The current wrestling product is overall boring. The things that amuse me are the rehashes of classic wrestling angles. MVP and Edge remind me of the Rock and Ric Flair respectively and so I find them amusing, plus they have very good matches consistently.
McMahon’s Millions is an interesting concept, although I’m not sure it will attract long term viewers. Long term viewers will be attracted by compelling storylines and some kine of explanation for why this television show is so different than other television shows. Right now, wrestling is a television show. Should a television deal no longer exist, the industry will change drastically. There is no need to explain to sitcom viewers why there is an audience that laughs. Dramas do not need to explain that they are putting on a show for you.
Wrestling is “sports entertainment.” That is a great term for professional wrestling. It has elements of sports with what appears to be a competitive contest, but has predetermined results. What sports movie or TV show doesn’t have predetermined results? The thing that separates wrestling from all the other shows is the audience. The audience in wrestling is part of the show. They are acknowledged by the performers and they are very important to making a show good or great.
Perhaps the WWE could pull some kind advertising campaign explaining that the audience makes the show, kind of like the NBA sometimes calls the spectators “The 6th Man.” Maybe they could pull some kind of synergy with a show like “Friday Night Lights” (although that may have been canceled). Start putting an audience at a show like “Friday Night Lights.” It’s a predetermined sports entertainment show. Maybe WWE could push the idea that the audience is a character — audience participation that actually matters. The only show where you are encouraged to voice your opinion live as the show happens.
Wrestling is a unique show in some respects. However, it really is not that different than a lot of television shows. All the industry has to do is explain to the general public that professional wrestling is a TV show where you will get action, drama, suspense and where you the audience get to impact the course of events. Maybe some kind of “You have the power” campaign. It’s a rough idea, but I’m sure someone at WWE or TNA (probably WWE since the TNA brain trust is used to create incredibly convoluted match stipulations that can even turn off a wrestling fan — ahem, “King of the Mountain”) can figure this out.
State of Wrestling 
SOW Special: The importance of managers and stables
15 05 2008What were the point of these people? Why have nonwrestlers in wrestling? Managers had the ability to spark feuds quickly. Managers had the ability to turn heels into faces very easily. All it took was one double cross by the manager or some back talk from the wrestler and there was tremendous character growth. The manager could easily recruit a new wrestler to take on his former wrestler. It was a simple formula that is missing from today’s product.
Managers also played a role in the creation of stables. Things like Bobby Heenan’s “Family” could mask injured wrestlers. Should a wrestler get injured during a feud, just substitute the wrestler with another stable-mate. The managers also tied together odd combos like Haku and Andre the Giant to give direction to the talent.
Stables help write feuds. You don’t have to be a creative genius to figure out the dynamic between a singular babyface versus a heel stable. It also allows for the singular babyface to create new alliances with other faces. This is very simple stuff that makes for good stories. NWA did this style of story numerous times with the legendary Four Horsemen.
Managers and stables shield inexperienced wrestlers from being exposed as poor talkers. Two great examples are Brock Lesnar and Batista. Lesnar was given Paul Heyman as his “agent.” A simple “Shut up, Paul!” and the crowd started getting behind Lesnar. Batista was able to be an enforcer while Ric Flair or Triple H would do most of the talking. These two slowly learned how to do a decent promo. No one will confuse the two for The Rock or Hulk Hogan, but still they did not have to speak and ruin their images. Bobby Lashley while in WWE did not have a mouthpiece. His soft-spoken nature did not match his impressive physique. WWE even put in “soft-spoken” in his entrance video. This did not help create the monster face WWE was hoping for.
Professional wrestling has forgotten to use classic formulas to create a compelling product. There is room for alliances and managers. These two elements help create good storylines and help the talent mature into more complete performers.
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Tags: bobby heenan, classic wrestling, commentary, four horsemen, horsemen, NWA, Pro Wrestling
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