It's my debut column for Tha O Show, and all I'm proposing is to solve WWE's biggest problem. Perhaps I'm overreaching (just a little), but I'm giving it a shot anyway. Here we go . . .What’s the biggest difference between WWE’s product from the period of 1997-2001 (arguably its most successful period) and the present product? One could argue that it’s the writing, but current head “Raw” writer Brian Gerwitz was around in 2000 as well, and Mae Young giving birth to a hand, for example, isn’t any more entertaining than say, Mr. McMahon having a leprechaun as a love child. Rather, I argue that it comes down to the quality of the wrestlers, both as workers in the ring and how they work the mic, and this goes hand-in-hand with WWE’s biggest problem: acquiring and developing talent.
During the fed’s boom period, no one was thrown onto TV or into the spotlight before they were ready (i.e., before they had the proper experience). We weren’t forced to watch a guy like Batista, who is about as clueless in the ring as Fatty Fronte was in thinking he could drop to 202. We also weren’t forced to watch a guy like Mr. Kennedy, who until recently couldn’t even have a decent match with Shawn Michaels.
Both Batista and Kennedy appear like robots in the ring, and especially on the mic. When Batista cuts a promo, you can tell by the look on his face that he’s searching for his lines. I’d rather listen to Fran Drescher for eight hours, and yes, that’s a line from 40 year-old Virgin (STOLEN!). And all Kennedy has is his MR. KENNEDY . . . KENNEDY shtick. Well, I say it’s BORING . . . BORING. These two workers, and others like them, lack the natural charisma and psychology to cut an interesting promo that will capture the audience’s attention and sell pay per views.
Back in WWE’s heyday, they acquired wrestlers like Steve Austin and Mick Foley, who had years of experience in the indies, ECW, and WCW before they ever appeared on WWE TV. They also signed Kurt Angle, an Olympic champion wrestler (not a bodybuilder), who was a natural in the ring and could cut a promo that wasn’t scripted word-for-word.
They also got an influx of some of the best workers in the world when they signed Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and others from WCW. And when they signed guys like Edge and Christian to developmental deals, they didn’t send them to Florida or Kentucky; instead, they were told to continue taking bookings in order to pay their dues, and work in front of different crowds, in different cities and countries. You don’t improve working in front of the same crowd every week.
Where are WWE’s best workers now? Stone Cold and RVD are gone; Christian, Booker and Angle are in TNA; and Benoit and Guerrero are dead. Who is the best present worker in WWE? I’ll give you three: Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and Finlay; not exactly the kind of wrestlers you can hitch your wagon to long-term. Who is ready to replace them? Edge, MVP, and CM Punk are a start, but they’re not enough. So maybe this means Vinnie-Mac should stop pretending that TNA doesn’t exist and should try to sign some of their best wrestlers. Don’t be afraid to go after the Robert Roode’s and A.J. Styles’ of the world.
Now, I’m not simply suggesting that the WWE needs to sign all of their competition’s wrestlers, although signing a few has certainly helped in the past. I’m suggesting a fundamental shift in their hiring practices. Instead of signing guys who they perceive as having the right "look," like roided-up bodybuilders, and sending them to developmental and expecting them to learn the business in 8 months, they should sign guys (and girls) with years of experience, be it in the independents, internationally, or in other companies in the U.S., like TNA and ROH (it worked with CM Punk and MVP).
Wrestlers like Tyson Dux, Jake O’Reilly, and Cody Deaner, among many, many others, who have paid their dues, who have worked on their craft, and who are “TV-ready” right now need to get the call. There are workers out their ready to change the business, if only there were someone in WWE smart enough to hire them.
8 comments: on "Solving WWE’s Biggest Problem"
Great first piece, and you're already getting the hang of making cheap comments against me.....excellent.
I totally agree with you. This is why I think Chris Harris needs to be signed. He's big, has the look, and is a better big man then has come out of OVW in a while.
Ben Boudreau says...
Welcome to Tha O Show writing staff. Your points are well taken. I agree that too often the writers are blamed for the E's shortcomings. However, I believe your answer is a bit too smark friendly for the E's general audience.
The business is cyclical. Superstars come and go and it takes to develop new main eventers. Guys like John Cena, Batista, Bobby Lashley, and Randy Orton whether you like them or not, are the future of the business.
I think it's up to a midcarder to grab the proverbial ball and break through that glass ceiling on their own. If a guy like MVP or CM Punk can do it, then we all win.
I personally prefer a main eventer than can perform on a high technical level. But, again this has typically never been manditory for mega-stardom (see Ultimate Warrior).
Whether they're smark friendly or not, guys like John Cena and Batista have paid their dues in the indies (mainly OVW). They paid just as much dues as the more smarky Mr. Kennedy and MVP.
Again, I agree this is not a high point for the E, but I'm not sure the answer lies in the indies. Sure, there is a prodigy or two out there waiting to be discovered. I think it's more likely, however, that the answer already lies in the WWE locker room.
CODY DEANER SUCKS!!!!
There is plenty of blame to go around as far as the E's issues today. However, I firmly believe that part of the reason many of the boys seem so robotic on the mic is the fact that most have to follow the script word for word instead of given bullet points to work from. Not everyone is good at cutting a promo, but the ones that might be good are being held back by having to give one without any feeling. If it's not your own words, then you just don't give it your all. I think that is what has been so good about promos, past and present. Look at the Rock before and Santino now. They were/are given freedom on the mic. Now, guys there are going to be guys that suck with bullet points, but those guys suck with scripts, too. SOme guys are just going to sound like Fatty trying to talk to a hot girl regardless of what you do for them. That's why managers were so vital back in the day.
As far as work rate, there is no doubt the E has been pulling guys up too soon. Plus, the whole premise of having guys that only ahve worked at OVW and then they go to the E is a bad idea. As you've said, they need more than one type of audience and one type of style experience. Let the OVW and Florida guys work other indy shows. They could even trade talent around with other Indies and might find someone to sign.
Good first article, though I think we will agree to disagree on Kennedy's ability. I think he's one that is being held back by being overly scripted.
The writers are to blame for only so much. I dont watch wrestling to hear what someone has to say. The writers dont tell a worker to get into the ring and miss spots, get winded after 3 minutes, or to show no personality.
As for the future flag bearers of WWE, yes, there are few. But they should start to build the show around those few.
There is no reason MVP should be losing to The Shaminal. Kennedy keeps getting set back (that shoulder injury and the suspension). He is okay on the mic but I would rather see him go against someone other than HBK or Jeff Hardy. A face turn is something he needs. I believe that he could become like the Rock in the sense that he berates fans for liking him.
I am tired of hearing about CM Punk. If you cant stand out on ECW there is no reason for you to go to Raw or Smackdown. They say that he has no one to face. Have some good matches with Chavo, Shelton, Elijah, or even Nunzio. Then MAYBE I would want to see you on another show. Yes, he had good matches in the indies but the more time he spends in the WWE the more that gets erased. It happened to RVD.
And The E cant afford to have guys learn their craft all around the globe before getting called up. They want them hot and they want them now. Are they ready? Kinda. Thats good enough for them. Guys arent gonna sit there and admit that they arent ready to cut a decent promo. They arent gonna admit that the longest match they had was 10 minutes and 8 of them were spent recovering from a fall from a ladder. Imagine you have no actinf experience. Spielberg asks you to be in his next film. Do you tell him that you arent ready or do you go for it and pary for the best?
It boils down to whether or not the new guys can play by The E's rules. Can Deanor or Dux show up and play nice. Stick around losing match after match and having no side bookings because of thier contract? Yeah, the pay will be nice but you would be giving up what you got into the business for (hopefully): to entertain. The E doesnt like people rocking the boat which is why Orton is getting so much grief. When HBK, Taker, and Flair step aside the future will be made by people like Shelton, Burke, Chavo, Kennedy, Santino, and Edge. You can either take it or leave it. Or like the WWE used to say: "Get The F Out!"
Thanks for the feedback everyone . . .
Fatty - Thanks for the encouraging words.
Ben - I agree that it takes time to develop main eventers, but that's sort of my point. It would take less time if you're not starting from scratch with guys like Batista.
b4- I completely agree with you about the word-for-word scripting. I think performers should be given bullet points and then get the chance to sink and swim based on their own merits and creativity - something that guys with experience are more likely to be able to do because they have a better understanding of the business and have largely been wrestling fans their entire lives. And yes, managers are highly underutilized.
dante - I think you missed my point. I obviously don't expect any aspiring wrestler to turn down a contract before they were ready (although Chris Jericho did, for example). The onus is on Johnny Ace and others involved to hire the right people. A lot of indy guys and guys that have worked overseas are ready for tv right now and don't even need to be sent to developmental- so there's no waiting around, as you suggested there would be.
It just seems very bias and presumptious to think that there are "alot of indy guys that have worked overseas" that are ready for TV right now. Just because they looked great in Japan doesnt mean they are ready for that big ass WWE spotlight on them. I think you are too close to this issue.
No matter how long someone has been around they will still need to be sent to WWE developmentals to learn the WWE's "style." You cant have a guy that wows folks with ironman matches come to the fed and know how to make a 3 minute match entertaining. Take any big name that started out in ROH or TNA. Let's take Samoa Joe. You dont think that they would sen his ass to OVW to learn how to work their way? No one is TV ready until "they" say you are.
Good debut, Andy Deaner. However, I think that you can't merely focus on just one problem and say "this is the problem, fix this and WWE will be great again". There's too many Fronte-sized problems as well as smaller nuances that hinder fans' enjoyment of the program. Fixing just one problem is like putting a new engine in a '67 Pinto. Sure, it runs a little smoother thanks to it, but the product as a whole is still a hunk of junk.
It would take inhuman amounts of time and brainpower to pinpoint everything that is wrong with WWE, as well as how to fix them all, but I gotta giv'er credit; to be fair, you touched on one of the bigger points, and I think an injection of young talent might help to positively kickstart the business.
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