I love this stuff. Professional wrestling. Sports Entertainment. Testosterone Soap Opera. Whatever you call it these days, it is in your face entertainment. Death defying feats of courageous athletes who throw caution and ultimately their bodies to the wind, for us. The fans. It’s really amazing what wrestlers at all levels of the industry go through day in and day out. The grind and drudgery of traveling from place to place to place. Never getting home for more than a hand full of hours at a time. How can you find time for a life outside of stadiums and gas stations?
I also feel for WWE’s creative team. These people get a bad rap on most internet sites, but you sit down and try to write two hours of t.v. programming every week, except one, year in and year out when at a moments notice someone could get hurt, or just not show up for work, (Stone Cold!). They do not have an easy job, and their position could benefit from allowing the creative juices to stur a bit.
Smackdown and Raw have improved lately, but far too many shows during the course of the year have a slap dash feel to them, that has a hardcore WWE addict like me reaching for my trusty little clicker.
I think it is time that WWE thinks long and hard about turning their two shows into seasonal programming, and give their superstars at least a two month break out of their work year. Injuries are happening at such a rate that you can see that WWE is concerned enough to try and slow down the action on their shows. Rest holds are becoming more frequent, and talking heads performing skits are taking up more and more face time.
While these measures might help ease the burden of the grind of a 50 to 51 week a year tour of bumps, chair shots, delayed flights, lost luggage and insomnia, it simply is not enough. In fact I feel that a much needed break will ultimately be the right business decision.
I love the desire videos, and I would turn in at least once a week to watch a two hour show filled with them and classic P.P.V. matches and great bouts from the vault, for a couple of months at least. Hardcore fans are going to turn in no matter what you show them, and if you want to hook back the casual viewers, you need to show them the best you have to offer, without repeatedly driving the best you have closer to retirement due to chronic and career threatening injuries. Take a look at who is out of wrestling now, Stone Cold (most likely for good), Edge, and Curt Angle. Three WWE cornerstones. Franchise players out hurt, can’t bring in a dime.
Give the boys & girls the summer off Vince. Right before the NFL football season begins, start off the new WWE season with a twenty-five dollar, (cheaper than normal!) P.P.V. that will build on the cliffhanger matches and storylines you left the fans hanging on before the summer break.
During the summer break you still run a less demanding schedule of house shows, to starve off ring rust; and free up your wrestlers to go out and PROMOTE your industry. Plus you will give creative elements of WWE time to recharge their batteries and hash out storylines for the upcoming season, this kind of time off will keep professionally and creatively embarrassing moments like, uh, Katie Vick from ever taking place.
Less is sometimes more, and in the realm of the testosterone soap opera some much needed R&R would be a good thing. Give a brother a break Vince! Vacation all I ever wanted.
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