To all my loyal peeps out there, the Dog Pound is back! I know it has been quite a long time since you’ve all entered the Pound but I am prepared to return with a full head of steam this time around, for each and every one of you that has been with me from day one.
See, I last wrote an editorial 60 days ago. That, in the world of wrestling is an eternity. I like many of my fellow writers and fans alike had, and in many ways still are, simply tired of the product we’ve been given as of late. After my last article, where I vowed that the Pound was making a return on a regular basis, I decided to turn away for a time and get away from wrestling altogether. That is just what I did. No WWE, no TNA, no RoH, nothing.
For me this was extremely hard to do. I am 23 years old and have been a lifelong fan since I can remember. But, much like fellow writers such as Linda Robin I had grown tired of writing. For me, the product that I was watching was no longer fun, which made writing a column even less so. I never had the intention of leaving permanently, only when I felt truly ready to put 100% back into the Dog Pound did I want to return. So, here we are. After 60 long days, I say to you my readers and wrestling fans around the world, what has changed? Over the next couple weeks, I want to bring all of you a series of sorts, examining both the positive and negative aspects of the wrestling product
Looking into the world of wrestling and for this column let’s focus on the WWE, let’s talk about some of the things that haven’t changed that has made the product so stale. First and foremost, I think the WWE is running too many pay-per-views. It seems like just as soon as one is over with they are scrambling to build the next card. This has taken so much of the drama out of fueds and storylines that by the time the ppv actually roles around, the initial intrigue in many cases has lost its steam.
Case in point, the WWE just ran their “Bragging Rights” ppv right before “Survivor Series.” I ask you, why? To me it seemed as though Bragging Rights was a ppv designed to show brand superiority but isn’t that what the Survivor Series ppv is for? Isn’t that what it has been used for in the past? But have no fear because a mere three weeks after Survivor Series the WWE is running their new “TLC” pay-per-view. Just a little over a month from that is the big Royal Rumble ppv.
I think the WWE should really get back to the focus of building up the ppv’s instead of cramming more in each calendar year. Remember when it was just the big four? SummerSlam, Survivor Series, the Rumble, and of course Wrestlemania. Being that two ppv’s were run this year in May AND October, I feel they can stand to trim some fat.
My choices would be “Extreme Rules” which they ran in May before Judgement Day. Since they seem to be running with this PG-rated system, why not do away with a ppv originally designed for the blood and sweat of ECW. A second choice would be “Bragging Rights.” It seems pointless to me to have a two ppv’s with similar intentions so close together; Survivor Series is one of the original big four, let’s build that and make that an even bigger show. The same can be said for my third choice to drop, “The Bash.” Seeing as how SummerSlam is the big ppv of the summer, they can cut The Bash out, move Night of Champions up a little, and build more focus and attention on that big summer ppv.
As I mentioned earlier, I feel as though the ppv events have become a sort of overkill. I know the WWE uses their ppv buyrates as a major source of profit for the company, but just imagine if they spent more time building fueds up, for a bigger ppv and a bigger event. In the end, it would balance out. Those same people that would buy a ppv are still going to, because they want to see the conclusion of a well-developed fued that has taken its time and told a story.
I liken it to the standardized testing that schools have here in North America. No longer do schools teach fundamental things students need to survive, they teach to the test. No longer does the WWE focus on telling a story and building a fued and/or history; they focus on the next pay-per-view. While we’re on the subject of ppv’s…
What is the deal with all the ppv’s becoming “gimmick exclusive?” Hell In A Cell? TLC? Elimination Chamber? There once was a time when matches like these were special; they happened so infrequently that it was a treat when you saw one. When wrestlers hooked up inside a Hell in a Cell, it had a reason, it fit their story. Now, we have entire ppv’s dedicated to these specialty matches. To me, that will only make them lose the appeal that much quicker. Remember the first ever TLC match at Wrestlemania 2000? Now we have an entire ppv where the main event(s) will more than likely be TLC matches. For what?
I’ll leave you all with this food for thought until the next installment of the Dog Pound. Do you think the number of ppv’s should be cut? What about the gimmick-themed ppv’s? I want to hear you; because if there is one place a fan can have their voice heard…its right here inside the Dog Pound.
****
shadyrvd@hotmail.com
~Guests are always welcome inside The Dog Pound~
