How do you solve this "Roster Depth" problem?

[Ultra Mantis]

Give the midcarders something to do. Put them in actual angles, see what clicks and what doesnt then push the guys who are getting over with the live crowds. Even the guys who are "almost there" like Cody and Ziggler just seem to be stuck in a loop of challenging for midcard titles instead of moving up. Give them some wins, have Cody actually go over an Orton or Big Show.

[#1-norm-fan]

Originally Posted by Ultra Mantis Give the midcarders something to do. Put them in actual angles, see what clicks and what doesnt then push the guys who are getting over with the live crowds. Even the guys who are "almost there" like Cody and Ziggler just seem to be stuck in a loop of challenging for midcard titles instead of moving up. Give them some wins, have Cody actually go over an Orton or Big Show.

This also. Feuds outside of the main event have been almost non-existent on Raw especially for a long time. They don't even try. Ridiculous.

[BigCrippyZ]

Originally Posted by Ultra Mantis Give the midcarders something to do. Put them in actual angles, see what clicks and what doesnt then push the guys who are getting over with the live crowds. Even the guys who are "almost there" like Cody and Ziggler just seem to be stuck in a loop of challenging for midcard titles instead of moving up. Give them some wins, have Cody actually go over an Orton or Big Show.

Originally Posted by Damndirty If the writers are directly responsible for all the primary storylines carried out, then fucking right they need to go! If the higher ups, including the owner, are more directly responsible, then their interference shows they don't give the writers the freedom to utilitze proper storytelling because the elites are selfish or they are not confident with the writers..

These ideas are good starts.

One thing would be bring back a tag team division, I mean you have 4 (soon to be 5) hours of tv time a week, and it's almost always singles matches or tag team matches with random pairings. I also think the brand split needs to come to an end, or at least there only needs to be ONE main event/world title, and scale back on the # of house shows you do, so as to not over work the crew/roster.

By having two world titles and essentially two main event scenes on the two shows, it really hurts the establishment and credibility of the true main event level guys. In the last two years, we've had Orton, Cena, Sheamus, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Jericho, Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Kane, Edge, Christian, Big Show, Ziggler, Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan all challenge for or hold either the WWE or WHC. That's a HUGE main event scene.

To me, there should only be at most 5-6 main event level guys (split pretty evenly between heels and faces) that you can swap in and out of various feuds for the world title, #1 contender, blood (busy) feuds, or to bring up a new main eventer from the lower card, etc., with no more than 3-4 going for the world title at one time. This also allows for former main event level part-timers like HHH, Rock, Jericho, Taker to come back and have credible main event level feuds for short periods.

Not only that, but having essentially two world/main event titles, devalues and discredits the main event level feuds, etc. For example, if CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and John Cena are your top few guys in the company, why would I care who wins the WWE title match, they can just go challenge for the other world title. It's just a lazy and easy way to write someone in or out of the main event storyline on one show and keep them in the "main event".

Another big part of this includes, only keeping the best of the best in the main event scene. Guys should really have to prove themselves all around, on the mic, with the crowd, in the ring, and behind the curtain (no drugs, etc.) to get to that main event level. They would have to do this by going up the ranks, proving themselves and getting over through the lower and mid card titles and feuds, US, IC, Cruiserweight, etc. It should be a big deal (backstage and with the fans/crowds) when guys finally break through to the main event level and get a world title shot. This also assumes that you're going to always have some solid guys that will always be lower and mid card or tag team level guys. This also depends a lot upon the booking and writing improving and being pretty damn consistent throughout the year or even years.

[Damndirty]

[quote=BigCrippyZ;3890188]

Not only that, but having essentially two world/main event titles, devalues and discredits the main event level feuds, etc. For example, if CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and John Cena are your top few guys in the company, why would I care who wins the WWE title match, they can just go challenge for the other world title. It's just a lazy and easy way to write someone in or out of the main event storyline on one show and keep them in the "main event".
[quote]

See, this I think is the biggest of their problems. The two main event card is moronic if the superstars are freely going back and forth between shows. Having one title not only shows a greater importance of the champ, but the contender/s. And here's something I haven't seen on a PPV in a longtime- a match for the #1 contender's spot that excludes MITB and Royal Rumble. With only half the value of the title, nobody could give a good goddam about a match like that. MITB and Royal Rumble are specialties restricted to the PPV named after them, but nobody gives a rat's ass about a straight one on one at a PPV anymore, given the current status.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by Ultra Mantis Give the midcarders something to do. Put them in actual angles, see what clicks and what doesnt then push the guys who are getting over with the live crowds. Even the guys who are "almost there" like Cody and Ziggler just seem to be stuck in a loop of challenging for midcard titles instead of moving up. Give them some wins, have Cody actually go over an Orton or Big Show.

Exactly this. People should not only care about your John Cena's and Sheamus's, but also your Michael McGillicutty's and Tyson Kidd's. A top-to-bottom booking approach will make your entire shows worth watching, and get people invested long-term. It won't matter if Zack Ryder never becomes a WWE Champion if people care enough about him becoming the US Champion, for example.

Great stories like the one being told between CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Kane and AJ will help, too. Don't rush it. The outcome of the Triple Threat Match will no doubt piss two people off, so that should actually lead somewhere. Don't just drop the losers' issues with the winner.

Dolph Ziggler has got an amazing opportunity right now, and it appears that the fans are starting to get behind him. I'm not sure if Ziggler should become the World Heavyweight Champion at No Way Out, but the WWE should definitely see this as more than "filler" for Ziggler. He could perhaps tell Vickie and Jack Swagger to stay out of his business, only for Vickie and Swagger to become involved -- either leading to Ziggler becoming World Champion that way, or in Ziggler getting distracted and losing the match. I actually think it would be far more compelling for Ziggler to walk out of No Way Out champion, but whatever.