Why the midcard sucks

golfguy

The most common complaint about wrestling these days is that there is no development of mid card or tag team wrestling. While everyone blames HHH, creative, or any number of forces, I think the reason why is simple.

In the 80's and early 90's Saturday Night's Main Event was where you could see Hogan wrestle. It was where the Macho Man had his matches. Andre the Giant was featured prominently.

On Saturday mornings, one could view SuperStars and Wrestling Challenge. These shows were taped at house shows, and featured midcard wrestlers. These shows focused on Tito Santana, Rick Martel, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, etc. There was no Savage, no Hogan, no Andre taking up most of the show. The biggest star you were liekly to see was Roddy Piper. The midcard battles were featured. Tito Santana would never main event Raw today, but it was common of SuperStars. This show is what made the IC belt feel legitimate, as it was the highest prize contested on these shows.

Now days, the IC belt feels like a prop, although, this last year it seems to have been elevated, as three former world champs have held it. (Jeff, Jericho, Punk) It is still not at the level it was at in the early 90's when it went from Warrior winning the WWF title to Bret Hart holding a death grip on that belt.

SS and Challenge also focused heavily on tag teams. The Bushwackers, Demolition, The Harts, The Rockers, and the Nasty Boys were on the show in some combination weekly. These shows did a great deal to elevate wrestlers in that after a couple of months focusing on one of these teams, all of a sudden they were announced to be on SNME, you suddenly felt like they were going somewhere. I grew up with the Rockers constant quest to win the tag belts, and was crushed when they never made it.

These two shows did more to further the midcard than any IC tournament or King of the Ring show ever could. Every week, the guys in the middle were featured. These shows had jobbers, clean finishes, and rehearsed promos that made the guys look strong, as opposed to a guy winning two weeks in a row, then having to lose to Edge to make Edge look strong, as happens now.

Cactus Col

I'd disagree with you to a degree there. You're letting "Creative" away far too lightly.

The biggest problems I see with the IC, US, and tag titles is that there is never any competitors chasing them. I can remember back in the late nineties/ early 00's when you'd have people like Angle, Jericho, Benoit, Geuerrero, Bill Gunn even , chasing the titles, wanting to be IC champ. When they lost the belt, they sure as hell wanted it back.

Nowadays the titles are more or less passed from one wrestler to another. One wrestler gains the title, enters into feud which usually has nothing to do with the title, loses the title, moves on to another feud.

The tag titles are poor because there are next to no tag teams actively competing for the titles. I think there are only three teams on smackdown, one of which (Hawkins and the other chap) we haven't seen in an age.

callaway92

Youd swear Gofguy was writing all of thiese threads himeself..It couldnt be more obvious he is copying and pasting them off another website..Im just sayin

Bubs101

callaway92 wrote: »

Youd swear Gofguy was writing all of thiese threads himeself..It couldnt be more obvious he is copying and pasting them off another website..Im just sayin

Doesn't really matter. Forum's been interesting in the past 2 days for the first time since the regulars left.

As for why the midcard is ****, their are two reasons. Number 1 ECW. The ECW title is in effect the Intercontinental title now and they do a great job with it. It's the top level midcard belt and has elevated stars. They give it time on TV and the champ is rarely jobbed out.

The second reason is that The Brian Kendrick can't stop smoking weed

gimmick

callaway92 wrote: »

Youd swear Gofguy was writing all of thiese threads himeself..It couldnt be more obvious he is copying and pasting them off another website..Im just sayin

He has contributed more in the last few days than what you ever have on this forum... just sayinG. :rolleyes:

And if he is copying them, so what. This forum is dead for one reason or another.

CMpunked

I think the difference between the early 80s wrestling and now is back then people had to be real special to be brought in.
It would mean investing money into a person who you needed to know was fit for the bill and had that special something.

Now a days the wwe has FCW, which develops future superstars, ECW which has the "New talent initiative", smackdown that has all the cruiserweights and raw which has always been the no.1 show.

So back in the day when people would be coming into a promotion fully prepared, a complete master of his craft; Now they are brought in at any level with the idea that they will get better and better enough so they can reach the top.

But i believe that now some of the wrestlers who get called up to the WWE, sometimes think "I've made it, this is the big league!". And then just dont bother getting better, of course there are a few exceptions to this idea.

But thats just my 2c