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TALES FROM THE PULPIT 7/18: Passionate reader feedback on Victory Road, mainstream perception of pro wrestling, and more!

PWTorch.com reader Shane McKinley writes:

Regarding your article on how wrestling is not seen as cool, I agree. I can't imagine anybody at a party or the water cooler going, "Did you see what happened on Raw last night? They destroyed a limo!" I think the best way to describe a wrestling's fan experience is to compare it to a comic book fan. Both wrestling and comic books are, at their core, seen as childish things. Both have great writing, and writing that is just awful and lame trying to get attention. Both have that social stigma of people being embrassed to watch it. Both have times when they are excellent and unlike anything else, and then there are times when it is all a scam. Why? It's because no where else can you experience the deepest of lows. Think about it. You have your favorite baseball team. They stink year in and year out. But there is a sense of pride that maybe next year will be better. Plus, they are YOUR team and you remain loyal. Are wrestling fans loyal? Wrestling fans are not loyal to any brand.

So why do people watch wrestling? I relate it to watching your favorite baseball team. Sometimes they are great, and sometimes they are just awful, but you stick with it. However, I bet that if there was a three month period of just awful wrestling programming, how many people would stick around? Wrestling is still seen as a circus. While football and baseball in this country have become these big-time corporations, wrestling is (and probably will be seen) as a sideshow. To the average fan, they need those Ultimate Warriors, Rocks, and Brock Lesnars to motivate them to watch. Does that mean that wrestling depends on big-time stars to be successful? Not always. You need to have a well-rounded show. The problem with wrestling shows is that they always try to manage quality vs. ratings. Nobody is really proud that Kurt Angle is doing this realllllllllllllllly tired "women hating" bit, because that's not wrestling should be about. It should be about great feuds and storylines that people can get emotionally involved in. I think that when wrestling (we'll use the finish to TNA last PPV's as a example) focuses just on ratings and stringing fans along, then that's when it's pathetic and desperate. That's when it's not worth watching, because the vibe feels too much of getting scammed and therefore people cannot trust the product. Wrestling fans know that for every great moment, there are at least 10 just really, really stupid moments.

Radican’s reply: Thanks for writing. You make some interesting points, but I disagree with you that wrestling fans aren’t loyal to a specific brand. When WCW went out of business, a lot of their audience went with them is the most specific example I can think of. Of course, you need to look no further than TNA or ROH for brand-specific loyalty as well. A large number of ROH and TNA fans are passionate about their loyalty to those companies. WWE also has their share of diehard supporters of well, which goes back to the days of fans arguing about which brand was better (WWE or WCW).

PWTorch.com reader Stevie Bundie writes:

Good Day,

Don't worry about the whole 'wrestling being hip' thing. Just enjoy it - I think we, as wrestling fans, should be secure enough with ourselves as to not need the external validation. Maybe there will come a day, maybe there won't. Because honestly, it's not as if even at its apex of popularity, wrestling was overflowing with stories far beyond the current product in their ineptitude (Mark Henry's sexual escapades and all that entails, Undertaker casually crucifying people on television etc.). Let's not dwell on the negatives and what could be. It's out of our hands and, really, in their defense, it's not so simply black-and-white for the creative team either, contrary to popular belief on the internet. Let's just keep things positive and enjoy it - in 100 years, this'll be very irrelevant, eh? Take care!

Cheers,
Stevie

Radican’s reply: I wasn’t trying to imply that the mainstream view of wrestling is a big deal. I just think wrestling can have such a low brow quality to it at times that it’s almost impossible to watch most wrestling programming with a non-fan around and not feel somewhat guilty for enjoying a product that has these negative elements. I like your attitude and I agree that it’s not a huge deal what the mainstream perception of wrestling is, but I do think wrestling could tone down some of its cruder elements to make it a more acceptable form of entertainment to the public, which would only in turn benefit wrestling.

Nick Vincent of Round Rock, Texas writes:

I was interested when Sean Radican wrote that one of wrestling's problems right now is that there is nothing happening that "resonates with society". I agree. There are no characters or storylines that fans can really sink their teeth into or relate to. It’s not fun anymore.

So why can't WWE's writers dig into history and and go back to basics with some time-tested, reliable sure-fire winning ideas? I’d bet a creative new twist on some old themes might at least spice things up a little, even if wrestling never makes it back to the insane popularity it had during the Hulkamania era and the late 1990s Monday Night Wars.

It can’t be THAT hard. Try these, for example:

(1) FILTHY RICH WRESTLER ANGERS STRUGGLING, WORKING CLASS FANS:

Remember how everyone used to love to hate “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase? Why? Because he was an arrogant, insufferable jerk who had money, and you didn’t. And he took every opportunity to rub it in your face.

So? Now we have “Priceless” little Ted. And what’s the biggest story going right now? That’s easy: people are struggling. High gas prices. Mortgage and real estate troubles. Bank failures. High college costs. This is the perfect time for a rich mega-heel to appear and royally piss off the fans. Right from the headlines to the ring.

Maybe Poppa Ted comes back with a little “seed money” and starts trouble anew. Maybe he makes a loan...cuts a deal with JBL, and they speculate in oil futures. Maybe they get even wealthier than before. And Little Ted gets in on the action. And the Dibiase’s and JBL form some kind of big money mega-heel stable that bribes referees, buys championships, pays bounties to injure opponents and generally wreaks havoc all over WWE. Maybe it even tries to take over the company!

“Common man” Dusty Rhodes comes back to try to straighten out his jaded, corrupted son who is caught up in all of this. And then the fun begins.


(2) THE RETURN OF THE ANTI-AMERICAN FOREIGN HEEL

What’s another big story? War. America’s role in the world. The military. What other countries think of us.

In the fine tradition of Ivan Koloff, Mr. Fuji and the Iron Sheik, it’s time for a new foreigner to hate, to drum up the old “USA USA” chant and a healthy dose of American patriotism.

Except don’t make him the Mohammed Hassan kind of heel. Remember, that ended badly. Perhaps someone else from the Middle East. Maybe a rich oil sheik of some sort. Perhaps he aligns with the above-mentioned heel stable in an oil deal. Maybe we see an annoying, pompous European intellectual who rails against weak, stupid America.

(3) TAKING THE WORK-SHOOT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Now that WCW is long gone and there’s no more “them” to try to beat in the ratings, raid talent from or mess with, there’s really only one final “them” remaining to go after in wrestling:

The Internet Dirt Sheets. Yes, that includes PW Torch.

I’d love to see McMahon acknowledge and then invite a guy like Wade Keller onto RAW, get into it with him, and then get him into an actual storyline. Keller and Co. could then write nasty stuff online, Vince and WWE could call them out, and you guys could go to war. Imagine some heel attacking Keller on live TV.

Of course for it to work correctly, I suppose I should have never really mentioned this on this site, huh?

(4) FLAIR TAKES A PROTEGE

If you really think about it, this is the final, logical step in Flair’s wrestling lifespan. Kind of like Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers before him, the aging Nature Boy really is wrestling’s sole elder statesman. Bruno is bitter, Hogan is tied up in legal troubles and everyone else is either dead, crippled or faded away. So the role goes to Flair.

The story goes like this: Retired Flair can’t stand being on the sidelines. He’s antsy. He’s bored. But he can’t wrestle anymore; he’s not allowed. But he can do the next best thing: he can pick a young talent and manage him to the World Title.

Who does he think is special enough to manage? Will his young student pay attention? Will he turn on Flair? Or will Slick Ric think his hand-picked protégé deserving enough to pass the “Nature Boy” name to a new generation?

No, no. No need to thank me, WWE. Take what you want, it’s on me.

Just please no more poopy jokes.

Radican’s reply: I don’t think there’s any chance of a work/shoot angle between PWTorch and WWE, although the spectacle of Wade Keller getting beat up on national television is alluring. I do like your idea for Flair taking someone on the undercard under his wing and leading him to the top. That angle would be very interesting to watch unfold over the course of a year.

PWTorch.com reader Suzanne Abshire writes:

Hi Sean,

Nice theory and you can spin it anyway you want but the ending of the PPV is just going to turn more people off to TNA. You said they could not have had Joe lose the belt because he hasn't held it for very long and you said Booker could not loose the match cleanly because it was in his home town, but I believe either option would have been better.

Lets back up to last weeks TNA Impact instead of Sting coming out and doing what he did he should have done and just flat out challenged the winner for the title at the next PPV.

So now we are at the PPV, and they could have had Kevin Nash come out and cost Joe the title. Then at next months PPV, you book Booker vs. Sting for the title and Joe vs. Kevin in a Grudge match. Then you follow up the next months PPV with Booker vs. Joe for the title with Joe getting his title match. He can defend the title at the PPV after that against Sting. After Kevin and then Sting both lose to Joe they should both retire, unless Sting can work out a deal with WWE for 1 year like the Undertaker has and then after that year is up then he should stay retired.

The reason why I would do what I said above is because of how poorly TNA has been booking Joe and for a selfish reason I do not want to see Joe vs. Nash main eventing any PPV.

As far as the other option of having Joe win cleanly and that pissing everyone off well that happened anyway so why not have the better finish.

I am reading today at the next PPV the Main Event will be Joe vs. Booker one on one in another gimmick match, and as much as I would prefer that to a Triple Threat involving Sting or worse yet a Fatal Four Way involving Kevin Nash, the way they set it up Sunday the match has to be a Triple Threat to make sense.

Radican’s reply: I think your idea of Joe losing the title and then gaining it back would only make things seem more convoluted than they already are. I really like the direction they are taking with Joe’s character as he becomes more and more obsessed with beating Booker. I thought Joe’s segment backstage with Nash was perfect about how Joe now doubts himself, which means he’ll be even more aggressive when he faces Booker at Hard Justice. Thanks for writing!

Be sure to check out the Sean Radican Audio Showcase with co-host Derek Burgan this weekend for an in-depth look at the world of pro wrestling. Get caught up with the podcast that is capturing the attention of PWTorch.com VIP members today when you sign up for a subscription! You don't want to miss out on the leading source for pro wrestling podcasts at PWTorch.com/members.

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