The 'Wild Card Era' has essentially killed off all of WWE's tag divisions

[slik]

Daniel Bryan can't even get on TV r/n and I think we last saw him on the MITB pre-show.

Hawkins/Ryder have been MIA for about six weeks.

Viking/War/Whatever Raiders have disappeared.

Asuka/Kairi Sane have disappeared.

I don't think the IIconics have defended the titles since winning them at WrestleMania.



The 'Wild Card Era' has essentially killed off all of WWE's tag divisions.

[xrodmuc316]

Vince has always used the tag division to either build a guy for the eventual breakup, or as a holding pattern for 2 already established guys he has nothing for.

There are always a few tag teams that are actual tag teams, but they are just their to facilitate the need for the division so Vince has those previously mentioned 2 options.

[GD]

The Wild Card rule has essentially made me stop watching the weekly shows. Either commit to two separate brands or end the farce.

[Big Vic]

The Wild Card rule has essentially made me stop watching the weekly shows. Either commit to two separate brands or end the farce.

Same, although I will admit I watched the last 30 mins of SDL to see goldberg. First wrestling I watched since the wildcard rule came into place.

[slik]

Vince has always used the tag division to either build a guy for the eventual breakup, or as a holding pattern for 2 already established guys he has nothing for.

There are always a few tag teams that are actual tag teams, but they are just their to facilitate the need for the division so Vince has those previously mentioned 2 options.

It's pretty significant right now with both shows focused on about 10-12 people.

[Evil Vito]

It's amazing how this changed since the FOX deal was announced. For months the reports were that FOX not only wanted the split to continue, they wanted it to be strictly adhered to. They didn't want to run commercials for Raw or have to cross-promote in any way.

Then FOX realized they might not get everybody they wanted on the show, demanded access to the full roster, and then USA was like "wait, that's bullshit - we want the whole roster too!" and now here they are.

Already tons of guys who struggled to ever get on TV during the split, and now they have no hope. But WWE won't let them go because A) they don't want the optics of mass layoffs and B) they don't want the talent to go anywhere else.

It's a massive shitshow.

[slik]

^^^

And theres the rumor of future signees to NXT being required to agree to a deal where WWE can automatically renew their contracts at the end of three years if they wish.

[slik]

Because the one thing WWE needs isn't better storylines or cohesive storylines, it's more wrestlers on a show that now aims to have 4-5 matches a week over 3 hours.

[Anybody Thrilla]

The Wildcard Rule makes me legitimately sad.

[Evil Vito]

At the time of the 2016 brand split, I hadn't watched SmackDown until sometime in late 2012 and Raw was little more than background noise for me.

When the split happened, I decided to give it a chance and I honestly loved both shows out of the gate. Unique presentation for both shows, distinct writing crews, wrestlers who barely got airtime now had more time to be featured, and most importantly - stories felt more cohesive than they had in a long time.

I'd gone from watching barely any programming a week to watching 5 hours, and I didn't mind because I actually enjoyed it.

Raw gradually got worse again by the end of the year/early 2017, and SmackDown took a hit with the Orton/Wyatt nonsense and Jinder becoming champ. But there were still enough positives that made me want to keep tuning in.

Now there's just......nothing. Both shows feel the same and none of it interests me.

[Big Vic]

Pretty bad that the only segments I look out for on youtube are the 24/7 segments.

[Droford]

I think the brand split is going to end and a bunch of people are going to get sent back to NXT to bolster the NXT roster which is in terrible shape. Sending Tyler Breeze back was sort of a trial on sending guys back down. I dont think it'll go as far as them sending Veterans down but a lot of the unused people recently called up could go back.

[Innovator]

I miss Talking Smack

[GD]

Shit would hit the ceiling if they even attempted to revive Talking Smack at this time.

[GD]

How I feel about the current weekly shows

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[slik]

And of the 10-12 people they focus on right now, nothing happens.

Shane's endless feud with Miz and Roman.
Becky's endless feud with tall blondes.
The commentary team's endless feud with our ears.

[Emperor Smeat]

Its been a giant mess for WWE and I'd argue its done more damage to their women's division than tag considering what was the main story or theme coming out of Mania.

Also shows how badly planned this year's Superstar Shakeup was if WWE had to resort to making this new rule shortly afterwards.

[Droford]

And of the 10-12 people they focus on right now, nothing happens.

Shane's endless feud with Miz and Roman.
Becky's endless feud with tall blondes.
The commentary team's endless feud with our ears.

finn and andrade too

[GD]

And of the 10-12 people they focus on right now, nothing happens.

Shane's endless feud with Miz and Roman.
Becky's endless feud with tall blondes.
The commentary team's endless feud with our ears.

Shane's actually pretty good at his current role but it is overkill to have him on both shows (and have him as the focus rather than an actual wrestler).

I can't wait for Roman to stop feuding with the McMahons and move on to something better. Maybe a run with the Intercontinental title or even the tag team straps.

Becky's championship reign since WrestleMania has been extremely underwhelming. We've seen her feud with Charlotte forever and her program with Lacey Evans isn't lighting the world on fire. I'd rather they took a chance on someone else on the roster...like Naomi.

I cannot emphasize how much I dislike the current RAW commentary team. None the main roster teams can touch the NXT commentary team (even with Phoenix's lack of experience).

[xrodmuc316]

It's the same thing that happened with the first brand split.

1. Split the brand's, and initially it's very good.
2. Smackdown gets raided every year, then draws less of course
3. Brand exclusive PPVs go away cause gotta make all PPVs good
4. Without a PPV feud to build to, half of each roster suddenly is forgotten and meaningless
5. Each show gets stale because they are filling the same amount of show time, but only writing half the number of storylines.
6. Vince adds even MORE people to the bloated roster, and then more people aren't getting storylines
7. Vince reacts by ending the brand split because neither brand has enough stars

Vince is too moronic to realize the shows don't have enough stars because he doesn't build any new stars or stops any momentum a rising star might have cause they lazily manage the brand split.

Or even worse, because he jerks the pushes around for some of the most petty bullshit ever.

Braun Strowman shows up at the arena at 2:30pm instead of 1:00pm for an 8:00pm show, so fuck all the potential money we can make off of him, he needs to know his place.

EC3, a natural heel, let's book him like an asshole for a month where he never talks, then be surprised fans don't cheer for him at a house show against Dean Ambrose.

Shinsuke Nakamura, the most unique, different, and captivating talent to show up in years, but he doesn't speak English flawlessly, being Japanese and all, so nope, let's squash him push, can't let him be the top guy.

Ambrose might talk about goofy shit sucking, but as a fan I am much more disgusted that Vince purposely books people so they DONT become big stars.

It is astounding that someone who is so driven by money that he deals with the Saudis, but he continually pisses money away but stopping wrestlers from becoming mega stars.

[Vastardikai]

Luke Harper is a big man who moves incredibly well, can talk, and is good at working a gimmick. But can't speak in a Southern Accent, which the promoter DOESN'T EVEN FUCKING LIKE, so we aren't going to use him AT ALL and not let him leave.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Luke Harper is a big man who moves incredibly well, can talk, and is good at working a gimmick. But can't speak in a Southern Accent, which the promoter DOESN'T EVEN FUCKING LIKE, so we aren't going to use him AT ALL and not let him leave.

At the end of the day, as much as I'm sure it bothers a creatively driven guy like Harper to sit around and do nothing... they're still paying him his downside for not doing any work. I know it's kind of like him NOT getting paid because they have that stupid clause where he has to make up for his injury. But regardless, they're actively choosing to pay a guy 6 figures to do fuck all. It's just so dumb.

[Evil Vito]

Moreover, Harper will be 40 years old by the end of the year. While there's plenty of guys wrestling in their 40s nowadays, I can't blame him for being mad about being kept at home when he's on the back nine of his career.

[Tom Guycott]

^^^

And theres the rumor of future signees to NXT being required to agree to a deal where WWE can automatically renew their contracts at the end of three years if they wish.

God, I hope not. That can end up wasting people's careers just to keep them from becoming stars for someone else.

"And then, one day, you find ten years have gone behind you. No one told you when to run. You missed the starting gun..."


Because the one thing WWE needs isn't better storylines or cohesive storylines, it's more wrestlers on a show that now aims to have 4-5 matches a week over 3 hours.

That's been a problem ever since around 97 RAWs. Used to have like 4-5 matches in that hour. You didn't have to see the biggest big names wrestle every week. Feature creep over the years have made them try to book standard TV shows like they used to book PPVs.

It's the same thing that happened with the first brand split.

1. Split the brand's, and initially it's very good.
2. Smackdown gets raided every year, then draws less of course
3. Brand exclusive PPVs go away cause gotta make all PPVs good
4. Without a PPV feud to build to, half of each roster suddenly is forgotten and meaningless
5. Each show gets stale because they are filling the same amount of show time, but only writing half the number of storylines.
6. Vince adds even MORE people to the bloated roster, and then more people aren't getting storylines
7. Vince reacts by ending the brand split because neither brand has enough stars



Vince is too moronic to realize the shows don't have enough stars because he doesn't build any new stars or stops any momentum a rising star might have cause they lazily manage the brand split.

Or even worse, because he jerks the pushes around for some of the most petty bullshit ever.

Braun Strowman shows up at the arena at 2:30pm instead of 1:00pm for an 8:00pm show, so fuck all the potential money we can make off of him, he needs to know his place.

EC3, a natural heel, let's book him like an asshole for a month where he never talks, then be surprised fans don't cheer for him at a house show against Dean Ambrose.

Shinsuke Nakamura, the most unique, different, and captivating talent to show up in years, but he doesn't speak English flawlessly, being Japanese and all, so nope, let's squash him push, can't let him be the top guy.

Ambrose might talk about goofy shit sucking, but as a fan I am much more disgusted that Vince purposely books people so they DONT become big stars.

It is astounding that someone who is so driven by money that he deals with the Saudis, but he continually pisses money away but stopping wrestlers from becoming mega stars.

Mega stars they say they're trying to build, at that. We're supposed to think Roman Reigns and Baron Corbin are the biggest face and heel in the company respectively, but Roman is only tenuously liked for medical reasons, and Baron is drawing the wrong kind of heat, but because fans don't know how to properly play along anymore, any heat is percieved as proper heel heat.

They don't fix the shit they need to fix... just pay lip service with snide "in jokes" or signing the next "indy darling" without realizing exactly why that person is as popular as they are.

At least WCW was oblivious to what they were fucking up. WWE seems to know what's wrong, but not care and double down on the stupid shit because it appeases Vince, shareholders, advertisers, a TV network, or all of the above.

I'm seriously more excited about both NXT brands than the main roster shows. I catch all my wrestling via YouTube "highlights" (read: skipping chunks so content ID doesn't delete the show) anymore, and I feel like I'm missing nothing with RAW and Smackdown condenced into about a total of 30 minutes combined. I'd rather go back and watch the Takeover match between Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura than see anything they're doing with either guy right now.

But I watch stuff from NXT and get sad at the inevitability of every single one of the talent that are either over or in the process of getting over being called up just to disappear inside of two months.

They're still on their toy collecting bullshit, especially since AEW is a thing.

[Tom Guycott]

On topic: the tag teams were doomed to fail anyway. They always have a huge "resurgence" around the time they need teams for their Dusty Rhodes memorial nonsense farce, but then they go away. Ironically, the first teams to disappear are actual named teams. Then, the random bullshit thrown together teams fade away. Then nobody remembers they're a thing until a random PPV later. Then Dusty Rhodes season comes around again, and they come out of the woodwork.

[xrodmuc316]

On topic: the tag teams were doomed to fail anyway. They always have a huge "resurgence" around the time they need teams for their Dusty Rhodes memorial nonsense farce, but then they go away. Ironically, the first teams to disappear are actual named teams. Then, the random bullshit thrown together teams fade away. Then nobody remembers they're a thing until a random PPV later. Then Dusty Rhodes season comes around again, and they come out of the woodwork.

Considering half the winners were just 2 singles wrestlers thrown together, it shows that EVEN on the NXT level they don't have any real long term plans for any tag teams.

[Jordan]

Man this is so true. I don't even know who the tag champs are right now.

I watched Smackdown! and the best parts were with Kofi that was a positive but it's not like it was classic WWE, it was just better than the rest.

[Droford]

Man this is so true. I don't even know who the tag champs are right now.

I watched Smackdown! and the best parts were with Kofi that was a positive but it's not like it was classic WWE, it was just better than the rest.
https://i.redd.it/2awqho0zco231.png

So the Raw Tag and Women's Tag haven't been defended in 2 months (on TV) and SD Tag hasn't been defended at all (on TV) since Bryan/Rowan won them.

[slik]

Oy

[Emperor Smeat]

Fun fact, Ryder needs a little over a week for his currently neglected tag title reign to be the longest he's ever held gold in the company.

Before that he held tag gold for 68 days, US title for 29 days, and IC title for 1 day.

[Droford]

Curt Hawkins technically has a 2 month winning streak going

[Tom Guycott]

Curt Hawkins technically has a 2 month winning streak going

This win streak will be the new JTG employment timer.

[Simple Fan]

What they really need to do is end the brand split and bring back WCW for those not featured on the main roster but too good for NXT and just tape the shows in the old Impact Zone in Orlando. Would keep things in town between the PC and NXT as well as playing off the NBC Universal relationship. More content for the WWE Network also.

[DAMN iNATOR]

https://i.redd.it/2awqho0zco231.png

So the Raw Tag and Women's Tag haven't been defended in 2 months (on TV) and SD Tag hasn't been defended at all (on TV) since Bryan/Rowan won them.

And the RAW and Women's Tag Team Championships have been defended once each. ONCE.

[Savio]

Yeah DAMN that's what the pic says

[GD]

lol

[Jordan]

How I feel about the current weekly shows

<iframe src='https://gfycat.com/ifr/WastefulEveryAustralianfurseal' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' allowfullscreen width='640' height='518'></iframe>

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Thats Bret in WCW, perfect lol.

[Savio]

it's amazing how WCW fumbled him coming in.

[Rammsteinmad]

I'm still angry about WWE not getting behind Ryder back in 2011 and at least giving him a substantial push. He made himself one of the most popular guys on the roster. By himself. If the WWE had gotten behind him, even just a little, they could have made loads.

[Fignuts]

But they didn't, and they made loads anyway.

That's kind of been the main issue over the years. They can do whatever they want, regardless of quality and still make a profit.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Zack Ryder got a shot and shat the bed.

[Emperor Smeat]

I'm still angry about WWE not getting behind Ryder back in 2011 and at least giving him a substantial push. He made himself one of the most popular guys on the roster. By himself. If the WWE had gotten behind him, even just a little, they could have made loads.

He's pretty much the reason why WWE started to invest heavily into social media and Youtube.

Before his popularity took off from his Youtube series, WWE paid little attention to social media and Youtube and didn't realize how effective both could be for building and expanding their presence online.

Sure they rewarded Ryder with a US title reign but then quickly took it away due to Vince holding a grudge against Ryder for getting over on his own. Vince's grudge against Ryder got soo bad that supposedly others in the company felt that Vince's antics to him were really messed up.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Zack Ryder is an awful professional wrestler. He can't talk and he can't wrestle.

[Verbose Minch]

Zack Ryder got a shot and shat the bed.

You mean the shot that consisted of him being in a wheelchair while Cena stole his girlfriend? Come on. WWE did everything they could to cool him off as quick as possible

Your post was so wrong I had to stop lurking and comment for the first time in probably five years

[DAMN iNATOR]

Yeah DAMN that's what the pic says

So people shouldn't be pissed that they haven't been defended more?

[Tom Guycott]

What they really need to do is end the brand split and bring back WCW for those not featured on the main roster but too good for NXT and just tape the shows in the old Impact Zone in Orlando. Would keep things in town between the PC and NXT as well as playing off the NBC Universal relationship. More content for the WWE Network also.

-see avatar-

I disagree with this. For two major reasons:

One, you propose they end the brand split ... to do another kind of brand split? Not only that, but you want to make a separate entity that is in and of itself a midcard hell? People are already languishing in 205 Live and doing Main Event/SuperStars/Saturday Morning Slam/Jakked/Metal/Heat duty. That doesn't need segregated into its own brand. NXT shouldn't be seen as a demotion anyway. In... what... TWO appearances back on the brand, Tyler Breeze has done more for his character and in the ring than he has in like 2 years of main-market television of "the machine".

Two, you suggest making "tiers" where main roster WWE is "the best" and everything below that is "not as good". Biggest problem there is that NXT is currently OBJECTIVELY better than it's mainstream counterpart. You're making the same false equivalence they are themselves... and even that is a continuation of the problem between RAW/Smackdown from the days of the Smackdown Six. If something (someone) was working on Smackdown, Vince just tried to transplant it to RAW instead of emulating the environment and having two successful shows. People are popular and/or over in NXT, and they're just plucked and placed on the main roster with little to none of the care they've been handled with in Florida.

A combined problem with both of these issues is that you're assuming that everyone on the main roster deserves to be there and everyone not there is not there because they're not as good. That is super wrong all the way around. Nearly everyone who has been called up to the main roster from developmental has been ruined by either being called up before they were ready or, in most cases, called up with zero plan.

They don't need to do drastic gimmicky shit like shakeups and wildcard rules... they just need to book better and cast a wider net than the same 10 people all the time. They have 5 hours of TV to fill a week, there is zero reason we should see the same fucking faces all the time. And nobody will ever become a big star if they keep getting treated like second class citizens, jobbers, and lepers.

[Mr. Nerfect]

You mean the shot that consisted of him being in a wheelchair while Cena stole his girlfriend? Come on. WWE did everything they could to cool him off as quick as possible

Your post was so wrong I had to stop lurking and comment for the first time in probably five years

The shot where he got to talk on Raw and he absolutely blew it. The Kane stuff was awful, but so is everything else he's ever done ever.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Just book some fucking wrestling. Wrestler A doesn't like Wrestler B for a reason and wants to beat them for a reason. Pretty fucking simple. They fuck that up somehow.

[slik]

WWE has announced the "storybook title reign" of Hawkins/Ryder will be in danger as they will face The Revival tonight on RAW.

[Big Vic]

Do most storybooks have the protagonists win the prize and then have 12 blank pages before losing the prize.

[Big Vic]

You mean the shot that consisted of him being in a wheelchair while Cena stole his girlfriend? Come on. WWE did everything they could to cool him off as quick as possible

Your post was so wrong I had to stop lurking and comment for the first time in probably five years

It probably won't win but #POTY

[Fignuts]

The shot where he got to talk on Raw and he absolutely blew it. The Kane stuff was awful, but so is everything else he's ever done ever.

Yeah, because he's a pro wrestler, not an actor, and he excels at creating and performing his own material. The guy created a huge following from nothing. All by himself. I've never been a big Ryder fan, but credit where credit is due. You can't do that without the ability to talk and connect with an audience.

The problem isn't that Ryder can't talk. The problem is that he is a pro wrestller. WWE doesn't want pro wrestlers. They want actors that can perform in wrestling matches.

Lots of people can't cut a great promo using a script. Because acting is fucking hard. But then you see them in a wwe.com exclusive where they're allowed to improv on the spot and they knock it out of the park. We've seen it time and time again.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Lol, Zack Ryder is barely a pro-wrestler. People are acting like he is fucking Ambrose being creatively stifled in that place. His work in the ring is fucking awful, and his YouTube stuff was cute for YouTube, but hammy and not very good in any sort of serious context.