Asenath

Please go ask the performers of ECW Classic or Smoky Mountain Wrestling what happens when the WWE 'helps' a smaller production.

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Nope is the new What.

Gareth Mallroy

Don't like ROH at all. Bores the hell out of me. When Kevin Nash was talking vanilla midgets...

I watch WWE, some TNA, though only recently, and New Japan. I get my entertainment and my wrestling with those three. As I said, I hate watching these shows in such low rent gymnasiums and with terrible commentary.

As for the topic at hand, WWE did do some decent stuff with Memphis in the early '90s.

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NO!

Eh... your loss, really. Just because they don't take every single thing too seriously doesn't mean they aren't capable of producing some of the most unique wrestling in the world. While Brodus Clay and Tensai are dancing under disco balls for kids, promotions like PWG and Chikara are actually a lot more clever and not as infantile when it comes to the humor. It creates an atmosphere I think for the wrestlers that helps them loosen up, making the matches more fun to watch.

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Gareth Mallroy

The atmosphere is a run down bingo hall on the wrong side of the tracks.

Aesthetic appeal is important to me, and Chikara just comes across as a carnival, a bad one. I'll admit, I did see an angle where Brodie Lee played a bully/trucker type of character which was good, but aside from that, I just write it off.

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Combat Analyst

Honestly I have to agree. Chikara has to many cartoonish characters for me to ever be a fan. 3.0, Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston, Mike Quackenbush,etc I can deal with but Los Ice Creams, I don't know.

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TaylorFitz

I hate the idea of NXT. I just don't see how putting all of your young wrestlers in the same training program is going to create anything other than the same type of wrestlers. I've heard in interviews with guys like Edge and Christian (I think it was them) that when they were signed to developmental contracts it was a totally different thing. They would go to week long training seminars once a month or something and the rest of the time they were encouraged to go out and wrestle as much as they could. WWE paid them a few hundred bucks a week and along with the money they made on their indy shows they were able to support themselves and be full time wrestlers.

Something like that is what I think WWE needs to be doing with their young talent.

So yeah that would involve helping indy companies since they would have access to better talent then they do now but it wouldn't be any type of direct partnership.

And for the people hating on Chikara I just feel like you haven't seen enough. The stuff you see in youtube videos doesn't really represent what they're really like. Yeah they do all sorts of goofy stuff but their company is really based on long term storylines. Their big shows have matches on them that have been built up for months. Chikara is really great at creating these awesome moments on a much smaller scale than WWE. But they're still really cool moments to be a part of.

Their in ring style is also really misunderstood. It's actually a lot more based on telling stories in the ring and similar to the WWE style than most other indy companies are now.

It's not the perfect company by any means but they tour all over, can draw big crowds for big shows (They had well over 1,000 people 3 days in a row at their shows I saw in September), and have really good production values for their shows (when comparing to all non TNA/WWE wrestling companies. Yeah they do takes things a little over the time and their characters can be over the top cheesy sometimes but it's a really fun wrestling company to watch. When they run shows in my area I always try to attend.

NO!

Exactly, I mean no offense but I think it's somewhat narrow minded to dismiss a product because it isn't "polished" or whatever. Not watching a single show and passing such a strong judgment towards the promotion isn't even remotely giving it a fair chance. In order for entertaining companies to move forward and improve with the sizes of their crowds and whatnot, they need the support. As far as I can see, entertainment means more than being presented or packaged perfectly. I'm aware also that a huge event like Wrestlemania or something can have a very powerful appeal because of how important the presentation of the show usually makes it look, but I think people are missing out if they're not giving anything else a chance. And since I mentioned the atmosphere being appealing for Wrestlemania... I'll also admit (for what it's worth) that hardly ever does a Wrestlemania show blow me away. There have been very few I'd call "great".

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FredForeskinn

Why on earth would they want to help a rival?

Boygirl

Well, WWE did cross promote with ECW back in 97-98.

FredForeskinn

yeah, but then there was an interest of buying ecw. I dont think WWE is so hot on buying chikara today.