HHH has said it...

[Maluco]

...this is as close as one of the bosses is going to come to admitting that there are major creative problems that they are worried about and trying to fix to make a 3 hour show creative and interesting. They know that ratings are slipping and fans are frustrated with the quality of the show. This is HHH speaking, so surely debate over?



“We just have to become more disciplined and more creative with how we do things, and how we operate the shows,” Hunter said. “We’ve had some unfortunate situations with injuries and everything else. It’s on us to be more creative and come up with a better format; a better show. We hear people’s frustrations and in a lot of ways feel the same way. It’s fixing it. And, trying to fix it. It is what it is. How we fix it, we’re not 100 percent sure yet. But, we will get there. Trust me."


Source:- SEscoops, taken from a NxT conference call


Obviously this doesn't mean everything is fixed, but what it does mean is that HHH is admitting there are problems and they are trying to fix them. Obviously their interpretation of the problems and how to correct them could be different. But this is HHH/Vince, one of the two, admitting that the frustration is real and they feel it too. Straight from the gameeeee, soooo....arguments over?

[Ruien]

Was this notarized? Doubtful. Does not count.

[Big Vic]

CyNick would argue with him about how ratings don't mean much and point out how they are the 65th highest ranked channel on youtube.

[Big Vic]

This is bad guys I have choosen Roman Reigns for TPWW Survivor, we have to keep Roman strong.

[Tom Guycott]

Sometimes, though, the bigger fear is in the "fix". Admitting there's a problem is one thing, but doing something different and it still being shit is another. Like, for example, if they think a "fix" would be turning New Day face again. Yeah, they're over, but they're over as dickbag heels... fucking that over because merch sales would not be smart in the longview. But its something WWE would try.

[Shadrick]

Cynick is going to argue with Hunter ITT

[Rammsteinmad]

HHH's version of "fixing it" probably involves bringing back a load of part-timers and legends that might boost ratings for a week or two tops.

[Simple Fan]

I just hope they realize Roman is the problem. I'd rather Bryan comeback and be in the main event than I would Roman. At least Bryan has experience and doesn't come off as a phony and can put together a decent match. That's saying a lot considering I couldn't stand Bryan in the build to Wrestlemania 30 and hated it when they made the switch to put him in the main event. Roman has made me hate Daniel Bryan less.

[Vastardikai]

I don't think Roman is the problem. I think he's the symptom. The problem is booking myopia and ignorance to what the fans are asking for.

I don't mean the smart marks. I mean, for example, you could have ended the Rusev-Swagger feud with two stars being made: the Monster Rusev and the All American babyface Swagger. He was actually over, but somehow, the myopic booking was oblivious to Swagger getting traction with fans, or that a guy draped in the flag WOULD get traction with fans.

I am not even saying Swagger should be feuding with Sheamus right now. Just that they could have done something off of the reactions he got to see if it stuck. If it didn't, fine. If it did, amazing, you now have a piece of your show written for you.

[Maluco]

Reigns isn't ready and its obvious, I personally don't think he has the talent the likes of a John Cena has, but I don't think he is the biggest problem.

The creative side and writers are the biggest problem by far. There are no creative stories or arcs with twists and turns and flow to them. There are no intense feuds with stories that help you get invested and there is no variation in the way matches are brought to PPV. It is all samesie and boring and it means we don't get any variation and we can't get invested in any characters. None of what happened on Monday night was compelling viewing. Nothing.

There will always be some trash and some things that don't stick, but there is no compelling character on the show and no compelling story. Nothing for us to hang on to and stay tuned in for. That, for me, is their biggest problem, and it is a massive fundamental one for which there is no quick fix.

[#1-norm-fan]

Triple H is a Meltzer sheep.

[Ultra Mantis]

He's clearly just in character here, doing a bit to build up his blockbuster Wrestlemania match (2017) with Seth Rollins and in real life WWE is doing great and everyone's having a good time don't listen to all those dirt sheets and people like HHH who don't know what's really going on behind the scenes only Vince McMahon and Triple H know for sure.

[Theo Dious]

HHH isn't dumb, no matter what a lot of smarks want to think, and he doesn't lack balls. HHH is responsible for NXT, a product that gained a lot of popularity by being a wrestling-based product. The buzz has always been that HHH looks at the Crockett NWA days as a model for a wrestling product; I have no doubt that his solution will be making WWE more like that, more like NXT. I think he's been cherishing a long-term ambition, patiently allowing things to play out until he can implement a more wide-scale vision for what he's already been doing. It's how he's always worked, by doing a little bit of whatever the fuck he wants, waiting for it to get over, then pointing out how well it works once he has the results to prove it. Hell I'd go so far as to suggest that he knows how lead-balloonish the repetitive Authority promos are, and deliberately keeps doing them so that he can contrast that against what actually works. The product is going to turn over more quickly than it did from Diesel Power to the Attitude Era. The difference is that the same way things today aren't as centered around one guy as they were then, this turnover is going to go from over-scripted promos and lame presentation to a more wrestling-oriented product.

Don't doubt Triple H. Within the world of wrestling nobody else has gotten as much of exactly what they want as he has.

[Theo Dious]

I mean, for example, you could have ended the Rusev-Swagger feud with two stars being made: the Monster Rusev and the All American babyface Swagger. He was actually over, but somehow, the myopic booking was oblivious to Swagger getting traction with fans, or that a guy draped in the flag WOULD get traction with fans.

It's kind of odd that they don't see that the flag-draped hero gimmick still works today. It just works a lot better as a chewable pill than it does as a suppository. If you put a guy out there in the red, white, and blue and just let the fans warm up to him he'll take off. (Hell Swagger took off in that role when he was supposed to be a damn heel.)

[The CyNick]

Actually this conference call made me laugh because it was done with the "wrestling media". I thought about how many times the people on this forum tried to tell me that its impossible to get anything honest out of HHH or Vince. This is a vindication in regards to how unprofessional the dirt sheet writers are, and how its clear it is possible to get information out of the upper echelon of the company. You just have to ask for it.

As for the "fix" comment, I dont think I ever once said the product is perfect. I've always maintained there are things that can be improved. Obviously they want to bring the ratings back up, and I think Hunter is being a stand up guy not blaming it all on injuries. But make no mistake, when the last two guys you built up for Mania (Daniel and Seth) go down with major injuries, it hurts the long term storylines they were trying to tell. And that's without getting into Cena dropping off the face of the Universe, as well as untimely injuries to guys like Orton and Cesaro.

[Blonde Moment]

HHH's version of "fixing it" probably involves bringing back a load of part-timers and legends that might boost ratings for a week or two tops.

The usual suspects are not available this year for WM so they will need to be creative this year

[Blue Demon]

I feel at this point going back to a 2 hour show would help a bit. I miss the '80s and early '90s to a degree, because things could build better, since there were only 4 PPVs and the odd special show a la SNME.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Actually this conference call made me laugh because it was done with the "wrestling media". I thought about how many times the people on this forum tried to tell me that its impossible to get anything honest out of HHH or Vince. This is a vindication in regards to how unprofessional the dirt sheet writers are, and how its clear it is possible to get information out of the upper echelon of the company. You just have to ask for it.

As for the "fix" comment, I dont think I ever once said the product is perfect. I've always maintained there are things that can be improved. Obviously they want to bring the ratings back up, and I think Hunter is being a stand up guy not blaming it all on injuries. But make no mistake, when the last two guys you built up for Mania (Daniel and Seth) go down with major injuries, it hurts the long term storylines they were trying to tell. And that's without getting into Cena dropping off the face of the Universe, as well as untimely injuries to guys like Orton and Cesaro.

but you're saying that they don't go to him. They've gone to him. So once again you speak nonsense as per usual because you don't understand the concept of grey areas.

[Fignuts]

http://i.imgur.com/XzyimUf.gif

[BigCrippyZ]

Actually this conference call made me laugh because it was done with the "wrestling media". I thought about how many times the people on this forum tried to tell me that its impossible to get anything honest out of HHH or Vince. This is a vindication in regards to how unprofessional the dirt sheet writers are, and how its clear it is possible to get information out of the upper echelon of the company. You just have to ask for it.



I still didn't hear HHH or Vince give away any future spoilers or actual future plans. Sounds like they didn't actually give out any information aside from acknowledging there is a problem and they're working on solving it.

Hmmm... sounds just like more of the same dirt sheet rumors to me that you so heavily criticized as bullshit earlier today. Oh wait, now it's news because it's coming from HHH.

You really are a joke aren't you?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

He also didn't say anything other than general feelings. Nothing specific, as it should be. As the coo of the company, full disclosure shouldn't be expected which is why news sources wouldn't find much interviewing him

[The CyNick]

Obviously they won't give away future plans in terms of creative. But an example of what I'm taking about was when Austin asked McMahon about Cesaro. Vince gave an insightful answer of what he thinks about him. I prefer that to the speculation the sheetz provide about why certain guys are not at the top of the card.

And on top of that the sheetz just pull stuff out of their collective asses. For example the piece about "some changes to Smackdown" without saying what those changes would be. Or "Brock v Owens is not in the table" but not following up with what is in the plans. It just amazes me that people see these bottom feeders are credible sources.

[Rammsteinmad]

I don't think Roman is the problem. I think he's the symptom. The problem is booking myopia and ignorance to what the fans are asking for.

I don't mean the smart marks. I mean, for example, you could have ended the Rusev-Swagger feud with two stars being made: the Monster Rusev and the All American babyface Swagger. He was actually over, but somehow, the myopic booking was oblivious to Swagger getting traction with fans, or that a guy draped in the flag WOULD get traction with fans.

I am not even saying Swagger should be feuding with Sheamus right now. Just that they could have done something off of the reactions he got to see if it stuck. If it didn't, fine. If it did, amazing, you now have a piece of your show written for you.

The sad thing is, after all of that, Rusev is a fucking nobody right now.

"We The People" is still over and gets reactions, but then, so does "Woo Woo Woo"... :-\

[Rammsteinmad]

HHH isn't dumb, no matter what a lot of smarks want to think, and he doesn't lack balls. HHH is responsible for NXT, a product that gained a lot of popularity by being a wrestling-based product. The buzz has always been that HHH looks at the Crockett NWA days as a model for a wrestling product; I have no doubt that his solution will be making WWE more like that, more like NXT. I think he's been cherishing a long-term ambition, patiently allowing things to play out until he can implement a more wide-scale vision for what he's already been doing. It's how he's always worked, by doing a little bit of whatever the fuck he wants, waiting for it to get over, then pointing out how well it works once he has the results to prove it. Hell I'd go so far as to suggest that he knows how lead-balloonish the repetitive Authority promos are, and deliberately keeps doing them so that he can contrast that against what actually works. The product is going to turn over more quickly than it did from Diesel Power to the Attitude Era. The difference is that the same way things today aren't as centered around one guy as they were then, this turnover is going to go from over-scripted promos and lame presentation to a more wrestling-oriented product.

Don't doubt Triple H. Within the world of wrestling nobody else has gotten as much of exactly what they want as he has.

Good post.

A lot of my friends who say they occasionally tune in to WWE get put off by all the talking. I understand that WWE and "Sports Entertainment" has always been as much focused on storylines and entertainment as it has in-ring action, but I think the market today is just different. This isn't 1980's Hulkamania nor is it 1999 Attitude. Perhaps a more wrestling-oriented WWE could help rejuvenate the product a little.

Especially because if people want "Artistic Combat" (Copyright Indifferent Clox 2010) they'll watch UFC and if they want drama and storylines, well fuck me there's countless TV series out there nowadays. Perhaps it's time for WWE to try something different with their product.

[The Condor]

They've known for at least a few years that things are not well, not just in WWE, but the wrestling business in general. However, they're the only major show in North America, thus have no true competition and a steady cash flow that hasn't forced them to change. It's nice to see that perhaps a flame has been lit under the front office's ass because things are at a 2 decade low, but, truthfully, it never should have reached this level of malaise.