Sports WWE / Wrestling

[Teets]

On the presentation, one thing Vince was always smart about especially during down periods was making sure the crowd was full opposite the hard camera.

So even if the crowd was half empty it still looked good on TV and helped the company still look like a big event in it's leaner times.

Something NZ sports teams and Sky TV presentation could learn from.

That and the entrances, unbelievable how long it took for the Warriors to figure out how to turn the house lights down then hit the music, though it would help if they could settle on a entrance song. Panthers always coming out to Hells Bells is awesome, I'd be pumped every time I hear it if I was a Panther fan.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

If you haven't watched since then you have a lot to catch up on. If you try different years you will see how much things have changed through the different eras.

The bodies were pretty nuts until 2006. They had a death in November 2005 which led to them implementing a drug testing policy. Don't laugh. They actually did suspend guys until it disrupted the story lines.

If you watch various years you will see the golden era of the 80s. That led to the New Generation which to a degree had some smaller guys as they had to get around a federal drugs case. The New Generation was they went heavy towards the kids and gimmicks.

That led to the Attitude era (around 97-2001). Don't watch this era with young kids.

It is interesting seeing the presentation of the product. Going to dark arenas, to arenas and things getting brighter, to sets and hot crowds during the Attitude era. Then they go HD with the current set design.

I have young kids and it is cool seeing them get into some of the new characters like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins or Cody Rhodes. They have the entrances down pat now with the crowd reactions or singing along to the music. Some good works in the current roster as well where back in the day with the steroid bodies they'd hit each other a bit and gas out.

I haven’t followed it since the early 90’s. The characters and the storyline’s were great back then. Larger than life.

Snakes, madmen that gave haircuts, Giants, millionaires that bought their success, models, hacksaw with his 4x2. They all had angles and played their parts well. Soap opera for men.

There is always the calls from the hardcore fans that Hogan/ Warrior/ Andre/ whoever, couldn’t wrestle. But it was never about wrestling, it was entertainment.

Feel watching in the glimpses now that they are athletic and superior athletes… but boring…

 

[snake77]

On the presentation, one thing Vince was always smart about especially during down periods was making sure the crowd was full opposite the hard camera.

So even if the crowd was half empty it still looked good on TV and helped the company still look like a big event in it's leaner times.

Something NZ sports teams and Sky TV presentation could learn from.

That and the entrances, unbelievable how long it took for the Warriors to figure out how to turn the house lights down then hit the music, though it would help if they could settle on a entrance song. Panthers always coming out to Hells Bells is awesome, I'd be pumped every time I hear it if I was a Panther fan.

I am pretty sure I have seen some Super League games when the camera shows the other side of the stadium it is empty. It makes sense though put everyone on the camera facing side to make it seem like a bigger event.

Putting the crowd on the camera facing side or tarping off parts of the arena to darken it off isn't just a Vince/WWE trick. It is common in professional wrestling. Vince was better at the whole presentation where a lot of the others were still in studios or dark arenas.

The Sydney clubs could have learnt a lot from pro wrestling when they were faking their crowd numbers to meet the criteria after the ARL/Super League merger. They were counting the players and officials to get a small boost in crowd numbers. Pro wrestling they used to comp a lot of tickets or find ways to have big sell outs. Wrestlemania 3 70,000 people would have been impressive but somehow they managed to push it as 93,000. A lot of the arena Wrestlemania capacities have been off.

You can't take the carnie out of these guys. Got to keep selling.

 

[snake77]

I haven’t followed it since the early 90’s. The characters and the storyline’s were great back then. Larger than life.

Snakes, madmen that gave haircuts, Giants, millionaires that bought their success, models, hacksaw with his 4x2. They all had angles and played their parts well. Soap opera for men.

There is always the calls from the hardcore fans that Hogan/ Warrior/ Andre/ whoever, couldn’t wrestle. But it was never about wrestling, it was entertainment.

Feel watching in the glimpses now that they are athletic and superior athletes… but boring…

A podcast I watch has said something similar to your last line. The 80s guys were better characters, the modern guys might be better athletes. But the guys from the 80's didn't take any shit.

The 80s had some good athletes but the product was a lot different. Mainly shorter matches. The name guys wouldn't be up against each other a lot on TV and PPV was still developing. The stars would be up against each other on house shows which is where they travel to various towns during the week.

Now there isn't really any enhancement matches and the name guys are facing each other all the time. Shorter matches for the TV shows and longer matches on the PPV/PLE's.

The soap opera for men really fits the Attitude era. That time has also been called crash TV as they would have short matches, people turning on each other constantly.

I got bored of the product from 2008 until recently. It looks like things have picked up recently and they have a good mix of characters along with athletes. I have two young sons and it seems to be hitting the mark with them with the entrances, catch phrases etc.

 

[Evil_Mush]

One half of the twin towers. I liked Jake the snake Roberts and Brutus the barber Beefcake.

Summer slam '89 (I think it was) was the best event for me. Hacksaw Jim Duggan teaming up with demolition, Hogan and Beefcake vs million dollar man and the new guy with Sheree, I forget his name. Beat them using the loaded purse. Ahh good times

Summerslam 89 is also a nostalgic favourite for me of that era, although I knew we were watching prior (I think most Kiwi kids that got into wrestling in that era remember Sunmerslam 88 as their first WWF show on TV), this is the show that is anchored in my brain as my earliest memory actually watching.

Right from the get go the good feels hit hard with Jesse the Body and Tony Schiavone doing a quick hype up (and AWAAAAAY WEEEE GOOOO!!!) straight into the super cheesy intro with ultimate 80s synth music over a montage alternating between wrestlers doing their signature moves/poses then people doing summery things (Brain Busters decimating someone with a spike piledriver, young boy eats an icecream! Rick Rude drops someone with the Rude Awakening, young girl goes down a slide!).

Then the matches kick off with the coolest pairing in pink the Hart Foundation, which have always been my personal favourite team.
They just epitomised cool, and the combo of Bret's unflinching technical nous and Anvil's unhinged brute strength (with that amazing ginger beard and maniacal laugh ) had me hooked immediately.

Then as mentioned there's just so much character throughout the show in ring and backstage it really was a potpourri of sheer 80s awesomeness

Speaking of "pot", check out the backstage promo for the main event with Macho King, Queen Sherri and Zeus talking about their match over a smoking cauldron, it's pure cocaine crazy

 

[Noitall]

Summerslam 89 is also a nostalgic favourite for me of that era, although I knew we were watching prior (I think most Kiwi kids that got into wrestling in that era remember Sunmerslam 88 as their first WWF show on TV), this is the show that is anchored in my brain as my earliest memory actually watching.

Right from the get go the good feels hit hard with Jesse the Body and Tony Schiavone doing a quick hype up (and AWAAAAAY WEEEE GOOOO!!!) straight into the super cheesy intro with ultimate 80s synth music over a montage alternating between wrestlers doing their signature moves/poses then people doing summery things (Brain Busters decimating someone with a spike piledriver, young boy eats an icecream! Rick Rude drops someone with the Rude Awakening, young girl goes down a slide!).

Then the matches kick off with the coolest pairing in pink the Hart Foundation, which have always been my personal favourite team.
They just epitomised cool, and the combo of Bret's unflinching technical nous and Anvil's unhinged brute strength (with that amazing ginger beard and maniacal laugh ) had me hooked immediately.

Then as mentioned there's just so much character throughout the show in ring and backstage it really was a potpourri of sheer 80s awesomeness

Speaking of "pot", check out the backstage promo for the main event with Macho King, Queen Sherri and Zeus talking about their match over a smoking cauldron, it's pure cocaine crazy

Was Brutus the barber beefcake and Hulk Hogan vs Zeus and Macho Man ay? Led to that movie no holds barred with Hogan and Zeus. Was some great tag teams too, the bushwhackers too apart of this era. Demolition was my favourite, the hart foundation as you mentioned, the rockers, the barbarians, legion of doom. So many memories

 

[snake77]

Summerslam 89 is also a nostalgic favourite for me of that era, although I knew we were watching prior (I think most Kiwi kids that got into wrestling in that era remember Sunmerslam 88 as their first WWF show on TV), this is the show that is anchored in my brain as my earliest memory actually watching.

The build up to those shows felt like it was going on forever. A huge difference back then when they had less PPVs instead of every month.

I remember every week the hype building up and matches being announced.

My mates and I were not sure if it would be on NZ TV and were waiting up until that week.

Those are two shows I have watched quite a lot and have a lot of nostalgia for.

 

[Evil_Mush]

Was Brutus the barber beefcake and Hulk Hogan vs Zeus and Macho Man ay? Led to that movie no holds barred with Hogan and Zeus. Was some great tag teams too, the bushwhackers too apart of this era. Demolition was my favourite, the hart foundation as you mentioned, the rockers, the barbarians, legion of doom. So many memories

Yeah, that whole run with the Zeus character was all to hype up the movie. I wasn't a fan of Zeus, while I liked Macho Man and Sensational Sherri, Zeus scared me a bit back as a young un (probably the point hah!).

As for the "Hulk or Warrior" debate mentioned earlier, I was always all in on Warrior his match at SS89 vs Rick Rude was one of his best, and the run in with Roddy Piper distracting Rude by mooning him was pretty funny ("what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt? His shooooooes" )

 

[Noitall]

Yeah, that whole run with the Zeus character was all to hype up the movie. I wasn't a fan of Zeus, while I liked Macho Man and Sensational Sherri, Zeus scared me a bit back as a young un (probably the point hah!).

As for the "Hulk or Warrior" debate mentioned earlier, I was always all in on Warrior his match at SS89 vs Rick Rude was one of his best, and the run in with Roddy Piper distracting Rude by mooning him was pretty funny ("what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt? His shooooooes" )

Went to the movies to see it as hogan was my favourite at that time. If you weren’t a fan of wrestling, you probably thought it was shit. But being a fan I thought it was great but the time. When I look back though, even the ultimate warriors ring entrance was all energy, and the different war paint he wore week to week and colour configurations of his ribbons, he was awesome. Was a fan of the texas tornado too before he died

 

[Inruin]

Summerslam 89 is also a nostalgic favourite for me of that era, although I knew we were watching prior (I think most Kiwi kids that got into wrestling in that era remember Sunmerslam 88 as their first WWF show on TV), this is the show that is anchored in my brain as my earliest memory actually watching.

Right from the get go the good feels hit hard with Jesse the Body and Tony Schiavone doing a quick hype up (and AWAAAAAY WEEEE GOOOO!!!) straight into the super cheesy intro with ultimate 80s synth music over a montage alternating between wrestlers doing their signature moves/poses then people doing summery things (Brain Busters decimating someone with a spike piledriver, young boy eats an icecream! Rick Rude drops someone with the Rude Awakening, young girl goes down a slide!).

Then the matches kick off with the coolest pairing in pink the Hart Foundation, which have always been my personal favourite team.
They just epitomised cool, and the combo of Bret's unflinching technical nous and Anvil's unhinged brute strength (with that amazing ginger beard and maniacal laugh ) had me hooked immediately.

Then as mentioned there's just so much character throughout the show in ring and backstage it really was a potpourri of sheer 80s awesomeness

Speaking of "pot", check out the backstage promo for the main event with Macho King, Queen Sherri and Zeus talking about their match over a smoking cauldron, it's pure cocaine crazy

Zeus and Macho Man, that's who it was. And up until then Zeus was unbeatable. Actually, no one could even rock him. Then beefcake locked on the sleeper hold and everyone got excited. Then the loaded purse with Hogan over exaggerating when he picked it up just so everyone knew it was loaded.

The other thing was that the normal week to week matches were versus nobodies and then all the hype built towards SummerSlam type events where finally you got to see the matchups you were waiting for.

 

[Noitall]

Zeus and Machi Man, that's who it was. And up until then Zeus was unbeatable. Actually, no one could even rock him. Then beefcake locked on the sleeper hold and everyone got excited. Then the loaded purse with Hogan over exaggerating when he picked it up just so everyone knew it was loaded.

The other thing was that the normal week to week matches were versus nobodies and then all the hype built towards SummerSlam type events where finally you got to see the matchups you were waiting for.

What’s the go with how these days if I ever see anything related, they seem at pains to recognise that it was ever wwf? It’s been wwe for some time now, but they speak about it like it was always wwe

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

There’s a lot to learn from not overplaying your stars.

More wins against no names built the hype for the big showdowns. Now it’s trying to be meaningful big showdowns every week which just lowers the bar for everything.

It’s why test cricket is so special. The long, slow ramping up of excitement.

A lot of sports could learn about keeping your premier events as showcases and the rest of the season building towards that.

 

[Evil_Mush]

What’s the go with how these days if I ever see anything related, they seem at pains to recognise that it was ever wwf? It’s been wwe for some time now, but they speak about it like it was always wwe

Those damn pandas!


Edit: here's an article that summarises the whole name/initial change situation without going to deep into legal mumbo jumbo.

WWF's Name Change To WWE, Explained

The change from 'WWF' to 'WWE' was not an example of Vince McMahon's genius, but necessitated by a number of factors that need to be explained.

www.thesportster.com