Post by Chesbro on Sept 11, 2009 9:34:30 GMT -5
I wrote an article for an upcoming UWA Magazine. Things are pretty behind schedule over there right now, so I couldn't tell you if this Magazine is going to be out on time either. I wanted to share my work with everyone here anyway.
Perspective is very important here. I'm writing as a wrestling fan, probably an internet fan, who is watching the wrestling business and TWD from the outside, as opposed to someone who is within TWD writing about it. Check it out.
==========
What's next? That's the question many wrestling fans have been asking each other over the years. When the same old storylines and rivalries that once brought great interest, start to yield great yawns, the a-typical wrestling fan asks the question, what's next?
This is a time in the wrestling business when the casual fan is becoming increasingly knowledgeable by way of the internet. What was once a time when an injury was played of as legitimate storyline, the fans now know about contract disputes and desires to jump ship from one promotion to the next. Rumors surface about talent unrest over desired pushes and personal exposure. The redundant cry from fans to elevate new stars to the top reigns supreme. The fanatical chants for the once great mega stars of yester-year are now being replaced with chants of "boring" and "this match sucks". In searching for the next great ideal or fresh-faced promotion, the fans grow ever so tired and restless of the recycled schtick that is being force fed down their throats like bad tasting medicine.
If we know the symptoms, then why can't we find an effective cure? What is it about the industry that drives the Big Head to regurgitate the over used and stale formula that is struggling to maintain wrestling fans ADD-like attention spans? Is it a lack of confidence to break from the norm or is it just a lack of vision? Has wrestling already reached and surpassed the pinnacle of it's success?
With so many questions left unanswered, each upstart promotion tries desperately in vain to claim that they are different. They are the next wave. The new revolution, so to speak. Yet, that mentality only carries on for a brief period of time. Similar to the usual motivation that an everyday Joe Schmo gives to their New Year's Resolution to quit smoking or lose 20 lbs., the wrestling industry pushes for innovation, yet is left with more wanting than satisfaction.
One of the major issues I have always noticed over the years is the supreme lack of longevity and an even greater disparagement in consistency. Upstart federations have visions of success that has no ending point, yet fold up before they can really pick up steam or make any difference. Consistency between upper management and talent has left the wrestling fan, casual or hardcore, always scratching their head trying to find true meaning. The good guys just don't stay good anymore. The bad guys are only horrible for brief periods of time. In the end, everyone's dry mouth is left agape, hoping for just a drip of water to fall from the permanently shut off faucet to quench their thirst.
In The Wrestling Domain, we begin to see more of the same. Bitter rivalries and friendships that have stood the test of time, all the while creating a mutual feeling amongst fans that is anything other than special. We've seen it before and we're a little tired of watching how many ways you can repackage it.
TWD has tried consistency to push Jahmon Rastafari as a legitimate contender to their top championship. Semantics aside, he's always fallen flat on his face in the moment of truth. The love-hate-love triangle between Kingpin, Marcus T and Eno Redrum has the fans wishing that they would just leave each other alone. The new animosity between Krunch and Scott Pandora aka Sparrow is anything other than new to wrestling fans. Feuding partners. Evil, power-tripping bosses. Bitter smack talk that is directed less on the future, but more on what has happened in the past.
Part of this trend can be attributed to the talent pool. Over and over, we see wrestlers who absolutely refuse to bury the hatchet between each other. As they move from federation to federation, year after year, they are constantly rekindling the "Hate you 'til the day I die" philosophy. They still continue to parade around with the repetitive gimmicks that they were running with a decade ago when they were at the height of their popularity. Nothing changes. It's all the same.
Wrestling shows now are feeling more like the indy shows that we have all come to realize will never be more than a traveling circus. There is no star power like there used to be, because there just is no real desire for anyone to push themselves. The wrestlers look to the writers for direction, rather than trying to produce their own heat. The "deafening cheers" from "jam packed" arena after arena is more novelty than genuine. Wrestling fans are happy to see the big name appearances that they passionately marked out for years ago, but in the end, it's the same empty feeling that everyone has been holding onto for a long time. It was great back then, but now it's just becoming a sad state of affairs. It's the same feeling you get when you walk into a high school gymnasium, guised as a wrestling arena and seeing a man in his late 50s, haplessly sitting at an autograph table with no one coming over for a photo op. They were once famous and now, just physically broken down and sporadically optimistic that this run, would be their greatest run yet. Just one more time.. for the fans.
It's becoming increasingly pathetic that wrestling stars have amassed more personal wealth than they ever could deserve. Seemingly, each superstar, even a newly signed one, is driving a Bentley or owns a small lot of sports cars. Gone are the days of having to car pool together on the road, in a fuel efficient rental car that everyone chipped in on. Now there are personal leer jets. Limousine rides to any destination. Scantily clad woman falling over the next chiseled body in droves. Enough money to throw around that would fund a 3rd World country. Wrestlers are no longer just wrestlers. They are all seemingly, business man. Some running shady empires of greed and others just "saving up" and putting their money in all the right places, at all the right times. Their monetary losses are always just pocket change and never enough to put a true dent in anyone's wallet or inflated bank account. Accompanied with all of these luxuries comes an "I'm just better than you" air.
The Wrestling Domain has shown that all of these aspects of the industry are alive and prospering. It's a place, where seemingly, the wicked rule. The inmates aren't running the asylum, but then again, who is really a fan of the Moderators and their iron fist ruling?
TWD is a federation still in its infancy and still trying to find its place in the grand scheme of things. The vast majority of TWD's roster is composed of those same stars from "back in the day", who are looking to cement their legacies with another good showing. One more memorable feud, capped off with some ridiculous gimmick match that leaves everyone bleeding. Wrestlers from their forehead and fans from their eye sockets. Their names and personas still bring the fans to their feet, but the fact of the matter is that time has eroded their skills and most importantly, their desire.
Just like the high tide coming in and washing away the coast line, one wave at a time, this is the industry today. Still trying to survive on it's past accomplishments and reputation, rather than trying to redefine it's identity. Each talented man or woman, slowly slips into a smaller and tighter fitting box, where they resist change and instead, focus on the familiar. The mantra echoes through time as professional wrestling trudges on, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Fair enough. However... as durable a vehicle as we now own, the business has failed to keep up with the Jones'. A once new, sharp and polished ride has become the eye-sore clunker that most try to ignore. The wrestling fans couldn't be more aware and they are continually asking the question, "What's Next?"
Perspective is very important here. I'm writing as a wrestling fan, probably an internet fan, who is watching the wrestling business and TWD from the outside, as opposed to someone who is within TWD writing about it. Check it out.
==========
What's next? That's the question many wrestling fans have been asking each other over the years. When the same old storylines and rivalries that once brought great interest, start to yield great yawns, the a-typical wrestling fan asks the question, what's next?
This is a time in the wrestling business when the casual fan is becoming increasingly knowledgeable by way of the internet. What was once a time when an injury was played of as legitimate storyline, the fans now know about contract disputes and desires to jump ship from one promotion to the next. Rumors surface about talent unrest over desired pushes and personal exposure. The redundant cry from fans to elevate new stars to the top reigns supreme. The fanatical chants for the once great mega stars of yester-year are now being replaced with chants of "boring" and "this match sucks". In searching for the next great ideal or fresh-faced promotion, the fans grow ever so tired and restless of the recycled schtick that is being force fed down their throats like bad tasting medicine.
If we know the symptoms, then why can't we find an effective cure? What is it about the industry that drives the Big Head to regurgitate the over used and stale formula that is struggling to maintain wrestling fans ADD-like attention spans? Is it a lack of confidence to break from the norm or is it just a lack of vision? Has wrestling already reached and surpassed the pinnacle of it's success?
With so many questions left unanswered, each upstart promotion tries desperately in vain to claim that they are different. They are the next wave. The new revolution, so to speak. Yet, that mentality only carries on for a brief period of time. Similar to the usual motivation that an everyday Joe Schmo gives to their New Year's Resolution to quit smoking or lose 20 lbs., the wrestling industry pushes for innovation, yet is left with more wanting than satisfaction.
One of the major issues I have always noticed over the years is the supreme lack of longevity and an even greater disparagement in consistency. Upstart federations have visions of success that has no ending point, yet fold up before they can really pick up steam or make any difference. Consistency between upper management and talent has left the wrestling fan, casual or hardcore, always scratching their head trying to find true meaning. The good guys just don't stay good anymore. The bad guys are only horrible for brief periods of time. In the end, everyone's dry mouth is left agape, hoping for just a drip of water to fall from the permanently shut off faucet to quench their thirst.
In The Wrestling Domain, we begin to see more of the same. Bitter rivalries and friendships that have stood the test of time, all the while creating a mutual feeling amongst fans that is anything other than special. We've seen it before and we're a little tired of watching how many ways you can repackage it.
TWD has tried consistency to push Jahmon Rastafari as a legitimate contender to their top championship. Semantics aside, he's always fallen flat on his face in the moment of truth. The love-hate-love triangle between Kingpin, Marcus T and Eno Redrum has the fans wishing that they would just leave each other alone. The new animosity between Krunch and Scott Pandora aka Sparrow is anything other than new to wrestling fans. Feuding partners. Evil, power-tripping bosses. Bitter smack talk that is directed less on the future, but more on what has happened in the past.
Part of this trend can be attributed to the talent pool. Over and over, we see wrestlers who absolutely refuse to bury the hatchet between each other. As they move from federation to federation, year after year, they are constantly rekindling the "Hate you 'til the day I die" philosophy. They still continue to parade around with the repetitive gimmicks that they were running with a decade ago when they were at the height of their popularity. Nothing changes. It's all the same.
Wrestling shows now are feeling more like the indy shows that we have all come to realize will never be more than a traveling circus. There is no star power like there used to be, because there just is no real desire for anyone to push themselves. The wrestlers look to the writers for direction, rather than trying to produce their own heat. The "deafening cheers" from "jam packed" arena after arena is more novelty than genuine. Wrestling fans are happy to see the big name appearances that they passionately marked out for years ago, but in the end, it's the same empty feeling that everyone has been holding onto for a long time. It was great back then, but now it's just becoming a sad state of affairs. It's the same feeling you get when you walk into a high school gymnasium, guised as a wrestling arena and seeing a man in his late 50s, haplessly sitting at an autograph table with no one coming over for a photo op. They were once famous and now, just physically broken down and sporadically optimistic that this run, would be their greatest run yet. Just one more time.. for the fans.
It's becoming increasingly pathetic that wrestling stars have amassed more personal wealth than they ever could deserve. Seemingly, each superstar, even a newly signed one, is driving a Bentley or owns a small lot of sports cars. Gone are the days of having to car pool together on the road, in a fuel efficient rental car that everyone chipped in on. Now there are personal leer jets. Limousine rides to any destination. Scantily clad woman falling over the next chiseled body in droves. Enough money to throw around that would fund a 3rd World country. Wrestlers are no longer just wrestlers. They are all seemingly, business man. Some running shady empires of greed and others just "saving up" and putting their money in all the right places, at all the right times. Their monetary losses are always just pocket change and never enough to put a true dent in anyone's wallet or inflated bank account. Accompanied with all of these luxuries comes an "I'm just better than you" air.
The Wrestling Domain has shown that all of these aspects of the industry are alive and prospering. It's a place, where seemingly, the wicked rule. The inmates aren't running the asylum, but then again, who is really a fan of the Moderators and their iron fist ruling?
TWD is a federation still in its infancy and still trying to find its place in the grand scheme of things. The vast majority of TWD's roster is composed of those same stars from "back in the day", who are looking to cement their legacies with another good showing. One more memorable feud, capped off with some ridiculous gimmick match that leaves everyone bleeding. Wrestlers from their forehead and fans from their eye sockets. Their names and personas still bring the fans to their feet, but the fact of the matter is that time has eroded their skills and most importantly, their desire.
Just like the high tide coming in and washing away the coast line, one wave at a time, this is the industry today. Still trying to survive on it's past accomplishments and reputation, rather than trying to redefine it's identity. Each talented man or woman, slowly slips into a smaller and tighter fitting box, where they resist change and instead, focus on the familiar. The mantra echoes through time as professional wrestling trudges on, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Fair enough. However... as durable a vehicle as we now own, the business has failed to keep up with the Jones'. A once new, sharp and polished ride has become the eye-sore clunker that most try to ignore. The wrestling fans couldn't be more aware and they are continually asking the question, "What's Next?"