Wall Banger/Professional Wrestling/World Wrestling Entertainment: Difference between revisions

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* WWE's treatment of light heavyweights/cruiserweights in general. In the mid-late 90s they decided to get into cruiserweight wrestling to compete with WCW's cruiserweight division, and they brought in Japanese high-flyer Taka Michinoku as the centerpiece. They then never let Taka win any matches aside from occasional Light Heavyweight title defenses, and in fact kept their lightweight wrestlers completely isolated from the rest of the roster - making it clear they had no intentions of pushing any of them or making the division actually matter. So of course it failed to get over. Then in 2001 they did the ''exact same thing''. They decided to reactivate the division and build it around a guy named Essa Rios. And then they never let Rios win any matches. Rios ended up becoming [[The Jannetty]] to his valet Lita. During the InVasion, the title was merged with the WCW Cruiserweight Title. The Cruiserweight Title fared better due to lacking the stigma of being the "afterthought belt", but it went the same way as mentioned above.
* WWE's treatment of light heavyweights/cruiserweights in general. In the mid-late 90s they decided to get into cruiserweight wrestling to compete with WCW's cruiserweight division, and they brought in Japanese high-flyer Taka Michinoku as the centerpiece. They then never let Taka win any matches aside from occasional Light Heavyweight title defenses, and in fact kept their lightweight wrestlers completely isolated from the rest of the roster - making it clear they had no intentions of pushing any of them or making the division actually matter. So of course it failed to get over. Then in 2001 they did the ''exact same thing''. They decided to reactivate the division and build it around a guy named Essa Rios. And then they never let Rios win any matches. Rios ended up becoming [[The Jannetty]] to his valet Lita. During the InVasion, the title was merged with the WCW Cruiserweight Title. The Cruiserweight Title fared better due to lacking the stigma of being the "afterthought belt", but it went the same way as mentioned above.
** The only other notable light heavyweight in the company at the same time as Michinoku was Brian Christopher, and they really had nobody to feud with apart from each other. And Christopher himself was hardly the Cruiserweight-style "high flier" the division truly needed -- he was just a standard American-style heavyweight wrestler, scaled down.
** The only other notable light heavyweight in the company at the same time as Michinoku was Brian Christopher, and they really had nobody to feud with apart from each other. And Christopher himself was hardly the Cruiserweight-style "high flier" the division truly needed -- he was just a standard American-style heavyweight wrestler, scaled down.
* [[Wrestler/Kane|Kane]]'s unmasking.
* [[Kane (wrestling)|Kane]]'s unmasking.
** Not so much the unmasking itself, but the feud with Shane McMahon and the resulting [[Badass Decay]] and [[Character Derailment]]. For about a month after the unmasking, Kane was the most interesting thing in WWE.
** Not so much the unmasking itself, but the feud with Shane McMahon and the resulting [[Badass Decay]] and [[Character Derailment]]. For about a month after the unmasking, Kane was the most interesting thing in WWE.
** The make-up not working filled it with [[Narm]] though.
** The make-up not working filled it with [[Narm]] though.
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**** While Cole and Kaval are good examples, the reason Zack Ryder isn't used is because the vast majority of the casual fans a.k.a. 95% of WWE's fanbase, just can't take him seriously. Smarks are the only ones that want to see a legitimate push out of him, it's really, REALLY hard to see a character like Zack Ryder as anything other than a [[Jobber]], and you can't change the character because that's what made him so popular in the first place.
**** While Cole and Kaval are good examples, the reason Zack Ryder isn't used is because the vast majority of the casual fans a.k.a. 95% of WWE's fanbase, just can't take him seriously. Smarks are the only ones that want to see a legitimate push out of him, it's really, REALLY hard to see a character like Zack Ryder as anything other than a [[Jobber]], and you can't change the character because that's what made him so popular in the first place.
* [[Your Mileage May Vary|Depending on who you talk to]], some will say that one of the few tolerable parts of the "Invasion" storyline was the feud between [[Kurt Angle]] and [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]]. At ''Unforgiven 2001'', Kurt Angle wins a brilliant match with Austin to win his second world championship with the WWE. This title reign only lasted a mere 15 days, however, before he lost the title right back to Austin on RAW, despite the fact that Austin had already been carrying the title a whole six months before Angle's victory. To make matters worse, Angle then proceeded soon afterwards to join Austin in the Alliance.
* [[Your Mileage May Vary|Depending on who you talk to]], some will say that one of the few tolerable parts of the "Invasion" storyline was the feud between [[Kurt Angle]] and [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]]. At ''Unforgiven 2001'', Kurt Angle wins a brilliant match with Austin to win his second world championship with the WWE. This title reign only lasted a mere 15 days, however, before he lost the title right back to Austin on RAW, despite the fact that Austin had already been carrying the title a whole six months before Angle's victory. To make matters worse, Angle then proceeded soon afterwards to join Austin in the Alliance.
* During the Kane/Undertaker 2010 feud 'Taker appeared to have been weakened since [[Wrestler/Kane|Kane]] left him in a comatose-like state earlier in the year. In an effort to fully regain his power he decided to bring back his urn, the urn which is held by none other than [[Paul Bearer]]. Paul, who hadn't been seen or mentioned on WWE programming in over four years, returned on a Smackdown a few weeks before the Kane/Taker rematch for the World Heavyweight title at the "Hell In A Cell". Paul's abrupt return isn't what makes this a wallbanger though. The thing that puts this in the bang-your-head-into-the-nearest-sturdy-surface category is the fact that during his last appearance Bearer was buried in concrete and left for dead by...you guessed it, [[The Undertaker]]! So after no on-screen reconciliation between the two I guess we were supposed to be surprised when Bearer sided with Kane and cost 'Taker the match.
* During the Kane/Undertaker 2010 feud 'Taker appeared to have been weakened since [[Kane (wrestling)|Kane]] left him in a comatose-like state earlier in the year. In an effort to fully regain his power he decided to bring back his urn, the urn which is held by none other than [[Paul Bearer]]. Paul, who hadn't been seen or mentioned on WWE programming in over four years, returned on a Smackdown a few weeks before the Kane/Taker rematch for the World Heavyweight title at the "Hell In A Cell". Paul's abrupt return isn't what makes this a wallbanger though. The thing that puts this in the bang-your-head-into-the-nearest-sturdy-surface category is the fact that during his last appearance Bearer was buried in concrete and left for dead by...you guessed it, [[The Undertaker]]! So after no on-screen reconciliation between the two I guess we were supposed to be surprised when Bearer sided with Kane and cost 'Taker the match.
* [[Your Mileage May Vary|Although some like it or don't mind it]], to some, WWE switching to a PG rating induced plenty of wall-related self-injuries. First, it mostly originated from a political move so Linda McMahon can more easily run for senate in Connecticut. Second, it's very easy to argue that the rating is to the detriment to the show. Why? Because it's very, very difficult to switch something to a rating it was not meant to have. If a Disney movie were to switch ratings with [[Resident Evil]], the resulting programs would almost definitely be considered terrible. A program lowering it's rating is usually much worse than raising it. This puts limitations on the product it wasn't supposed to be held back by and leads to new material that would be considered ridiculous under old circumstances and to some, idiotic under the ''current'' circumstances.
* [[Your Mileage May Vary|Although some like it or don't mind it]], to some, WWE switching to a PG rating induced plenty of wall-related self-injuries. First, it mostly originated from a political move so Linda McMahon can more easily run for senate in Connecticut. Second, it's very easy to argue that the rating is to the detriment to the show. Why? Because it's very, very difficult to switch something to a rating it was not meant to have. If a Disney movie were to switch ratings with [[Resident Evil]], the resulting programs would almost definitely be considered terrible. A program lowering it's rating is usually much worse than raising it. This puts limitations on the product it wasn't supposed to be held back by and leads to new material that would be considered ridiculous under old circumstances and to some, idiotic under the ''current'' circumstances.
** Actually according to 24Wrestling.com WWE's shift to PG was suggested by some wrestlers in the company one of the common names being John Cena exact reason for this reason not being known. Also one thing the Fandom casually and constantly forgets is the fact that WWE originally didn't have the mature or graphic themes people constantly wet their pants over whenever they complain about how WWE shifted from the Attitude era to PG.
** Actually according to 24Wrestling.com WWE's shift to PG was suggested by some wrestlers in the company one of the common names being John Cena exact reason for this reason not being known. Also one thing the Fandom casually and constantly forgets is the fact that WWE originally didn't have the mature or graphic themes people constantly wet their pants over whenever they complain about how WWE shifted from the Attitude era to PG.
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*** He wouldn't be the first guy to undergo an extreme personality shift after a [[Face Heel Turn]]. That part of wrestling isn't exactly logical, but it's still more logical than saying that this is the same Cena as before, that there's absolutely nothing different about him, that he's still the same tough guy he always was...and yet for some reason, he isn't ''demanding'' to throw down with The Rock. The only possible explanation is that Cena has changed, because back when [[Batista]] cost him the title he ''demanded'' a chance to fight Batista, and not wanting revenge on Rocky is completely out of character for Face Cena.
*** He wouldn't be the first guy to undergo an extreme personality shift after a [[Face Heel Turn]]. That part of wrestling isn't exactly logical, but it's still more logical than saying that this is the same Cena as before, that there's absolutely nothing different about him, that he's still the same tough guy he always was...and yet for some reason, he isn't ''demanding'' to throw down with The Rock. The only possible explanation is that Cena has changed, because back when [[Batista]] cost him the title he ''demanded'' a chance to fight Batista, and not wanting revenge on Rocky is completely out of character for Face Cena.
*** Building to a confrontation a year in advance isn't a precedent. Sting vs. Hogan at ''Starrcade '97'' did this and the PPV sold like hotcakes. If you were going to do it these days, Rock vs. Cena would be the way to do it and Wrestlemania 28 in Miami (the Rock's stomping grounds) is a perfect place for it. If WWE actually manages to have the patience to pull it off, this troper salutes them for this kind of long-term booking.
*** Building to a confrontation a year in advance isn't a precedent. Sting vs. Hogan at ''Starrcade '97'' did this and the PPV sold like hotcakes. If you were going to do it these days, Rock vs. Cena would be the way to do it and Wrestlemania 28 in Miami (the Rock's stomping grounds) is a perfect place for it. If WWE actually manages to have the patience to pull it off, this troper salutes them for this kind of long-term booking.
**** True, but that situation was different. In the case of [[Wrestler/Sting|Sting]], he had become demoralized and emo (before it was called emo) over how all of the people he considered friends actually believed that he had joined the nWo and treated him like he was the enemy. Even after it was revealed that the nWo had framed him in order to divide the WCW locker room, Sting was still stuck in his [[Heroic BSOD]] and [[Achilles in His Tent|walked away]]. As 1997 drew on, Sting slowly but surely managed to stop wallowing in self-pity and start thinking about getting revenge. And that led to him terrorizing the nWo for a while, which led to Starrcade. Compare that with Cena and Rocky. It would be one thing if Cena were to react like Sting, to say "You know, half of the WWE Universe hates my guts. I always knew that, but it didn't really register just how much until The Rock cost me the WWE Championship. I heard the cheers when he Rock Bottomed me and Miz pinned me. I've been fighting as hard as I can for a long time to regain that title, to be able to shout 'The Champ Is Here!' one more time. I almost made it, and then I got cheated out of another reign thanks to The Rock. And all of you thought that was the greatest thing ever. Well, I'm not blind. When I feuded with Randy Orton, I heard all of you out there chanting "RKO" just because you wanted to see somebody--anybody--kick my ass. And now that I've been battling Miz, I hear you cheering for him. And when Rocky talks trash to me, when Rocky actually attacks me, you cheer for Rocky. I get the hint, WWE Universe. I see the writing on the wall. I...QUIT!" Followed by Cena walking away, and having vignettes of people in the WWE such as [[Jim Ross]] and [[Jerry Lawler]] and even Randy Orton trying to convince him to come back, with him saying no each time. Until finally, something happened to set Cena's blood boiling and he came charging back to [[Big Damn Heroes|put a stop to something really horrible]], possibly involving a heel Rock. But that's not what we've got. Cena isn't demoralized at all. Neither is Rocky. There's no reason to wait.
**** True, but that situation was different. In the case of [[Sting (wrestling)|Sting]], he had become demoralized and emo (before it was called emo) over how all of the people he considered friends actually believed that he had joined the nWo and treated him like he was the enemy. Even after it was revealed that the nWo had framed him in order to divide the WCW locker room, Sting was still stuck in his [[Heroic BSOD]] and [[Achilles in His Tent|walked away]]. As 1997 drew on, Sting slowly but surely managed to stop wallowing in self-pity and start thinking about getting revenge. And that led to him terrorizing the nWo for a while, which led to Starrcade. Compare that with Cena and Rocky. It would be one thing if Cena were to react like Sting, to say "You know, half of the WWE Universe hates my guts. I always knew that, but it didn't really register just how much until The Rock cost me the WWE Championship. I heard the cheers when he Rock Bottomed me and Miz pinned me. I've been fighting as hard as I can for a long time to regain that title, to be able to shout 'The Champ Is Here!' one more time. I almost made it, and then I got cheated out of another reign thanks to The Rock. And all of you thought that was the greatest thing ever. Well, I'm not blind. When I feuded with Randy Orton, I heard all of you out there chanting "RKO" just because you wanted to see somebody--anybody--kick my ass. And now that I've been battling Miz, I hear you cheering for him. And when Rocky talks trash to me, when Rocky actually attacks me, you cheer for Rocky. I get the hint, WWE Universe. I see the writing on the wall. I...QUIT!" Followed by Cena walking away, and having vignettes of people in the WWE such as [[Jim Ross]] and [[Jerry Lawler]] and even Randy Orton trying to convince him to come back, with him saying no each time. Until finally, something happened to set Cena's blood boiling and he came charging back to [[Big Damn Heroes|put a stop to something really horrible]], possibly involving a heel Rock. But that's not what we've got. Cena isn't demoralized at all. Neither is Rocky. There's no reason to wait.
**** Uh yeah there is. They want their match to be on the biggest stage of all. Wrestlemania. They say so. Repeatedly. Just doing it on a Monday Night Raw wouldn't be enough for them.
**** Uh yeah there is. They want their match to be on the biggest stage of all. Wrestlemania. They say so. Repeatedly. Just doing it on a Monday Night Raw wouldn't be enough for them.
***** But that makes no sense. I mean, it makes sense to not give the match away for free by having it on Raw, but there's no logical reason not to book it for the next PPV. If you're really angry at a guy, so angry that you want to punch him, and you challenge him to a fight, how do you think you would react if he said "Sure I'll fight you, but you'll have to wait a year." And apart from the reasons why this is stupid in-storyline, there are several things that could happen in [[Real Life]] between now and then: Cena could die (this is pro wrestling, after all), Rocky could die (he's out of the business, but he could still get in a car crash or something), Cena could suffer a career-ending injury because of one botched move like what happened to [[Bret Hart]], WWE might lose fans between now and then resulting in fewer PPV buys than if they booked Cena/Rock at "Extreme Rules", etc. The people who want to see Rock vs. Cena won't care what the name of the PPV is. All they'll care about is that they're seeing Rock vs. Cena. That match is going to ''make'' whatever PPV it happens on important. That's how it works: the matches are what make [[Wrestlemania]] important, not the other way around. [[Michael Cole]] vs. [[Jerry Lawler]] was not any more watchable or entertaining because it happened on "the grandest stage of them all".
***** But that makes no sense. I mean, it makes sense to not give the match away for free by having it on Raw, but there's no logical reason not to book it for the next PPV. If you're really angry at a guy, so angry that you want to punch him, and you challenge him to a fight, how do you think you would react if he said "Sure I'll fight you, but you'll have to wait a year." And apart from the reasons why this is stupid in-storyline, there are several things that could happen in [[Real Life]] between now and then: Cena could die (this is pro wrestling, after all), Rocky could die (he's out of the business, but he could still get in a car crash or something), Cena could suffer a career-ending injury because of one botched move like what happened to [[Bret Hart]], WWE might lose fans between now and then resulting in fewer PPV buys than if they booked Cena/Rock at "Extreme Rules", etc. The people who want to see Rock vs. Cena won't care what the name of the PPV is. All they'll care about is that they're seeing Rock vs. Cena. That match is going to ''make'' whatever PPV it happens on important. That's how it works: the matches are what make [[Wrestlemania]] important, not the other way around. [[Michael Cole]] vs. [[Jerry Lawler]] was not any more watchable or entertaining because it happened on "the grandest stage of them all".
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