mid-80's that is. Wrestling could do with a shake up.

For me its TNA. I haven't enjoyed a WWE show since I don't when. OK TNA does have some stupid story lines now and again but at nearly every PPV they put on you get some great matches which is different from WWE. You might get a great match in a WWE main event or near the main event but in TNA any of the matches can be match of the night. When was the last time you watched a WWE event and an undercard match stole the show?

I don't know if many agree with me but I'm actually enjoying the main event mafia storyline as well and I cant wait for the show in January especially now that Mick Foley has been added to the tour!

Ruu_Old

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Nostalgia

Same, though I rarely sit through a full show whether it be TNA or WWE.

mitchmeister

well its not to see layla's WOEFUL english accent!

rovert

I dont pay much attention to others on the internet. They'll complain for the sake of complaining. Pining for the days of their childhood when Wrestling was GREAT and the when the internet didnt spoil it for them.

WWE product is largely very good, you arent 12 anymore Wrestling is hardly going to be the same for you. Get over it.

mitchmeister wrote: »

well its not to see layla's WOEFUL english accent!

She is English.

amacachi

LOL at the Layla comment.

Habit. I just watch from habit as much as anythin else. Didn't bother staying up for Raw last night for the first time in a while, which may become more regular.

Handsome Bob

Just for a few wrestlers to be honest; namely Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Edge and Jeff/Matt Hardy.

The rest doesn't really interest me, like krudler I rarely sit through a whole show.

gimmick

I pretty much stopped watching WWE and looked further afield. I have not watched a fiull Raw or SD in 3 years, not enjoyed one since 2003. Similar with PPVs. If I looked at WWE as the only show in town I would have stopped watching altogether in 2005 Id say.

rizzla

Just watch TNA PPV's, their weekly shows aren't the best and I feel the PPV's do a great job of cathing me up with the months storylines minus some of the retarded bits.

Albeit I used to. I'm starting to get back into Impact, the Main Event Mafia and The Front Line storyline is getting my attention and I want to see how it develops on a weekly bassis.

Turd Ferguson

Used to be big into it but stopped watching reguilarly a few years ago. I dont have sky sports anymore so I dont watch Raw or Smackdown. Sometimes if I'm up ona Sunday I might watch experience to keep up with whats going on.
I watched Turning Point online there a few weeks ago and I've been watching TNA since (mainly cos of the Angle v Abyss match)
Daily motion stream all of the Impacts

MikeHoncho

Read the spoilers and watch what I like on Dailymotion. Havent sat down and watched on TV in years. Havent seen a full PPV in a long long time. Things I like about WWE: Edge, Orton, Priceless, CM Punk, Jericho, HBK, Kendrick. To be honest ive just outgrown it. I dont think its particularly bad just alot of it isnt aimed at 26 year old men anymore.

Red Sleeping Beauty

MikeHoncho wrote: »

To be honest ive just outgrown it. I dont think its particularly bad just alot of it isnt aimed at 26 year old men anymore.

Nail. Head.

Dont watch WWE anymore as the product is terrible. It has become what WCW was just before it went bust . Actually its alot worse then that. Characters lack realism. Its a show based on selling tshirts action figures even they clothes off the wrestlers backs . I agree that making money is essential to keep the business going , but WWE have sold out the belt now making it spin .
The titles mean nothing anymore. Feuds are predictable . The roster is poor. They like to call it the WWE family yet they sack people every year.
Its just a poor product that they have its aimed at kids. If i was 12 maybe i would like it . But its not about wrestling or wrestlers. Its about making movies and Superstar's .
Vince is trying to live up to his dream of taking the ring out of wrestling .

Dont watch WWE anymore as the product is terrible. It has become what WCW was just before it went bust . Actually its alot worse then that. Characters lack realism. Its a show based on selling tshirts action figures even they clothes off the wrestlers backs . I agree that making money is essential to keep the business going , but WWE have sold out the belt now making it spin .
The titles mean nothing anymore. Feuds are predictable . The roster is poor. They like to call it the WWE family yet they sack people every year.
Its just a poor product that they have its aimed at kids. If i was 12 maybe i would like it . But its not about wrestling or wrestlers. Its about making movies and Superstar's .
Vince is trying to live up to his dream of taking the ring out of wrestling .

i am watching TNA at the moment , i do find it a little hard to watch at the moment . But we can get to see some good wrestling . Also Poresu is great. 8 year old twins will only watch poresu .

rovert

Deleted User wrote: »

Dont watch WWE anymore as the product is terrible. It has become what WCW was just before it went bust. Actually its alot worse then that.

No

Deleted User wrote: »

Vince is trying to live up to his dream of taking the ring out of wrestling .

That is Russo's dream not McMahon's

krudler

Something thats really annoying me lately is the way theyve gone back to kiddie t-shirt designs, in the past few years they had fantastic t-shirts for guys like Edge and Orton, ones you'd wear on a night out and they wouldnt blatantly be WWE tshirts , but have gone from the Sex and Violence and Orton skull designs back to just a pic of the wrestler with their name, some of the new tshirts look like cheap knock off ones you'd buy outside the point before a house show, the product is just going in reverse to the cool WWE of the late 90s and 00s back to the kiddie orientated one as a whole and its hard to be still entertained by it, but yet when it comes to Wrestlemania time and the Hall of Fame and they put on such a spectacle you remember why its great in the first place, I'll probably be watching it forever, I've invested too much time, money and bandwidth to just stop now

HalloweenJack

Got in to WWE when I was right in the target audience, think I was about 10 or 11. Loved it back then cos it was just like a really ridiculous soap opera with a bit of fighting thrown in.

I got a bit fed up with it around 2003.

Recently got Sky so I've started watching TNA and it's pretty good, considering it has a lot of ex-WWE starts but some of the originals are pretty good too.

I was beginning to think the latest storyline was going to be crap until Team 3D joined Front Line.

SuperWoody101

ShawnRaven wrote: »

I'm guessing he means too many WWE programs. I mean lets face it, it's on 3 times a week, and then add in recap shows and vintage collection. WWE have gone somewhat overkill on their programming.

Yes too many WWE shows on TV but vintage collection can be ok some times.

meboloxitis

Whats up with boots? :eek:

UFC all the way

rovert

HalloweenJack wrote: »

I was beginning to think the latest storyline was going to be crap until Team 3D joined Front Line.

Team 3D are just going to turn on Front Line at PPV instead. :pac:

Red Sleeping Beauty

Deleted User wrote: »

Dont watch WWE anymore as the product is terrible. It has become what WCW was just before it went bust . Actually its alot worse then that. Characters lack realism. Its a show based on selling tshirts action figures even they clothes off the wrestlers backs . I agree that making money is essential to keep the business going , but WWE have sold out the belt now making it spin .
The titles mean nothing anymore. Feuds are predictable . The roster is poor. They like to call it the WWE family yet they sack people every year.
Its just a poor product that they have its aimed at kids. If i was 12 maybe i would like it . But its not about wrestling or wrestlers. Its about making movies and Superstar's .
Vince is trying to live up to his dream of taking the ring out of wrestling .

i am watching TNA at the moment , i do find it a little hard to watch at the moment . But we can get to see some good wrestling . Also Poresu is great. 8 year old twins will only watch poresu .

I have to disagree there on the WCW comparison. WCW was a mismanaged , bloated chaotic organization by the end where no one knew what the hell was going on . Finishes were decided 5mins before the main event, top guys didn't know what or who they were to be working with until the last minute. WWE may change their plans but I doubt they're as unprofessional as some of the rubbish that came out of WCW in the last year.

Interesting that you mention TNA. I think that this Main Event Mafia stuff resembles WCW more than anything WWE could ever do. You're looking at 3 ex-WCW guys in a stable versus a younger babyface "new breed" kinda stable. Very similar to the New Breed vs Millionaires Club from 2000.


I do think however that their product has lost it's intensity, integrity and intelligence, or whatever intelligence it used to have.
(as cheesy as that sentence sounds)

rovert wrote: »

No

Ah here, come on man, you said you wouldn't do that one worded post stuff . There's 26 letters in front of ye like, talk a bit

Red Sleeping Beauty

SuperWoody101 wrote: »

Yes too many WWE shows on TV but vintage collection can be ok some times.

I don't know if you read my post on page 1 but they've more or less had the same ammount of programming for years. There might be a few hrs here and there but it's always been 2hrs of Raw & Smackdown. ECW just took the place of Metal/Jakked/Heat . At least they have some storylines and some cross over angles with Smackdown. It's awful compared to the bingo hall Paul Heyman stuff of course, but it's there to build talent and get them onto television in their own programs and angles.

As far as I know , WWE only has 1 recap show on Sky 1 now.

rovert

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

I have to disagree there on the WCW comparison. WCW was a mismanaged , bloated chaotic organization by the end where no one knew what the hell was going on . Finishes were decided 5mins before the main event, top guys didn't know what or who they were to be working with until the last minute. WWE may change their plans but I doubt they're as unprofessional as some of the rubbish that came out of WCW in the last year.

Yep, WWE are projected to have their most profitable year this year since the 1980s so they must be doing something right.

Dre did you even watch WCW?

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Interesting that you mention TNA. I think that this Main Event Mafia stuff resembles WCW more than anything WWE could ever do. You're looking at 3 ex-WCW guys in a stable versus a younger babyface "new breed" kinda stable. Very similar to the New Breed vs Millionaires Club from 2000.:)

Yep and the end result will be the same.

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

I do think however that their product has lost it's intensity, integrity and intelligence, or whatever intelligence it used to have.
(as cheesy as that sentence sounds)

I dont think it ever had integrity in fairness

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Ah here, come on man, you said you wouldn't do that one worded post stuff . There's 26 letters in front of ye like, talk a bit

Youve already said it for me. Anyway I still dont see why Im assocated with one word answers either more than any one else as I rarely do it and when I did it was six months ago and for a legitmate reason (asking for a source.) Id prefer if you didnt bring this up again. My posts are typically as detailed as anyone elses.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Well, no , it didn't really have integrity before. Sure bleedin Vince once held the WWF belt!
But Jericho advertising t-shirts in the ring the night after he loses his title was a bit daft in fairness. Even yer man Alvarez said so last week on that free podcast show thingy .

rovert

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Well, no, it didn't really have integrity before. Sure bleedin Vince once held the WWF belt!

That wasn’t what I was referring to WWE's integrity problem goes from a Hulk Hogan rapping himself around the flag while exploiting War to selling raunch to kids in the Attitude Era.

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

But Jericho advertising t-shirts in the ring the night after he loses his title was a bit daft in fairness. Even yer man Alvarez said so last week on that free podcast show thingy .

You mean HHH not Jericho?

SuperWoody101

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

I don't know if you read my post on page 1 but they've more or less had the same ammount of programming for years. There might be a few hrs here and there but it's always been 2hrs of Raw & Smackdown. ECW just took the place of Metal/Jakked/Heat . At least they have some storylines and some cross over angles with Smackdown. It's awful compared to the bingo hall Paul Heyman stuff of course, but it's there to build talent and get them onto television in their own programs and angles.

As far as I know , WWE only has 1 recap show on Sky 1 now.

Well it's too much for me, I enjoyed Raw is war and Smackdown back in the 90's when you had both Raw and Smackdown guys on both shows, but nothing can beet the late 80's early 90's in pro wrestling, good vs. bad 4 PPVs a year, no spoilers, everyone you knew watched it, I loved it back then and I am sure there are people that love it now and thats great, I know the topic says what is the reason you still watch but I just wanted people to know why I don't watch anymore and there are a few people on this forum who don't watch it anymore. I'm not going to say ohh I grew up and wrestling is fake... etc... I am 29 now and up till about 3 years ago I was still a big fan and everyone knew it. I'm glad people still watch and I think wrestling is still going to be huge for many years to come but i'm done with it, I enjoyed it for a long time and i'm glad I got to live a life long dream and see a Wrestlemania live.

ShawnRaven

SuperWoody101 wrote: »

I'm not going to say ohh I grew up and wrestling is fake... etc... I am 29 now and up till about 3 years ago I was still a big fan and everyone knew it. I'm glad people still watch and I think wrestling is still going to be huge for many years to come but i'm done with it, I enjoyed it for a long time and i'm glad I got to live a life long dream and see a Wrestlemania live.

Hah, funny you mention that, i was clearing out the wardrobe and the amount of wrestling shirts that went out of it this morning (2 HHH shirts, 1 Eddie shirt, one Hurricane shirt, one Kane shirt (yeah, i know, i ended up buying the face your fear shirt at the WWE show in 05 ), the only wrestling shirt that ended up not making the cut was my Edge - Sex and Violence shirt. This is down to three factors.

1) i've cut weight, dropped nearly 2 stone (24lbs to be exact), and the shirts are like duvet covers on me.
2) I'm almost ashamed to admit that i watch wrestling these days and seldom promote the fact
3) I got a f*ckload of Affliction shirts over the last year, and needed to make room for them.

But yeah, wrestling has gone so kiddy lately that i'm almost embarrassed to admit that i'm a wrestling fan. Even sadder thing, is that i thought that day would never come.

SuperWoody101

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Hah, funny you mention that, i was clearing out the wardrobe and the amount of wrestling shirts that went out of it this morning (2 HHH shirts, 1 Eddie shirt, one Hurricane shirt, one Kane shirt (yeah, i know, i ended up buying the face your fear shirt at the WWE show in 05 ), the only wrestling shirt that ended up not making the cut was my Edge - Sex and Violence shirt. This is down to three factors.

1) i've cut weight, dropped nearly 2 stone (24lbs to be exact), and the shirts are like duvet covers on me.
2) I'm almost ashamed to admit that i watch wrestling these days and seldom promote the fact
3) I got a f*ckload of Affliction shirts over the last year, and needed to make room for them.

But yeah, wrestling has gone so kiddy lately that i'm almost embarrassed to admit that i'm a wrestling fan. Even sadder thing, is that i thought that day would never come.

I also had to f**k out some wrestling shirts to make room for a few UFC shirts I got, MMA is taking off big time and I am off with it. I will still watch a bit of wrestling every now and again (old DVD's, maybe a Royal Rumble or 2) and looking back on the amount of money I spent on wrestling stuff (shirts, VHS, DVDs) it's crazy, but I wonld not change it.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Well I still have an Austin 3:16 shirt , Austin Venom, Austin Stone Cold Saloon and a Hardy Boyz "Fear is only a 4letter word" shirt. Cause I'm crap
I also have a 2 dudes with attitudes t-shirt:cool:

rovert

rovert wrote: »

No



That is Russo's dream not McMahon's

Vinces dream .

rovert

Deleted User wrote: »

Vinces dream .

Great point well made :rolleyes:

When has McMahon gone on record about this. Russo in the past said he aspired to have a Wrestling show without a Wrestling ring. Look at how many mintutes of Wrestling there is on Raw or Smackdown compared with IMPACT! In actual fact it was announced there will be even more Wrestling on Smackdown and less backstage skits.

rovert

rovert wrote: »

Dre did you even watch WCW?

So you are saying that WCW wasnt a poor wrestling show with bad ratings before they were bought over ?

Infact WCW's ratings were actually better then the ratings that WWE gets now .

rovert

Deleted User wrote: »

So you are saying that WCW wasnt a poor wrestling show with bad ratings before they were bought over ?

Feburary and March of 2001 WCW was a fine Wrestling show even though the rot had set in. The crusierweights were being re-established and were having awesome matches.

Deleted User wrote: »

Infact WCW's ratings were actually better then the ratings that WWE gets now .

Answer these:
How many channels was there then? Did Tivo exist back then? Has the cable universe expanded? Is TV viewership at the same level?

I dont see how current day WWE and WCW can be compared.

Red Sleeping Beauty

rovert wrote: »

Feburary and March of 2001 WCW was a fine Wrestling show even though the rot had set in. The crusierweights were being re-established and were having awesome matches.

There was even a cruiserweight tag team title :pac:
Can't say much about their World title picture though.

ShawnRaven

Deleted User wrote: »

So you are saying that WCW wasnt a poor wrestling show with bad ratings before they were bought over ?

Sorry i'm with rovert here on this one, once Hogan was out of the picture and Russo was shown the door, WCW was more than watchable. Sin and Greed were pretty decent PPVs as well.

It was piss poorly managed prior to all of this, but WCW as far as TV programming was concerned was on the same level as RAW from December 00 to March 01, but the damage was already done and there was f*ck all that could save it.

rovert

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

There was even a cruiserweight tag team title :pac:.

With little AJ Styles and everything.

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Can't say much about their World title picture though.

Well all the babyfaces the Magnificent Seven took out and from before were meant to come back all at once at April's Big Bang PPV apparently. We were just putting steam on the group until then.

ShawnRaven

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

Can't say much about their World title picture though.

In 2000, i could have actually lived with Jarrett, Booker and Steiner in the title picture, it was centered around Hogan for far too long. It was nice to see something different. But as usually with the mess that was WCW, everything was too little too late.