An introduction is hard and everything suddenly becomes easy once you make that first step. Each week I’ve written an article for wrestling sites I am humbled by the fact that people take their time to read these pieces, I am definitely comforted by the fact that here in SLTD we have some very talented columnists that are a pleasure to work alongside.
For my third article it’s been a genuine struggle because there’s so many things to write about, I have at least two drafts sitting in my documents that would probably “do the job” and yet I am not happy to use them. For me writing should be directly from the heart and I don’t need a pause for spell checker. For this week only let’s go improv!
The Beast in the East over the weekend I thought was a very well produced show, yet somewhat insulting as it felt WWE were applying much more effort to win the Japanese fans. In regards to match quality I do firmly believe that us westerners should write a strongly worded letter to WWE headquarters in Connecticut to ensure they appreciate that we also prefer a greater emphasis in the performances. If the product you do at home and overseas are different that truly proves that regular shows such as RAW lack structure.
For anyone who witnessed Smackdown during the days where Paul Heyman was in creative control will remember how every episode had a certain template. The opening segment always involved either a cruiserweight or tag team match, then followed by the alternative out of that two, the mid card and then a major angle to promote the main event storyline.
Every aspect on the show seems to have a logic surrounding it, even if that design became realised weeks down the line. The Smackdown template Paul Heyman introduced gave you an expectation and one that gradually took you up the ladder of importance throughout the roster.
For example, Smackdown would open with a cruiserweight title match, a division far afield from the WWE Championship. The cruiserweight talent had a certain time dedicated to the division, it gave the fans a constant point of interest and a selling point to watch the show. Nowadays RAW opens more often than ever with a boring main event angle that opens further flesh wounds throughout the whole entire night. On RAW certain characters are overused because the creative team are too scared in backing more than a select few stars. What kind of matches are mainly featured on RAW in the here and now? Squash matches!
The RAW of today is almost begging for a wide audience reaction using such a fine concentrated spotlight. I recall a time where RAW & Smackdown could host their own exclusive pay per view which would juggle half a dozen feuds at least which were more interesting than what’s being promoted the most today!
WWE’s main event saving grace today has to be Brock Lesnar – a person who is being managed by the creative genius that turned Smackdown back in the day into a RAW ass kicking machine. Paul Heyman as a wrestling figure simply knows how to book, it’s undeniable. I am not trying to say that Paul Heyman is the only hope for WWE, it’s his mentality towards the business that reflects on screen or on his projects.
I also recall reading an article years ago when WWE introduced former soap opera writers to the creative team. Soap opera writers in a wrestling show I thought? The WWE since 2005 has had a schizophrenic approach to finding some new identity as a PG rated product. A company based on the wrestling craft that has tried to cut ties from that foundation and bring in a team of writers that are completely inexperienced to writing for a wrestling event and turn the whole operation into one big drama, something the fans are not there to buy into. The fans arrive at the building for a professional wrestling show!
While I am on this mad improvised rampage have you ever noticed how similar the impact NXT & the old cruiserweight division show despite the obvious difference of weight restriction. Both showcase fresh, agile, high flying talents that excite the fans through their talent & abilities. I’d argue that if you structured RAW & Smackdown; NXT would not necessarily require it’s own platform and could be incorporated.
If you cut all the crap out of RAW & Smackdown there is plenty dead space left that can be put to much greater use. As a reader I want you to try fantasy booking with a quarter of your imagination potential; you’ll come up with a better solution with great ease I assure you.
Lastly before I wrap up I do find the NXT event in Brooklyn before Summerslam as a cute tactical way to test the waters with the hardcore fans. The venue itself speaks volumes as the perfect midway point between the Hammerstein Ballroom and the PG era of WWE. The Barclays arena will attract the hardcore fans but also plenty mainstream ones to balance out the reactions if things go sour.
To be honest these NXT wrestlers deserve all the support you can give, I have a tonne of respect for what progress they’ve achieved and I value them as the second most interesting asset in WWE right now. Second only to the beast Brock Lesnar.
Until we meet again, thank you for reading and take care.
Daniel over and out!
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