For 15 years, the WWE quality has gone steadily downhill. Once they had a Monopoly they quit even trying, and we're now inflicted with one terrible Raw after another.
In that 15 years, every once in a while something would happen to reinvigorate wrestling fans to keep watching. Now nothing short of a miracle can even get us to tune in.
Before we go with "It's Rollins being champion's fault"...no it isn't. That's being lazy. No, one man doesn't make a show and we're stuck with hour after hour of complete filler. You can't really blame any one wrestler at all. None of them in fact. It's the WWE booking.
No, HHH isn't our "savior". The reason NXT is going well is due to it's talent, robbed from every independent the WWE can find. As a result of this, there is no chance whatsoever of a rival company being competitive vs them. Worse, this means that the WWE can keep 'coasting' along, not giving a shit.
And before you go with "Don't watch", that's just stupid. I haven't been watching, even finding Family Guy reruns better. I do dutifully check in every week, as I've been a wrestling fan for 37 years, but once I see the SOS, same old shit, I turn away. I'm not the only one either. The Raw Discussion thread barely moves anymore due to so many throwing in the towel on it as well. It's about half what it used to be. If more and more "Don't watch", there won't be a show TO watch, it's that simple. Most of us tune in, get on the thread in the hopes that THIS week it'll be better, then after about an hour we all trickle away from it in disgust. The thread moves at a snail's pace from then on.
Look at last night for an example of why NOT to watch.
We had the obligatory Authority opening that resembled a game show. Still, it's ok.
Then, to suck the life right out of the crowd, we get Big Slow and Mark Henry for what? The 100th time? Nobody cares what either do anymore. They could come out dressed as Tweedledum and Tweedledee and wrestle for the "magic lollipop' and everyone would just yawn.
Then, to make sure the crowd stays asleep, we get Miz/Ryback. If you manage to open your eyes every couple of minutes, you don't miss a damned thing. Who cares?
Then, to kill the crowd thoroughly, giving them all a chance at a lawsuit against WWE for First Degree Brain Slaughter, we get the divas. They're setting up what? Nikki vs Paige # 50?
I quit after this and watched Django on ElRey Network(a damned good network btw for old spaghetti westerns and martial arts films). I tuned in occasionally during commercials and regretted even that. I could tell the crowd was ready to perform mass Harikari as they were barely registering a pulse. All they needed were Samurai swords and the crowd would have been grateful.
Every week it's the same old thing. I did tune in for Kane/Rollins vs Ambrose/Reigns for the umpteenth time just to see them end it in a predictable manner, but only during commercials during AMC's Making of the Mob in New York.
Can it get worse? Can it be saved at this point? I don't think one good one will save it this time. They will have to do something, ANYTHING, differently and put some more talent out there. I don't care if they have to find stewbums and dress them up in masks or something, just put some different people out there. They will have to steadily improve it or it'll be out rated by test patterns.
I've been watching ROH since it came on Destination America and even TNA and at least I'm able to watch them. ROH is great for an hour and often has one very great match per episode. TNA still is dragging along, but at least the competition in ring changes from time to time. Lucha Underground is awesome too.
There's no reason for me to watch Raw anymore except out of misguided loyalty to wrestling, NOT the WWE. But I'm not going to do that anymore and will instead check here on the forum to see if it's improved before I go back.
USA is showing an abbreviated 2 hour Raw right now and this sounds like a desperate attempt to get more viewers. WWE is hurting, so sell your stock now.
In that 15 years, every once in a while something would happen to reinvigorate wrestling fans to keep watching. Now nothing short of a miracle can even get us to tune in.
Before we go with "It's Rollins being champion's fault"...no it isn't. That's being lazy. No, one man doesn't make a show and we're stuck with hour after hour of complete filler. You can't really blame any one wrestler at all. None of them in fact. It's the WWE booking.
No, HHH isn't our "savior". The reason NXT is going well is due to it's talent, robbed from every independent the WWE can find. As a result of this, there is no chance whatsoever of a rival company being competitive vs them. Worse, this means that the WWE can keep 'coasting' along, not giving a shit.
And before you go with "Don't watch", that's just stupid. I haven't been watching, even finding Family Guy reruns better. I do dutifully check in every week, as I've been a wrestling fan for 37 years, but once I see the SOS, same old shit, I turn away. I'm not the only one either. The Raw Discussion thread barely moves anymore due to so many throwing in the towel on it as well. It's about half what it used to be. If more and more "Don't watch", there won't be a show TO watch, it's that simple. Most of us tune in, get on the thread in the hopes that THIS week it'll be better, then after about an hour we all trickle away from it in disgust. The thread moves at a snail's pace from then on.
Look at last night for an example of why NOT to watch.
We had the obligatory Authority opening that resembled a game show. Still, it's ok.
Then, to suck the life right out of the crowd, we get Big Slow and Mark Henry for what? The 100th time? Nobody cares what either do anymore. They could come out dressed as Tweedledum and Tweedledee and wrestle for the "magic lollipop' and everyone would just yawn.
Then, to make sure the crowd stays asleep, we get Miz/Ryback. If you manage to open your eyes every couple of minutes, you don't miss a damned thing. Who cares?
Then, to kill the crowd thoroughly, giving them all a chance at a lawsuit against WWE for First Degree Brain Slaughter, we get the divas. They're setting up what? Nikki vs Paige # 50?
I quit after this and watched Django on ElRey Network(a damned good network btw for old spaghetti westerns and martial arts films). I tuned in occasionally during commercials and regretted even that. I could tell the crowd was ready to perform mass Harikari as they were barely registering a pulse. All they needed were Samurai swords and the crowd would have been grateful.
Every week it's the same old thing. I did tune in for Kane/Rollins vs Ambrose/Reigns for the umpteenth time just to see them end it in a predictable manner, but only during commercials during AMC's Making of the Mob in New York.
Can it get worse? Can it be saved at this point? I don't think one good one will save it this time. They will have to do something, ANYTHING, differently and put some more talent out there. I don't care if they have to find stewbums and dress them up in masks or something, just put some different people out there. They will have to steadily improve it or it'll be out rated by test patterns.
I've been watching ROH since it came on Destination America and even TNA and at least I'm able to watch them. ROH is great for an hour and often has one very great match per episode. TNA still is dragging along, but at least the competition in ring changes from time to time. Lucha Underground is awesome too.
There's no reason for me to watch Raw anymore except out of misguided loyalty to wrestling, NOT the WWE. But I'm not going to do that anymore and will instead check here on the forum to see if it's improved before I go back.
USA is showing an abbreviated 2 hour Raw right now and this sounds like a desperate attempt to get more viewers. WWE is hurting, so sell your stock now.