NoDQ.com > Columns > Hillmania Runs Wild on the Future of Pro Wrestling Posted by Kevin Hillman on 04/29/2009 at 11:24 PM
Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile since I wrote here, but I wanted to wait until I had a really good piece that I could put together to really get people thinking. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Are we on the road to the next golden age of wrestling? Many fans and analysts would give a resounding no, based on declining ratings, the WWE's PG rating, and the growth in popularity of MMA in America. But take another look; all of the tools necessary to cause a stir in the mainstream world are there, and we are but a few short years away from the next golden age of wrestling. (I'll predict 3-5.)
In the early 90's, the WWE was faltering and floundering. Their big stars and investments were leaving (Hogan, Savage), and their tried and true marketing strategy was losing its appeal. Who would have thought that the same thing wouldn't work for over 10 years in a row?
Today, the WWE's ratings are sinking, even when their product is at its peak, and the company is losing many of its big stars and investments (Angle, Lashley, and in the future due to age, possibly HBK and many others). WWE is not losing money or close to going out of business by any stretch, but they are losing a lot of their appeal to the American main stream, and many fans are leaving the horribly fake, repetitive, and kid friendly WWE in favor of the more "real" UFC.
WWE recently decided to return to their 1980's policies, as opposed to their ultra popular 1990's ways, by mainly pushing big guys and remaining very PG, with the neighborhood superhero, John Cena, almost always able to combat the odds and win the match. Hulk Hogan worked in the 1980's, and John Cena is working now, don't get me wrong, but between Cena and HHH, it has become almost too obvious who will be champion at any point in time, and in the new millennium, 1980's and early 90's strategies, won't work like they once did. Gone are the days of long title reigns that could still draw fans without much effort, and gone are the days of athletic champions without supernatural characters. Fans today need champions who can wrestle (a Bret Hart champion), but can also have an interesting character (a Hulk Hogan champion) who isn't shoved down our throats until we have to vomit (a John Cena champion). To be fair, (and I am a bit of a Cena fan), Cena has grown immensely and is a suitable face for the company, as he showed the past two weeks on Raw, but the other leaders of the company, short of HBK, Taker, and Edge, are not nearly as skilled at being all around performers.
Jack Swagger and HHH are solid wrestlers, but their characters are terrible and their matches too technical by today's standards, yet they both went into Backlash as champions. They both wrestled good matches, with Swagger's performance actually pretty exciting, and Swagger is still young and new, but has a cruddy character, and little exposure, and truly has no reason to be champion yet. I'm getting used to him now though, because I know I'll be watching his Wrestlemania 27 main event with Cena.
WWE is floundering, but there is a young, southern based company that is on the rise, and while some may not like the writing, there is a good group of wrestlers and a growing roster of recognized names. That's right, WCW may have Robocop, and the Dungeon of Doom, but if Hogan and Savage want to be there, then it must be good! Oh I'm sorry, I meant TNA with Pac Man Jones and the Prince Justice Brotherhood, but Sting and Kurt Angle and Mick Foley who want to be there.
The similarities are eerie, huh? And for all of the people who think TNA is about to fade into oblivion, wake up already, because it is clear that TNA is here to stay... at least for another few years. They're turning a profit, getting more and more big names signed to their roster, and the writing and ratings are improving. Not to mention the fact that the matches are just as amazing as ever. TNA is on the rise, and while I doubt they plan to move iMPACT! to Monday nights anytime soon, they will become a very powerful rival to WWE in the near future.
But even though it takes 2 to tango, you need at least 3 to have a rocking rave! And just like there was in the early 90's, a Philly based promotion that appeals to a small niche of fans and produces some of the most entertaining matches in the world today is on its rise to national fame. Ironically though, this small company is in many ways, the complete opposite of the original Philly based promotion, ECW. ECW was no rules and balls to the wall, while RoH is the structured, competition based company. They are similar, in that they both represent the true desire of the American people. ECW was everything that the general population craved, but couldn't find. The rabid fans of America were becoming hungry for blood and violence and ECW fueled that craze. With higher production value and more exposure, ECW could have been a much bigger contender. RoH has higher production values thanks to HDNet, but still needs more exposure. Ring of Honor also clearly represents what it is that the American fans want in this day and age; legitimate, "real", sports competition. While RoH isn't real wrestling, it sure looks like it (if you ignore all the god-awful gimmicks; slapping a porpoise included). ECW provided opportunities for men like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, and many more. RoH has already provided opportunities for guys like Samoa Joe and CM Punk, and I predict a few more world champions will be coming right out of RoH.
In the coming years, both RoH and TNA will continue gaining ground while WWE continues to lose it slowly. WWE will ultimately be forced to finally change up their style. They won't necessarily be resembling RoH, but ringwork will likely matter much more than it does now. While John Cena isn't going anywhere, I don't believe WWE will be pushing as many muscleheads in about 3 years.
(Just a note, I get the idea of marketing to kids for future growth, but does WWE realize that kids can't afford PPV? They may buy the merch, but they can't buy the shows, and likely aren't allowed to be up until 11 to watch Raw.)
WWE fans seem to believe that the next boom will come when the Attitude Era makes its return. I'm not saying we don't need shocks and twists and larger than life characters, but we also need realistic characters with realistic wrestling skills, to appeal to the masses. With TNA's signing of Bobby Lashley, creating a greater appeal to MMA fans, TNA will push WWE into doing similar things to keep up, and RoH will lose a lot of its best wrestlers.
When the time comes, a new generation of stars will rise to the forefront. John Cena, Randy Orton, Jack Swagger, Christian, and possibly Edge and Jericho will remain at the forefront. Hopefully HHH will stay backstage, but I doubt we'll see that happening... Matt Hardy will become a top star with rare title reigns a possibility, as will CM Punk; but the new stars are what I'm looking forward to. John Morrison, the Miz, Ted DiBiase, possibly (hopefully) Cody Rhodes, maybe Brian Kendrick, MVP, and more. Kennedy too, if he can stay without an injury. Evan Bourne will be an upper card wrestler who will probably have more IC title reigns than anyone in recent memory, and may become a powerful rival to the hopefully debuting Low Ki.
Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Robert Roode, James Storm, possibly Jay Lethal, Eric Young and the Shiek, and definitely the Machineguns (at least Shelley) will become TNA's superstars if pushed correctly. Spike TV should use their connection to MTV as an advantage to get TNA more exposure. It worked for Wrestlemania 1, why couldn't it work for TNA?
But there are less obvious guys that I see becoming stars when they finally leave RoH. In my opinion, Tyler Black and Austin Aries are well on their way, with Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson as well. I don't foresee most of them ever becoming world champions outside of RoH, but time will tell. There is one man however, that I think will become the biggest star of them all; Jimmy Jacobs. Why Jimmy? Because he has a character, an edgy one at that, and knows how to use it. It's a realistically barbaric and controlling character loosely based around Emos and Raven, but it seems original nonetheless. Jimmy Jacobs may never be world champion either, but I can see people paying good money one day to see Christian or Punk or AJ trying to seek retribution on Jimmy Jacobs. Mark my words, this kid is money.
So will there be a new wrestling boom? Maybe, maybe not. But those are my predictions. Maybe I'm terribly wrong, who knows. Just remember that if it happens, you heard it here first.
Send me your thoughts, questions, or hate mail at: thehillmaniac@yahoo.com
-Hillmania
Runnin' Wild Since 1776
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