Are you interested?......

[Steveviscious89]

......in whether or not the wrestling business in general ever regains the amount of viewership and fans that it had about eleven years ago? I know some aspects of this subject are beat to death around here, but I'm curious to know if the internet fans are actually even concerned with that. The reason I ask is because we spend so much time trying to come up with formulas for accomplishing this and yet I feel like they've been done before and it had no effect on the fan base. I am also aware that the amount of fans right now are about the same as before the late 90's boom, but of course we all know the live audiences are terrible these days. Anyway...I would like to know your thoughts.

[The Naitch]

I think WWE cares more about what's cool with the young kids instead of trying to appeal to the 18-35 males

For a 12 year old, today's landscape could be just as exciting for them as it was for us (18-35) during the Attitude era

[Aguakate]

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[Razzamajazz]

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are you listening, TNA?

[Aguakate]

are you listening, TNA?

...Are you listening, wrestling fans of 2010?

[Steveviscious89]

Yes this is all true, we must look forward even though it is so tempting to just want to get into a time machine and go back to the way things were. My actual question though was whether or not anyone here cares whether or not it becomes super popular again. I mean we can all sit here and be content with what our idea of a perfect wrestling show is, but do we care about whether or not everyone else agrees?

[The Naitch]

I think it's becoming popular again, in the sense that I'm no longer embarrassed to be a wrestling fan in public, ever since Brock Lesnar made the crossover to MMA. Brock pretty much helped pro wrestling's credibility (he will always be labelled as a former pro wrestler, "that pro wrestler guy") and it's kinda accepted again, IMO. Although Brock made pro wrestling look weak when he first lost to Mir. Good thing he started winning after that and eventually became UFC Heavyweight Champ.

I like the way Dana is pushing Brock as "The UFC's Biggest Star" plus October is "Brocktober" all month long on Spike. Seems like he's making pro wrestling look like a cousin/affiliate to MMA. He's never made wrestling look bad or look like competition and/or a threat to MMA

Plus they acknowledge The Rock, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker and Stone Cold on whatever PPV Brock is on. (If they are in the audience watching)

[dronepool]

......in whether or not the wrestling business in general ever regains the amount of viewership and fans that it had about eleven years ago? I know some aspects of this subject are beat to death around here, but I'm curious to know if the internet fans are actually even concerned with that. The reason I ask is because we spend so much time trying to come up with formulas for accomplishing this and yet I feel like they've been done before and it had no effect on the fan base. I am also aware that the amount of fans right now are about the same as before the late 90's boom, but of course we all know the live audiences are terrible these days. Anyway...I would like to know your thoughts.

Nope. No concerns here.

[Next Big Thing]

I think it's becoming popular again, in the sense that I'm no longer embarrassed to be a wrestling fan in public, ever since Brock Lesnar made the crossover to MMA. Brock pretty much helped pro wrestling's credibility (he will always be labelled as a former pro wrestler, "that pro wrestler guy") and it's kinda accepted again, IMO. Although Brock made pro wrestling look weak when he first lost to Mir. Good thing he started winning after that and eventually became UFC Heavyweight Champ.

I like the way Dana is pushing Brock as "The UFC's Biggest Star" plus October is "Brocktober" all month long on Spike. Seems like he's making pro wrestling look like a cousin/affiliate to MMA. He's never made wrestling look bad or look like competition and/or a threat to MMA

Plus they acknowledge The Rock, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker and Stone Cold on whatever PPV Brock is on. (If they are in the audience watching)

I love ya, but I have to disagree with you Naitch. I think it's the exact opposite. Brock is anti- wrestling and if anything his success helps get MMA over as being superior to wrestling. It's like all of these pro wrestlers are jock riding MMA. Undertaker incorporating the gogoplata. Angle talking a few years back about how he wanted to make the switch. Batista and Lashley actually choosing to start from the bottom of a second tier MMA promotion than enjoy the main event scene of pro wrestling. Even The Rock said that if he could do it all over again he'd be an MMA fighter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yK0tCki_0c

It's kind of pathetic. UFC has been around since 1993 so it's not like if any of these guys wanted to fight MMA so bad they couldn't have. Shamrock came from that background and you didn't hear about Rock wanting to go try it then. All of these pro wrestlers at MMA events come off as fanboys and wannbes to me. Meanwhile the actual product that is pro wrestling today is a fucking embarrassment with shitty guest hosts, lame skits, and writing which pushes shitty talent while burying actual talent.

Plus with Brock it's not like he's someone who spent his entire career in pro wrestling then tried to make the switch. He had the elite collegiate wrestling background that some would say is a great foundation to any successful MMA fighter. Same with Lashley to a lesser extent, although he did get his ass kicked.

[Steveviscious89]

I love ya, but I have to disagree with you Naitch. I think it's the exact opposite. Brock is anti- wrestling and if anything his success helps get MMA over as being superior to wrestling. It's like all of these pro wrestlers are jock riding MMA. Undertaker incorporating the gogoplata. Angle talking a few years back about how he wanted to make the switch. Batista and Lashley actually choosing to start from the bottom of a second tier MMA promotion than enjoy the main event scene of pro wrestling. Even The Rock said that if he could do it all over again he'd be an MMA fighter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yK0tCki_0c

It's kind of pathetic. UFC has been around since 1993 so it's not like if any of these guys wanted to fight MMA so bad they couldn't have. Shamrock came from that background and you didn't hear about Rock wanting to go try it then. All of these pro wrestlers at MMA events come off as fanboys and wannbes to me. Meanwhile the actual product that is pro wrestling today is a fucking embarrassment with shitty guest hosts, lame skits, and writing which pushes shitty talent while burying actual talent.

Plus with Brock it's not like he's someone who spent his entire career in pro wrestling then tried to make the switch. He had the elite collegiate wrestling background that some would say is a great foundation to any successful MMA fighter. Same with Lashley to a lesser extent, although he did get his ass kicked.

You see, this is what I'm afraid of as well. I know some guys think that wrestling needs to find a way to incorporate MMA into the shows, but I feel like all that will do is further the damage it has already done. Wrestling is a business based almost entirely on popularity, not wins and losses. For this reason, you can't expect to incorporate aspects of MMA and expect for it to make any more difference to the wrestling fans. Bischoff had a poor choice of words when he called it not even apples and oranges, but he was essentially correct in his thinking. And I'm sorry, but as much of a fan as I have been of Duane Johnson's work in the business....after his comments in that interview they caught him in, he can just stay the heck away like he plans to for all I care. That is not what the wrestling business needs right now, and I would think he would have had something better to say at the time.

[Kane Knight]

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It's a interesting platitude but not much more. I mean, for one thing, it can readily work both ways. See?

are you listening, TNA?

And

...Are you listening, wrestling fans of 2010?

It is a shame, however, that this is being applied solely to WWE fans of 2010, because WWE istelf is being regressive right now. TNA is going back to the Attitude Era, and WWE went back further. We're really looking at largely the same old shit no matter where we turn. Doesn't mean going back to blood and HLA is smart either, just that fans shouldn't accept the "new" direction as anything but another "old" direction.

[Aguakate]

...in all seriousness, I mean...is anything REALLY new? I feel everything in wrestling, to a lesser or greater degree, has already been done...so it is what it is...storylines and angles are repeated, just the players get changed.

[Nicky Fives]

It'll get mega-popular again..... just a matter of time.....

[jskinnyg]

It'll get mega-popular again..... just a matter of time.....

Yup what comes around goes around baby!

[Aguakate]

...I don't think pro-wrestling has lost popularity as it relates to the mainstream viewing wrestling as something "cool". It's lost popularity within its OWN circles (among the fans), but it's still looked at as something "cool" that alot of people watch...otherwise, we wouldn't have so many celebrities taking part from time to time.

[The Naitch]

good point