Question for Pro Wrestling fans

[Liquidrob]

What is it that still makes you watch Pro Wrestling? I used to watch Pro Wrestling in the past, so I'm not one of those guys that just rips it, of course mostly when I was younger and a little more later when I was trying to do some MMA/Pro Wrestling worked stuff, so i would watch and try and get some moves, etc...

I tried to watch some a month ago and after like 10 minutes I turned it off, just brutal to try and watch

The moves are pretty much recycled stuff, the gimmicks have been done a million times, the acting is really bad so I dont really see the appeal of the 'story line' anymore, it's not like watching a good movie

If anything, the strong style Japan stuff was pretty cool back in the day and much stiffer than the WWF type action, but it doesnt seem like many of you guys watch that from reading, mostly just W2B it seems

Give me some insight

 

[FedEx227]

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]

Pro Wrestling, whatever you watch

 

[FedEx227]

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:

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

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.

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.

Oh, I know...and I have little problem with the old guys hanging around, its always been like that...they stick around until they die, basically...and its alright...but in that time, they tend to make new stars and new power players that headline PPVs. But, you are right...it is a writers business now with little creative control over yourself...back in the day, you had to get yourself over with your own moxie...now, you have to get yourself over with someone elses foresight, and more often than not, that someone doesn't know a thing about wrestling.

We've basically gotten Cena over the past 10 years as a "new babyface"...then you have Orton as the top "new heel". After that...pretty much nobody. (^^^)

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Two different answers:

When I watch mainstream wrestling--WWE or TNA (which mainly consists of watching it on the DVR and FF'ding 95% of the show), it's out of habit, and because I really enjoy following the business aspect of it and the behind the scenes shenanegans. I've been following the business for my entire life, and I still enjoy following it, even if the in ring product sucks. It's a facinating business, and I find the business side of MMA similarly facinating.

When I watch non mainstream wrestling (ROH) and stuff from Japan, it's different. I suspend my disbelief and enjoy it, the same way I suspend my disbelief and enjoy The Sopranos or Dexter or The Office or a trip to the movie theatre. I buy my ticket or download my video or watch my DVD and let my self be entertained. Watching two great pro wrestlers work a great match is something i'll always enjoy.

To be honest, you either get it, or you don't. Most don't, and I understand why. Part of it is stigma, part of it is wrestling = Vince McMahon's vision of wrestling to most people, and part of it is the really good/athletic/well worked stuff requires a level of patience and attention span most people dont have.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Finances. That's a big part of it, to be honest. I watched back in the day cuz my dad did (grew up in the Stampede Wrestling territory), then in university cuz it was the Monday Night Wars. Kinda left it behind after that, though a couple of my friends stuck with it longer than I did - that meant I kept up a bit even if I didn't watch very often. In the past few years, the typical late-20s things happened to me - got a career instead of just a job, a lot of friends got serious girlfriends if not married with kids. So no hanging out every night of the week anymore. Eighteen months ago, I bought a house, so the disposable income disappeared and doing stuff a few times a week became a financial impossibility. Sports, video games, movies, and forums only fills so much time. I could've done like most of my friends and started watching a bunch of crappy TV shows. Instead, I started watching crappy wrestling again. PVR makes it easy and I don't really have to make an effort, and its easy enough to watch whenever I want.

To me, its basically just entertainment. I don't approach it much different than I would any other TV show on TV that you "get into". Just something to watch and follow. Its on a couple of times a week, its year-round, and its obviously easy enough to pick up if you miss a week or five. Watching the PPVs isn't really necessary, for the most part, though they are easy enough to find afterward if they are decent.

Like W2BTD, I find the business and the history fascinating. Its just unique. I've also come to take an interest in Japanese wrestling, which is a world unto itself.

I doubt the current level of interest I have will continue. Either I will find something else to take up the downtime or the woman will get her claws a bit deeper in and take that downtime away entirely...

 

[BazookaJoe5]

I watch it because it takes me back to my childhood and teenage years, which I miss now that I'm an adult. The days where I would come in to first period in middle school on Tuesday and everyone would be buzzing about what happened the previous night. Perhaps a wierd reason but good enough for me.

I would also echo those who find the history fascinating, that is another reason.

 

[FedEx227]

Most of my watching is older PPVs as well. I have maybe 100-150 gigs of PPVs as well as a huge collection of VHS and DVDs. The history of the "sport" is absolutely fascinating.