Long post incoming. If you don't want to read it, fine, but don't be a smartass and reply with "TOO LONG, DIDN'T READ LOLZ".
Am I the only one that thinks the product is good at the moment? Personally I think it has been the best in a while (at least since the Summer of Punk).
Let me share a story with you guys.
My roommate is a former wrestling fan who was a regular watcher during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras. One day I was watching Raw (October 2012 I believe) and asked him to join me. At first he denied because he said he would have no idea who anyone was or what was going on, but I convinced him to still give it a shot.
We ended up watching most of the show (on Youtube) and turns out he actually enjoyed it. He is a huge fan of Ryback and is very invested in this Punk/Ryback feud.
The reason I brought that up is because most of you guys watch the show just looking for disappointment. You pick out small portions of the show and later express your distaste. It's as if you only watch WWE so that you can complain after the show is done. I know this because I lurk the discussion threads and very rarely see anything positive being posted.
WWE is headed in the right direction and are providing solid groundwork for the Road to Wrestlemania as well as their long-term future. Let me break it down for you.
- Ryback. I'm not his biggest fan because I know he's a meathead hand picked by Vince, but it's hard not to get into him. "FEED ME MORE" is a great catchphrase and it will move lots of merch in the future. The casuals are invested in him and so am I. For example, last night I was waiting all show for Ryback to come out and destroy CM Punk and The Shield. And when he did I was eager to see what he would do next.
- John Cena is not in the main event. He's in an upper mid-card feud with Dolph Ziggler currently. Even though Ziggler has been pinned twice by Cena, he is still getting a major rub by competing against the WWE's top dog. It's also a breath of fresh air seeing as how Cena is not chasing the title and has not held the belt in over a year.
- Punk's title reign. Today he tied John Cena, tomorrow he will surpass Cena and be in sole position of the 6th longest reign in history. When Punk loses the belt, it will be monumental. The amount of prestige and credibility he has brought back to the title cannot be put into words.
- The Shield. Three new guys who all have a lot of potential. We have not seen these guys in a match yet (at least I haven't, don't follow NXT), but it looks like they all bring something different to the table. Ambrose seems like he's an amazing talker and oozes charisma. This was evident last week in his interview. Rollins has a look that I think will mesh will with casuals when somewhere down the line he turns face. Similar to Jeff Hardy, but a much better wrestler. Reigns is a Batista-esque enforcer who doesn't say much to begin with, but his character will slowly progress later on.
- Mid-card divisions are getting more exposure. Sure, this was expected with the move to 3 hours, but still. It is nice to see Antonio Cesaro bring some credibility to the US title and even Kofi is doing a decent job as IC Champion. Back to Cesaro though, the guy is a beast. He possesses some serious strength and I can see him as WHC by the end of 2013. Also worth noting in this section the Tag Team division. It has lost a bit of steam as opposed to a couple of months ago, but it is still decent. I'm expecting Kane and Bryan to lose the belts soon which will open up an opportunity for a couple of up and comers to get the gold (PTP, developmental guys?).
I can keep going but these are the main points I wanted to address.
In conclusion, the product (in my opinion) is the best it has been in at least a year. There are a lot of things to look forward to on a weekly basis as well as long term. Just because the show does not meet Attitude Era standards does not mean it isn't good. For a transitional period, we are being provided with good programming.
Am I the only one that thinks the product is good at the moment? Personally I think it has been the best in a while (at least since the Summer of Punk).
Let me share a story with you guys.
My roommate is a former wrestling fan who was a regular watcher during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras. One day I was watching Raw (October 2012 I believe) and asked him to join me. At first he denied because he said he would have no idea who anyone was or what was going on, but I convinced him to still give it a shot.
We ended up watching most of the show (on Youtube) and turns out he actually enjoyed it. He is a huge fan of Ryback and is very invested in this Punk/Ryback feud.
The reason I brought that up is because most of you guys watch the show just looking for disappointment. You pick out small portions of the show and later express your distaste. It's as if you only watch WWE so that you can complain after the show is done. I know this because I lurk the discussion threads and very rarely see anything positive being posted.
WWE is headed in the right direction and are providing solid groundwork for the Road to Wrestlemania as well as their long-term future. Let me break it down for you.
- Ryback. I'm not his biggest fan because I know he's a meathead hand picked by Vince, but it's hard not to get into him. "FEED ME MORE" is a great catchphrase and it will move lots of merch in the future. The casuals are invested in him and so am I. For example, last night I was waiting all show for Ryback to come out and destroy CM Punk and The Shield. And when he did I was eager to see what he would do next.
- John Cena is not in the main event. He's in an upper mid-card feud with Dolph Ziggler currently. Even though Ziggler has been pinned twice by Cena, he is still getting a major rub by competing against the WWE's top dog. It's also a breath of fresh air seeing as how Cena is not chasing the title and has not held the belt in over a year.
- Punk's title reign. Today he tied John Cena, tomorrow he will surpass Cena and be in sole position of the 6th longest reign in history. When Punk loses the belt, it will be monumental. The amount of prestige and credibility he has brought back to the title cannot be put into words.
- The Shield. Three new guys who all have a lot of potential. We have not seen these guys in a match yet (at least I haven't, don't follow NXT), but it looks like they all bring something different to the table. Ambrose seems like he's an amazing talker and oozes charisma. This was evident last week in his interview. Rollins has a look that I think will mesh will with casuals when somewhere down the line he turns face. Similar to Jeff Hardy, but a much better wrestler. Reigns is a Batista-esque enforcer who doesn't say much to begin with, but his character will slowly progress later on.
- Mid-card divisions are getting more exposure. Sure, this was expected with the move to 3 hours, but still. It is nice to see Antonio Cesaro bring some credibility to the US title and even Kofi is doing a decent job as IC Champion. Back to Cesaro though, the guy is a beast. He possesses some serious strength and I can see him as WHC by the end of 2013. Also worth noting in this section the Tag Team division. It has lost a bit of steam as opposed to a couple of months ago, but it is still decent. I'm expecting Kane and Bryan to lose the belts soon which will open up an opportunity for a couple of up and comers to get the gold (PTP, developmental guys?).
I can keep going but these are the main points I wanted to address.
In conclusion, the product (in my opinion) is the best it has been in at least a year. There are a lot of things to look forward to on a weekly basis as well as long term. Just because the show does not meet Attitude Era standards does not mean it isn't good. For a transitional period, we are being provided with good programming.
