[JT]

Originally Posted by Xero Limit 126 (Still haven't read the whole thread so I may be repeating some things.) WWE has never done that though except during the MNW/Attitude Era. It just happened that, before now, what had been put in front of everyone is what everyone liked. Vince needs to adapt, but he doesn't know how without another big company out there breathing down his neck when he doesn't have a choice. The internet, over the past 6 years or so, has changed the face of wrestling, and it may have destroyed main stream wrestling forever. How we watch it, what we know, etc. Sure, it was around before then, but not at such an enormous scale. Marks know more and more about the inner workings of the business than ever before. Anyone can search "WWE" in Google and the 8th result brings back an IWC site. Until someone other than Vince or Stephanie runs WWE, I don't think we'll ever see another true boom, at least until another big company comes along, and that's not for 4 or 5 years at the earliest I would assume.

Well to sum up the beginning post real fast for those who can't be bothered to read 5-6 paragraphs...my argument isn't trying to rehash the age old argument of "the WWE should do this" but "why would ANY company run like this?" In retrospect, others could be named, but those are companies that have such a stranglehold on there markets that there is no other choice. Sure, I guess you can say WWE has a stranglehold on the wrestling market, but not the entertainment market and you find more and more people every year giving up on the show to tune in somewhere else.

Now as for the Attitude Era, lets take a look at that. This was the time in WWE history where they were gaining nearly 8.5 million viewers every week, selling out every show, gaining huge PPV buyrates, and selling tons of merchanside. The company during this time actually became worth over $1 billion dollars. Now look...the shows are gaining the same ratings now for Raw that they were getting back in 1993 with a higher budget being spent on production, PPV buyrates (including Wrestlemania's) have grown lower and more disappointing, shows now need to be taped off because they no longer sell out (unless it's a big PPV). The company still makes a great deal of money, but as a Finance major with a degree in business, I've always been taught that a company should try to "maximize" their profits, and here instead is a guy who throws money away on his company for half-assed business adventures in other sports, movies, resturants, and etc while no longer placing the effort to keep the company making the money going stronger.

Oh, and as for the whole thing with the IWC and internet fans leading downfall of wrestling...blah! I see the internet as a 2 way street. While we the fans know more about the companies inner workings, the WWE now has a way of getting reactions from the fans on what they like and dislike about wrestling, not to mention see what turns out to be a hit or not a hit with the fans. Of course not every wrestling fan has a great opinion, just like not every wrestling rumor is real. The trick is to get a survey of all these different people, and find out what is the most common that they agree with.

However, as you mentioned, the company will probably not change as long as either Vince or Steph are at the helm. They both seem to have a similar personality where they want things their way and no other way. I'm not dumb though, I realize that they will probably not change unless backed in a corner, but to wait till there is a problem to actually try and not bullshit around...that's fucking stupid.