Question for Pro Wrestling fans

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 07:17 PM

What do you mean by pro wrestling?

Do you mean pro wrestling as a whole (WWE, TNA, Japan, Indies) or just WWE and TNA because that greatly changes my answer as it probably would for W2B and a few of the others that post here as well.

**Liquidrob** · 01-05-2010, 07:23 PM

Pro Wrestling, whatever you watch

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 07:33 PM

Okay well the bulk of my watching watching is indie stuff mainly Ring of Honor. They tend to work a bit of the Japanese style which is stiff, but occasionally high flying. They have some characters and promos and stuff but the majority of the stuff is in-ring. They do all of their gimmick advancement in the ring and none of that backstage/bad acting crap.

To me, wrestling has always been a sport-style, athletic show. that's what drew me to it years ago, I was a sports fan, then I saw something that seemed like an over-the-top sport, so I was hooked. Of course, it's staged, worked or whatever, but to me I didn't care. I feel in love with the idea that I was watching something that was like a sport, but with characters and storylines and etc.

Ring of Honor and great wrestling is not about jumping into tables or terrible acting or whatever. It's about match psychology, telling a story in the ring, conveying emotion through the crowd, playing up the good vs. bad (heel vs. face) dynamic.

Currently WWE blows, I won't argue that. The only reason I occasionally watch is it's a habit and I'm hoping one of these days it goes back to being like it was.

If you want to get an idea of why I watch wrestling or why people do or what I would love for wrestling to be... read or listen to Jim Cornette's commentaries. This is one of my personal favorites that attempts to bridge the gap of what use to be wrestling when you said you watched casually and when most of us stopped to what WWE and TNA is putting out today:

Jim Cornette: Not Found

http://www.jimcornette.com/Commentary_04-24-2009.html

I'd put the whole thing but it would take up about 1,000 lines.

**Kuzzy Powers** · 01-05-2010, 07:56 PM

I really dont even have a good answer for this.. I rarely ever watch the whole show now-a-days, but even watching bits and pieces if likely a waste of time.

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 07:58 PM

I watch half of what I use to, but I don't think it's really fair to throw together WWE and TNA with Japan and ROH. They are on both sets of the spectrum of wrestling/sports entertainment.

**EmpireWF** · 01-05-2010, 08:20 PM

B/c at the end of the day, I like it. I think WWE is boring as fuck with most of what they do. I like some of what they do...

I'm not into ROH as much as I was say 2006-2008, but I'll still try to follow them.

I occasionally check out Japan stuff.

I regularly watch WWE 24/7, which shows a whole mix of stuff from different areas and times.

I've watched it for nearly 20-years, I'm not stopping now.

**Liquidrob** · 01-05-2010, 08:40 PM

Empire, I asked you why you like it, not if you like it, I watch some crappy ass TV shows or movies, but I can tell you why I like them, not saying its 'crappy', just asking why you like it or watch it and I'm not asking you to stop watching it either

it is just a question

**SHOGUN** · 01-05-2010, 08:46 PM

As of right now it's just out of habit. I've been watching WWF/WCW since I was born. I don't watch it as regularly as I used to, but I still tune in every other week just because.

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 08:51 PM

I think my original appeal was it is basically an athletic ballet. I was really into the characters, the moves, the flow of matches, the choreography, the in-ring story telling, etc.

**EmpireWF** · 01-05-2010, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by Liquidrob

just asking why you like it or watch it

lol, tough to explain I guess.

I understand how people can grow away from it b/c after all, at the end of the day, it's a pair of dudes fake fighting. Sometimes the moves look crappy and you bet your ass shit is repetitive and at times frustratingly boring.

However, it's still fun to me. I wish there were more actual wrestling on TV but it's fun. The characters (sometimes) have interesting stories or have a motivation and hopefully they get their time to work in the ring.

For instance, last year, the feud between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker was awesome. They had their feud in 1997-98 until Taker accidentally broke Shawn's back on the casket. They didn't interact on screen for practically 10 years when they finally went at it in the Rumble in 2007. Then they didn't interact again until the build for Wrestlemania in 2009. All the build for their first one-on-one match at WM in April 2009, since January 1998 and the match itself was first class.

I like watching ROH and Japan because a good wrestling match still entertains me. I think Bryan Danielson is the best in the world because he has a realistic (as much as pro wrestling can realistic) style and is believable.

**LiquidLarry2GhostWF** · 01-05-2010, 08:56 PM

I barely watch, because basically...it sucks. If I do watch, it is because there isn't much else going on in the world.

After last night, I realized, when seeing DX on RAW and the nWo on IMPACT wrestling has gone NO WHERE in 10 fucking years, lol.

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 09:01 PM

It's went somewhere but due to the over inflated self worth of WWE sports entertainment writers and inability to properly train these new guys in the art of wrestling and the art of drawing a crowd, the people that still draw ratings are the same guys that drew ratings 10 years ago.

It was really on a great path in 2002-2003 with a ton of great new young stars but due to a multitude of reason it sort of fell apart and they've had to rebuild again. Now the guys that are in there are basically body builders who are terrible actors. They have no idea how to work a crowd, no clue how to interact with the crowd, no clue how to work a match, no clue how to tell a story or anything necessary to make what I consider great "wrestling"

**LiquidLarry2GhostWF** · 01-05-2010, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by FedEx227

It's went somewhere but due to the over inflated self worth of WWE sports entertainment writers and inability to properly train these new guys in the art of wrestling and the art of drawing a crowd, the people that still draw ratings are the same guys that drew ratings 10 years ago.

It is like running on a treadmill.

Yeah, they just ran 10 miles...but they really didn't go anywhere.

All we need is for Goldberg to come out and spear the nWo into oblivion and I'm taking my ball and going home.

oh...and an Undertaker v. Kane match...yup...it will complete the circle.

**FedEx227** · 01-05-2010, 09:07 PM

To be fair, it's always kind of been that way, it's just usually you'd see guys come in and take spots but some guys hung around forever. I mean Harley Race was relevant for almost 20 years. Ric Flair got to the top in the late 70s and is still hanging around. The Undertaker was a huge draw from early 90s through all of the 2000s. It's just compounded by the fact that there is NOBODY ready to take their spots and take wrestling to the next level and get it back to being watchable. To your point though, yeah TNA we basically saw the nWo come back for the 5th time. That's ridiculous. While Flair was relevant for years he fought the different generations/eras. He started against the Harley Race/Dusty Rhodes of the world, then moved onto the Stings/Lugers, etc.

That, and the writers won't really allow it. About a year ago a script for an episode of Raw came out and it was really word by word EXACTLY what happen, from reactions by the wrestlers, spacing in promos, etc. You just can't do that, it has to be spontaneous to be successful.