Would you see the benefits of WWE requiring all their wrestlers to only wrestle 9 months a year? IMO, they should introduce more wrestlers but only keep 75% of the their active roster on television at any given time so they could continue to have no real off season. This would help wrestlers have longer careers and keep their characters fresher. What is the downside to this? Do we need to see Kofi Kingston 12 months a year?
People have been rallying for this idea for years now and it's always been a fantastic idea. Keeps everyone fresh, as noted, and look at what a few months off does for making even boring guys like Sheamus seem new and different again when they return. It's just like how guys would cycle in and out of the territories years ago, leaving before they get boring.
They could run WWE 9 months out of the year and NXT full-time so then fans could watch NXT while WWE was in the off season.
ReplyDeleteI don't even think it would have to be a full 3 months, but sporadic breaks from in-ring work where the guy might be more promos - a few weeks off of working matches and people wouldn't know the difference.
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that their roster is almost big enough to support a full year. Perhaps less house shows or send 1-2 stars to house shows and fill the rest with low card and jobbers like they used to.
ReplyDeleteYep. A rotating schedule would keep guys healthier and happier I would assume. Keeps the characters fresh. It's also not a long enough time for the average fan to say "Oh, is gone? I'm not watching!"
ReplyDeleteThat would lose them a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteWhat if they would give someone a month off at a time, yet they work one of the NXT tapings. Say if they gave Cena a month to three months off, he could work the NXT tapings once a month, and this would give fans more incentive to watch NXT and/or subscribe to the Network.
ReplyDeleteImagine how much better the story a few years back would have been when Cena was having his "worst year ever" if he would have disappeared to NXT for a while. He could say that he lost his passion and needed to go find it. Sort of a takeoff on how Rocky went to train with the young fighters at Apollo's gym in Rocky III.
Remember that Rumble pop for Cena when he came back early? Could be more of that. Also Michael Hayes always says the Freebirds left a territory when they were hot so they'd come back hot. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteLove this. Keller has been on this bandwagon forever. Would also help avoid wrestlers from being over exposed on tv.
ReplyDeleteNo, wwe should be a full time promotion. The wrestlers should have cycled time off.
ReplyDeleteTrue. can't leave money on the table like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the fans taking time off? I often go 2-3 months without watching, then it feels fresh when I start again. And WWE and its wrestlers don't lose out on 3 months of money this way.
ReplyDeleteWe talked about this before:
ReplyDeleteSplit the roster into 4 groups that overlapping schedules. Each grpup wrestles
It's an idea with really no downsides outside of slightly reduced pay for missing 3 months worth of shows (and it would eliminate long-term title reigns altogether).
ReplyDeleteAnd as always, it will never, ever, ever happen because USA Network will never allow it so long as Raw is their show and the stockholders don't care about John Cena's health as much as they care about John Cena being on the show to sell merch and tickets and move ratings.
If I were a wrestler, I'd want JTG's schedule.
ReplyDeleteI get what youre saying, but when Cena goes away, the needle hardly moves one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been awesome
ReplyDeleteProblem being... everyone is going to want to work January through April... leaving huge chunks of guys "off" in the other 8 months of the year.
ReplyDeleteAnother way to look at it is this: the established stars (Cena, DBry whoever the World Champ is) should not be wrestling on television that much anyway. It should be a special attraction when the bigger names wrestle.
ReplyDeleteWhen they had wrestling Saturday nights on TBA Ric Flair showed up to do interviews and bounced. When he DID wrestle it was something big. The secondary belts were showcased more.
If RAW and Smackdown was structured that the champ defended on the show once a month it would be a bigger deal. The other belts should be defended in the main event slots
Long term title reigns could be an exception, or maybe you just give them a few weeks off in between defenses. Like Raw, two weeks off, go-home show, big card (not calling them PPVs anymore), Raw, two weeks off.
ReplyDeleteI'll always thought the idea of WWE going dark for a few months. Sill, not as in a terrible idea (Although, it probably wouldn't be a great idea for business), but just in that sense that there's no way they would do it. Now, the idea of giving guys predictable, lengthy time off is probably a good one.
ReplyDeleteI have two more thoughts that go along with this, and didn't see the need in creating another post:
1) I get the lifestyle a wrestler lives isn't an easy one, but there's nothing that forces these men and women to continue to do this, year after year. They're free to go try to make money elsewhere in life.
2) Let's say WWE does implement this system. What do they do when a guy is clearly exploding to the top, a la Austin in 1997? Do they still give him the time off? The answer is clearly no, because unless the wrestler in question is really injured (or a moron), he wouldn't want the time off.
Absolutely. I keep hearing people say that we're not going back to the days when the mid-card titles mean something, and my reply is always the same: "Why not?" If WWE wanted too, they could make the I-C title extremely important, have it defended every week on Raw, and boom you have viable challenger for the World Title.
ReplyDeleteNot anymore. Mania isn't "The Show" anymore from any perspective that isn't prestige based, and not everybody is going to get promoted on the build-up anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the big "Get Everyone On The Show" match, you really don't need Kofi or Tyson Kidd cutting promos or wrestling on the build-up to it.
Have the top guys work December to April, than take time off in summer or fall. Give them an actual Christmas for once
US Title = main belt of Smackdown
ReplyDeleteIC Title = Main belt on RAW.
If you defend your belt say 6 weeks straight on the show you get an automatic World title shot.
This is why I liked the show with Heenan and Monsoon. During that time off they could show matches from house shows from all over the country.
ReplyDeleteThat could work.
ReplyDeleteIt's a feud starter. Imagine Big E having a five week title defense streak (not counting house shows) He's wrestling that night and another wrestler gets him DQ. He's just lost out on a World title shot and it starts a feud.
ReplyDeleteI don't get three months off a year from my job. Why should anyone else?
ReplyDeleteBut if he wins 6 in a row, then wins the World title, does he hold both belts?
ReplyDeleteThey could even do the occasional deal where a guy has earned a title shot, and he gets into some sort of personal blood feud with a guy. Then, he puts the shot on the line to get his revenge. Granted, they couldn't do that all the time, but it could work if done sparingly.
ReplyDeleteNo. He forfeits the secondary belt. and they do a tournament.
ReplyDeleteNo. Then, we get everyone's favorite: Tournament Time, baby!
ReplyDeleteSo, like what TNA was doing with the X Division title at Destination X.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and what TNA SHOULD do with the TV Title.
ReplyDelete16 men this time.
ReplyDelete3 week tournament. The belt is now important because it means an automatic World title shot. You get former World champs trying to compete in it.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the merch needle flatlines
ReplyDeleteWhen he's out you could do taped interviews, or tbh he could show up and do a live interview, he just wouldn't wrestle.
ReplyDeleteIt should be 3 months. It should be a month.
ReplyDeleteOr even guys who lost all of their title matches against the world champ trying to get lucky again.
ReplyDeleteVery true. USA wouldn't care about that tho. If Vince and the wretler, Cena in this, could find common ground on then maybe it would be a more realistic option.
ReplyDeleteLike Christian.
ReplyDeleteDolph Ziggler lays on his back for a living, no need for him to take time off
ReplyDeleteSo did Lita.
ReplyDeleteWait, Sheamus came back from his injury new and different? Was there a tan I haven't picked up on?
ReplyDeleteis there really proof for that (= the idea that merch sales "flatline" if he is hardly seen on tv for a few weeks)?
ReplyDeleteI took more took off for several months more than once during my fandom. the biggest "break" I took was from summer 1999 to WrestleMania XX. and I often stopped watching for several weeks if none of the (main) programs seemed interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteBecause not everything is the same.
ReplyDeleteShould everyone also make the same salary you do?
The pre-taped interviews are exactly what they should be doing with Brock Lesnar. How hard would it be for them to tape a few promos at his house and air them on TV during his sabbaticals just to remind us he's still around?
ReplyDeleteI suppose not, but one would think they had to have taken a hit. Maybe people just hella like neon.
ReplyDeleteDanny Doring was by far the luckiest guy on the roster when he had that same schedule eight years ago. Getting paid to take advantage of catering is a pretty good gig while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteBecause anything Brock does in front of a camera is a date. And it should be.
ReplyDeleteThe question would be are they completely off, or would they still have to do things outside of the ring like Make a Wish or TV interviews?
ReplyDeletesounds like you are also the kind of person who gets mad when someone is promoted above you despite not having worked there as long.
ReplyDeleteEver heard of teachers? Probably not.
ReplyDeleteBut then how would they have a champion lose clean in a non-title match in order to set up the new #1 contender?
ReplyDeleteI like a more staggered approach, two weeks off every four months or something, with one full month off a year. I don't care so much about the characters as the wrestlers actual physical well being, two weeks of total rest every quarter or third of a year would go a long way to that.
ReplyDeleteIf there was on off-season where there were no new live shows, would it be a good idea to fill four/eight/twelve/however many months worth of Raw and Smackdown with "best of PPV" specials or airing some of the DVD documentaries?
ReplyDeleteI think that would lead to too many secondary titles changing hands, too many title vs. title matches, and too many losses for your secondary title holders. Maybe increase the number of defenses to 15 or something.
ReplyDeleteIf it were up to me, I'd give them overlapping schedules where they'd work full-time for 2 months, then get a 'break' month where they showed only up to TV for promos and the occasional brawl or run-in. And depending on their spot or current storyline, they may or may not be at that month's 'special'.
ReplyDeleteBefore Austin blew up into a megastar, some of his most entertaining moments were the months after Summerslam '97. He would just show up and raise hell and never wrestled a match due to the neck injury. But he was always there and doing just enough that you didn't realize he wasn't wrestling.
Also any kind of athlete gets an off season, and sport or not wrestlers are athletes who take a beating. To me those guys working year round shows the circus animal mentality vince and his family have towards the wrestlers for the most part. Even today that is a brutal and unforgiving schedule. Its just dangerous for many reasons to travel non stop and take between 100-150 bumps every single week.
ReplyDeleteBecause your job doesn't involve you suffering insane amounts of physical and psychological wear and tear.
ReplyDeleteAnd everybody should get three months off a year.
I would like to say that everyone should make the same salary, but I'd rather not get into a political debate.
ReplyDeleteThe other catch is that Vince would have to be willing to compensate these guys for taking time off, because no one is going to agree to make 75% of the money. That doesn't seem to fit within his "I don't give guarantees, I give opportunities" philosophy.
ReplyDeleteI can see this happening more so than ever before, but probably not before Vince retires or dies. The world is much more transparent, progressive, and instant now. I think HHH and Stephanie are more aware of how their company is perceived, and how it's easier to see what goes on behind the curtain. Vince didn't have to worry about the internet and opinions and viewpoints coming at him from all angles in the 80's and 90's. And seeing all of the 50 and 60 year old guys from that era dropping dead because they were worked, AND with such a focus on wellness and image nowadays, I see them modifying their model eventually. I think part of that will involve advertising how they regulate and give their talent time off and all the available care, rehab, whatever in the world. The days of Vince treating everyone like a circus animal won't fly in today's culture.
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest and admit my preference for this is more selfish than anything. It'd provide a mock-territory like system that could freshen things up. Let's pretend Punk was on his 3 month off cycle....how much more interesting would things be around now wondering when and how he'd be reintroduced?
ReplyDelete...short of rotating three month cycles, I'd settle for Best of Decembers with the whole roster off, if they're afraid of using best ofs, give that slot to NXT. NXT gets their month off around Wrestlemania. How many shows during December are just bullshit wastes of time anyway at this point because "the road to wrestlemania doesn't start until January"
Its amazing to me that Vince has gotten away with running the WWF/E his way for so long. If you those stories about any other industry or sport the public outrage would be through the roof. It some ways the almost "outlaw" or "underground" nature of wrestling adds a lot of allure and mystique to its history but it's also made for some really dangerous conditions for its performers.
ReplyDeleteEh, entertainment in general is like this, just the difference is few other industries have had one person stay on top for so long. Maybe somebody like Lorne Michaels compares? Not the same list of shattered lives but stories of over working, crazy hours, and Farley and Belushi
ReplyDeleteThe SNL guys do work crazy hours but they don't have to travel (unless a particular cast member is making a movie) and they get an off season. And they aren't taking bumps and jumping around every night.
ReplyDeleteThis "Vince treats people like a circus animal" stuff stuff is so over the top. Sure he does things in the best interest of his company (independent contractor, etc.) But I've NEVER heard of him stiffing people on payouts, he's paid for rehabs numerous times for people like Sunny and Hall, and has had a virtual monopoly for over 10 years and with no incentive to increase wrestlers pay...yes guys are making slightly more if not a lot more then a decade ago.
ReplyDeleteI don't get 3 months of the year off. Fuck 'em.
ReplyDeleteTheres dozens and dozens of stories of Vince forcing guys to work hurt or burying guys who need time off. You hear that stuff from guys in the early and today. Get your ass out there and perform seems to be his motto. Vince is fucking ruthless and a crazy hard worker who doesn't stop. That doesn't always work well for normal people without Vince's probably pathological drive.
ReplyDeleteBut they're not married women.
ReplyDeleteAnd everybody should get three months off a year.
ReplyDeleteJUST going by dates, most guys work 250 dates or so, on the high end. That's pretty much in line with what people with regular M-F jobs work.
Sure it's a more physically demanding.
That came off a bit angrier than I meant. I understand they have a demanding jo, but so do lots of other professionals... and they wouldn't get 3 months of the year off. They know what they signed up for and this is part of it. As for it freshening things up... I guess you could cycle them in and out... but that probably won't work either... what if someone is just starting to get hot and their cycle is up? I just don't see any way this will ever work.
ReplyDelete...I'm still thinking most of Dolph's de-push was daring to be concussed right after winning the belt. Divas show be damned
ReplyDeleteYou must have just taken your economy or sociology classes. Might sound like a good node an in theory...NEVER works in practice
ReplyDeleteIs disqus eating comments, or am I in the spam filter again?
ReplyDeleteJust Just do what I did nerds...walkout and proceed to let the internet fans defend you.
ReplyDeleteNM they are just taking a while to appear or some shit
ReplyDeleteIt's like that in most sports. You see guys lose their spot due to injury or get sent back into a game despite being hurt all the time. Sports in general are trying to get away from this, but the problem still comes down to the athletes/performers themselves know missing time = losing money (potential and/or actual) so they fight against the very measures in place to safeguard them.
ReplyDeleteI often feel like Bart Simpson in that episode where he gets famous for some catchphrase he says and that is all people want to hear from him.
ReplyDeleteI think they're more like sports players than people with jobs though. And sports have an offseason for lots of reasons. I just don't think the guys would want to do it because they'd probably make less money. Also what if you have some young mid card guy who's just getting over with something, and then all of a sudden he has to go take a mandatory 12 weeks off and count on wwe creative to bring him back in hot? I say they should have some kind of legitimate choice of taking a break or not.
ReplyDeleteIts been acting crazy for me all day
ReplyDeleteYea. Just going by dates...If you work a regular M-F, that's about 260 or so days give or take vacation, PTO, etc. Most of the wwe guys are contracted I believed 220-250 dates a year.
ReplyDeleteObviously their jobs are more physically demanding, but that's a different discussion IMO
At least that's within the season of play. They still have an off season to recharge.
ReplyDeleteHow does that even sound like a good idea on theory? I'm mad because jimmy hart has an i8. I need some more fucking cash so I can get one next year.
ReplyDeleteIm not trying to signal out Phredric here but most younger kids in school always like the socialist equal wages idea. It's terrible IMO but I can see where he's coming from to a point
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. I said that on here when he went down and people really disagreed. Bad timing on injuries had fucked up a lot of guys careers when they haven't quite made it yet.
ReplyDeleteEven during minicamps and training camp, these guys go further than the rules dictate (such as contact during non-contact drills). I mean, the NFL has voluntary OTAs, but everyone knows it's in name only. Your ass better be there if you're under contract.
ReplyDeleteWhile banging AJ right?
ReplyDeleteYou just aren't putting enough effort into this 2nd gimmick dude lol! C'mon man you gotta switch back to your real account for this post. Don't kill the kayfabe
ReplyDeleteI guess that's what I was trying to say in my original comment - With the way things are today, and the internet and technology providing more access and information than ever before, the WWE can't hide behind extreme kayfabe. We know when someone is injured, we know if someone is using drugs, we see a tweet of someone's swollen arm, leg, whatever. It's not hidden anymore. What we see on TV is no longer ALL that we see. Vince can no longer shoo a coked out HBK out of the arena. Today, it would hit the internet in minutes on Meltzer or Alvarez's Twitter.
ReplyDeleteIt all boils down to the quality of life for most of these guys. When you spend 300 days on the road, just like a rock star, you can dive into the excess. They've tightened the wellness aspect, but they are still pushing these guys harder than ever. I really thought it was going to change after Benoit died, but the core model didn't. Did they ever stop to think that if they had given Benoit mandatory time off to rest his body and mind and spend time with his family, that perhaps he wouldn't have ended up the way that he did? Of course, we will never know.
So you're saying you didn't do it?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not saying that.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought fucking other peoples wives would become the most over BoD gimmick? This is easily the undertaker gimmick level of success.
ReplyDeleteHa. From my cell...pain in the ass to switch back.and forth
ReplyDelete3 month off cycles have some value. They would keep wrestlers fresher for the crowd and hopefully give them time to heal. Now the problems that could arise. First off, if a wrestler gets injured does that count as their 3 months off? Second, you always have to wrap up their feud before they leave or have a massive injury to write them out. Kinda write yourself into a corner with that. Third, guys who go away tend to get huge face reactions when they return. Everyone can't be a face after being gone for 3 months. That would make for challenges in booking.
ReplyDeleteThe alternative is worse. Unmitigated capitalism has done far more damage, and continues to do damage to the environment, civil rights and the overall well-being of humanity than Communism has.
ReplyDeleteName me one failed communist/socialist state? USSR wasn't Communist. Cuba is A) not doing that bad, and B) most of its problems stem from the economic sanctions from one of the worlds superpowers.
I'm not a Marxist, but that direction is better to the worlds future than this continued Randian/Classical Liberal bullshit.
*watches as joke flies over your head*
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see this for the wrestlers sake but I'd HATE to see what lazy ass crutch wwe creative would think of to explain the absences. You know they would be incapable of coming up with different angles every time, or even sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pain in the ass to keep up a gimmick but you have to put forth the effort. You have to make it work. If you can't you have no right doing a gimmick!
ReplyDeleteThe picture is fucking hilarious every time.
ReplyDeleteI think people are overworked.
ReplyDeleteAnd football players don't play 250 dates a year. And I'd say the abuse wrestlers take is comparable to the abuse football players take.
I don't completely disagree with you. Cant reallu debate sinve ita not the place and im running errands and on my phone but It's hard to quantify the problem and assign direct causation with something like this.
ReplyDeleteI assume we'd start seeing a lot of "you're fired" matches.
ReplyDeleteYou can if you own the table.
ReplyDeleteSo how does he shed this gimmick and switch it up to a Booger Red Taker gimmick? Does he have to start sleeping with husbands? Does he have to get married and have some guy sleep with his wife?
ReplyDeleteBret Hart stopped travelling and interacting with Owen in public when they began feuding on television - now that's putting effort into a gimmick. It's very likely the greatest effort ever put into a gimmick.
ReplyDeleteSomething that might work for this idea would be to still have the guys do TV but take a month without having to do houseshows. It would be easier on their bodies.
ReplyDelete"You wanna 8, 10 fucking hours? You own nothing, you got nothing! Do you want a chivato on every corner looking after you? Watching everything you do, everything you say man? Do you know I eat octopus 3 times a day? I got octopus coming out my fucking ears! I got the fucking Russian shoes my feets coming through. What you want me to stay there and do nothing? Hey I'm no fucking criminal man! I'm no punta or their! I'm Tony Montana, a political prisoner from Cuba! And I want my fucking human rights, NOW!
ReplyDeleteYea. The gimmick isn't good but the avatar kills me
ReplyDeleteI don't go for this stuff because I feel like you're cyber bullying cm punk. Not cool dude, not cool.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Just not feeling very "parallax"today.
ReplyDelete"Does he have to get married and have some guy sleep with his wife?"
ReplyDeleteAlready did that at least once.
Be a Star, asshole!
ReplyDeleteThat would give the "One more match." phrase a whole new meaning.
ReplyDeleteKind of defend you...
ReplyDeleteYou also don't get suplexed, chokeslammed, clothslined, elbow dropped, hit in the head with chair, etc... for a living. You also don't work in a profession where its likely you'll die before the age of 50.
ReplyDeleteIf they need Cena that bad, then just give him a few months where he does nothiing but say "you can't see me" without wrestling.
ReplyDeleteProving causation is very difficult with this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteBut I will simplify my argument.
We have seen what unmitigated capitalism did to our society and environment during the turn of the 20th century and it was an ugly mess.
What Parallax does in his spare time is none of your business, pal.
ReplyDeleteNo. It's like Jaleel White being called Urkel for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteAren't the secondary champs jobbing anyway? Besides heel champs lose by DQ or countout all the time to keep their titles. It would be interesting to see the secondary champ cheat to keep his title by DQ but realize he screwed himself out of a title shot.
ReplyDelete:: Top 5 Fist Bump ::
ReplyDeleteA returning guy could also perform a massive attack on a face and be a returning heel.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what I was saying earlier in the thread. If I were a wrestler and starting to get really hot, there's basically no way I would take time off. You would have to be insane to do that.
ReplyDeleteWhen a wrestler has to take time off you say he's exhausted his amount of chances for the next 30 days and ha to work house shows (kayfabe) in order to get back on RAW/Smackdown and into the title hunt.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Vince can be a total pain in the ass to work for, but I think Farva's point is people always talk about the one extreme (yelling at announcers, wanting wrestlers to work hurt, etc.), without mentioning the stuff like pay for rehab.
ReplyDeleteIn Foley's first book (I think it was his first. How many has he put out now? Six or something?), he asked Terry Funk why a particular wrestler was still employed by the WWF, since he was over the hill. Funk's reply: "Cactus, sometimes Vince just does things to be nice." I'm not sure which wrestler Foley was talking about there.
Obviously, that's just one story, and I'm sure there are a lot of examples of Vince being a dick, too.
You're right. They mail in December anyway so just make it official
ReplyDeleteSame with Fandango. I think he was winning the IC Title before they replaced him and his push with Axel.
ReplyDeleteSame with Fandango, Santino, the Miz, 3MB, etc, etc, etc.
ReplyDeleteI landscape motherfucker, there's a lot of physical and psychological wear and tear!
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I see is for the lower card guys where they don't earn much and taking time off would mean they'd earn even less in which case WWE will have to allow that wrestler to take indy bookings so they'd be able to earn extra money.
ReplyDelete¡Hola amigo!
ReplyDeleteHe was clean shaven for like a minute, I think. Maybe that was before he came back.
ReplyDeleteI understand Ents are a major problem, do you get workers comp if they attack you?
ReplyDeleteWhat if someone steals the table?
ReplyDeleteSheamus was a lot less pseudo-racist and shitty after his return.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting example of Austin in 1997 because he actually had to "take time off" from Summerslam to....well, basically, the rest of his career thanks to his neck injury. He only wrestled in heavily-protected PPV matches from Summerslam to WM14 and virtually never wrestled on TV, to my recollection. Despite not wrestling, however, Austin still just got more and more over and became the biggest star in the business.
ReplyDeleteNow, this was a case where Austin *couldn't* wrestle for health purposes but if you had a regular rotating schedule, you could have guys appear on the TV for interviews and promos while keeping them out of the ring to keep them fresh. (A guy could also record three weeks' of backstage segments to avoid having to travel to RAW all that time.)
Last time someone tried they slipped and broke their nose on the edge. And the Network pretty much bolted the table down, so they're fine.
ReplyDeleteWould the 3 months off be consecutive or staggered? Work 3 months, get a month off . . something like that.
ReplyDeleteThe one big problem with any official time off schedule would be the build up to Wrestlemania. The keys players need to be around to keep the storylines progressing.