|
Post by Michael T on Apr 17, 2012 6:44:53 GMT -5
Do you guys think another big pro wrestling boom period could/will happen? I think it could and I believe we are relatively close to it (speaking in terms of years)
|
|
|
Post by Chris.charlton on Apr 17, 2012 7:28:37 GMT -5
What do you mean by 'relatively' close to another boom? It seems that wrestling in the west has been trying and failing to gain mainstream cache for well over a decade, which is longer than the post rock and wrestling lean years were.
It could absolutely capture more of the mainstream attention in the west, absolutely. The kids trained on WWE will become teenagers hopefully still attached to the product, and have more spending power, which would attract more attention and so forth. You're never going to get anywhere near the viewing figures you had during the Monday night wars though, if only because the TV business has so dramatically changed since then.
In Japan, it seems we're still in the middle of this big slump, especially with everyone outside of NJPW struggling to put themselves into the ground via various dodgy dealings. Having a bit more of a new guard in terms of top level talent here is helping, but there's the opposite problem here to a typical WWE crowd- the audience is aging rapidly, and nothing's really capturing the youth market.
|
|
|
Post by dombag85 on Apr 17, 2012 11:59:12 GMT -5
it won't happen till after vince is dead. in order for their to be a WRESTLING boom, the product needs to acknowledge it as wrestling, and treat wrestling as a sport, maybe when HHH is in charge
|
|
|
Post by yaknow on Apr 18, 2012 19:44:11 GMT -5
Might have happened already just happened in UFC this time.
|
|
|
Post by Jay Hunter on Apr 18, 2012 19:59:43 GMT -5
I don't think there'll ever be another boom period, because WWE are too popular and have no competition. Sure they won't reach the $85,000,000 during the Attitude Era; but they're seeing very healthy profits now (~$50,000,000) and I can't see them doing any worse. WWE are a smart enough company to have many failsafes; if one thing goes down (like PPV buys) other revenue sources are there to counteract it (like the mattel deal, international tv deals etc). Only when business is in the shitter can another truly great era come.
That said, their mid-card/new main event scene will be firing on all cylinders in about 5 years. We're in the lull period right now; it'll be even better in a few years when people like ADR & Sheamus are firing on all cylinders.
|
|
|
Post by Patrick McFadden on Apr 19, 2012 0:25:04 GMT -5
Without a Hogan/Austin level performer to lead the charge I doubt it. As it is you have a good mix of guys who are all incredibly talented performers but there isn't anybody who is at that level yet.
|
|
|
Post by carmichael on Apr 19, 2012 2:14:53 GMT -5
I think the WWE is close to getting a very good television product once again but im not sure if that counts as a 'boom' though. WWE is western wrestling right now to the mainstream and to quantify a boom for them its more an economics debate rather than a wrestling one though, its about market shares, revenue streams, share prices etc.
I would so love to have a real competition and be able to live through that but i think the wwe is too efficient to allow that to happen. TNA is also too efficient at surviving just enough without being good to really compete
|
|
|
Post by Irwin R Schyster on Apr 19, 2012 2:18:42 GMT -5
I think the days of using television ratings to determine how popular the product is, is over, I think the next "Wrestling Boom" will need to happen when the WWE gets more mainstream attention like they did during the attitude era, when Wrestling was "cool".
Even with The Rock and Brock back i dont see a lot of mainstream media paying attention to them, its still confined to UFC fans, and "Extra" the tv show, not much more.
|
|
|
Post by stevekasan on Apr 19, 2012 8:17:04 GMT -5
honestly, for another wrestling boom like we had in the mid-90s all the pieces need to be placed. You need a Hogan level wrestler/performer to do something drastic that all of mainstream media catches on. You need another competitor like WCW. TNA and ROH are not it. TNA needs a Turner.
Back in 96 when it happened wow. I still remember in high-school in my social media class where we discussed the highest rated programs and RAW/Nitro combined beat out Friends & Seinfeld. Consider that Friends & Seinfeld were on NBC compared to USA & TNT which were cable.
As Zbysko always says, its a human game of chess. In this case all the pieces need to be in order and matched up. I do see John Cena being one of the cornerstones of the next boom. He has to be a major factor because of it.
|
|
|
Post by B_Dizzo on Apr 19, 2012 16:15:33 GMT -5
I think the Internet has damaged any chance of a mid to late 90's "boom". Between streaming and dirt sheets being everywhere its difficult to have that big Monday night and the next day everyone is talking about either Raw or Nitro. Maybe the ability to record stuff so easily and watch it later changes that too. I used to stay up till 4am to watch stuff so i wouldnt hear spoilers from friends but that day is gone cos most people are like, nah i recorded it. il watch it during the week.
|
|
|
Post by hitmanmike1 on Apr 19, 2012 16:28:18 GMT -5
Like to see it happen but a lot of things need to happen like pushing of new stars and giving us great storylines that will make us want to tune in every week.
|
|
|
Post by Michael T on Apr 19, 2012 18:57:48 GMT -5
^Agreed...I definitely also think that they need some kind of competition in order for it to happen again.
|
|
|
Post by yaknow on Apr 19, 2012 20:04:35 GMT -5
They have the right guy in Cena to get nuclear heel heat. They just don't have the right babyface to go up against him. Perhaps Daniel Bryan could be that guy. CM Punk certainly is not that guy.
|
|
|
Post by carmichael on Apr 19, 2012 20:53:51 GMT -5
I dunno Cena turning Heel might just switch around the people who cheer or boo him...
|
|
|
Post by yaknow on Apr 19, 2012 21:17:56 GMT -5
I dunno Cena turning Heel might just switch around the people who cheer or boo him... I don't know, but I tend to doubt that the people shitting on Cena now are closet Cena fans hoping he just gets presented in a way they enjoy. If anything I would worry about the people that already hate Cena keeping their opinion, which is good, but losing the people that like him. Would have to make sure there was someone ready to step in his shoes with the people he is popular with, I just don't see that guy on the roster right now. Orton seems to get the consistent response from those people but ticket sales and ratings on Smackdown plummeted with him on top.
|
|