Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

[PVarck31]

A 4.1. Highest rating since February 27th, 2007. More details here. http://www.wrestlezone.com/article/m...tatement-59087

[PVarck31]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

A 4.1. Highest rating since February 27th, 2007. More details here. http://www.wrestlezone.com/article/m...tatement-59087

Makes me wonder. Is the golden age of pro wrestling returning? Whoops, I didn't mean to quote myself there. lol. Could this be because or Orton? Is he that big a draw?

[DXZeke]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Makes me wonder. Is the golden age of pro wrestling returning? Whoops, I didn't mean to quote myself there. lol. Could this be because or Orton? Is he that big a draw?

I think it's just the overall show.

A lot of guys are kicking on high gear now.

[TimmeH]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Far from the golden age. It's Wrestlemania time, and the WWE is actually making people want to watch. The big draws are there like Cena, the Orton-McMahon sage has been intrigued, everyone wanted to know what was going to happen with the title picture after the No Way Out shakeup, etc.

They're getting rewarded for good TV.

[RedheadKingpin]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

A 4.1. Highest rating since February 27th, 2007. More details here. http://www.wrestlezone.com/article/m...tatement-59087

Didn't seem like that long ago when that type of rating was a disappointment for WWE.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Wrestling will never return to the golden age because they ruined the product. The last time it was popular was during the Monday night wars and that rivalry did make it fun to watch but a byproduct was an oversaturation of pay per views and the need to have "A" type matches every week taking away the "must see" attraction of a pay per view. In the 80's and early 90's they built up a feud over months at a time and wouldn't have the payoff until one of the 4 major pay per views which enhanced the anticipation. As well the the constant admission that it is choereographed took away more of the suspense.

What they need to do now is go back to the way it was 20 years ago. Have stars fight jobbers 90% of the time on Raw and go back to having quarterly pay per views with the big 4 shows. Short term the WWE will takes it's lumps ratings wise but there really is no great competition to hurt them so they can take the chance. In the long run when when you build up these feuds they'll get alot more buys with PPV's because Wrestlemania and Summerslam will feel much more special and end up making more money then putting on cheezy PPV's every month with the same matches you see on Raw.

[Streets]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Wrestling will never return to the golden age because they ruined the product. The last time it was popular was during the Monday night wars and that rivalry did make it fun to watch but a byproduct was an oversaturation of pay per views and the need to have "A" type matches every week taking away the "must see" attraction of a pay per view. In the 80's and early 90's they built up a feud over months at a time and wouldn't have the payoff until one of the 4 major pay per views which enhanced the anticipation. As well the the constant admission that it is choereographed took away more of the suspense.

What they need to do now is go back to the way it was 20 years ago. Have stars fight jobbers 90% of the time on Raw and go back to having quarterly pay per views with the big 4 shows. Short term the WWE will takes it's lumps ratings wise but there really is no great competition to hurt them so they can take the chance. In the long run when when you build up these feuds they'll get alot more buys with PPV's because Wrestlemania and Summerslam will feel much more special and end up making more money then putting on cheezy PPV's every month with the same matches you see on Raw.

Noone wants to watch Raw and SD to see jobbers beaten up by stars every week. People's attention spans have changed since the 80's and that concept is dated.

What needs to happen is Vince needs to loosen the reigns a little bit. What made the WWE so successful at it's pinnacle is that people were willing to push the envelope. DX, The Nation, Austin, The Rock, McMahon, etc. they were all edgy, and the entertainment value appealed to people.

The perfect example of this is John Cena. He is one of four young people I looked at and said "he'll be a main eventer soon" (Kurt Angle, Orton, and MVP being the others). I was right about Cena, but I NEVER would have predicted he'd do it like this. Youtube some of his old freestyles. The guy was very edgy, saying things that there's no way would get on TV today. He'd put his mic up and let the crowd finish his lyrics, having an arena full of people cursing in unison. The guy is crazy charismatic and is great as both a face and a heel. I thought he was going to lead the next attitude era (his raps, creating his own spinner belt, his rap CD), but instead they totally phased "The Dr. of Thuganomics" character out.

He could have been the next Austin, but instead they tried turning him into the next Hogan. I remember Vince declaring that the attitude era was about shades of grey, real people rather than black and white good and bad guys. That's what Cena/Austin were. But now, I think Vince is more scared to take risks due to bad publicity. He has no competing force so he can play it safe rather than take risks and push the envelope.

Look at Orton as another example of this. The edgier he gets, the more people are interested, and we end up getting a rise in the numbers. Now imagine if every wrestler was as edgy as Orton, and this was going on for years. That's how it was in the attitude era.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Noone wants to watch Raw and SD to see jobbers beaten up by stars every week. People's attention spans have changed since the 80's and that concept is dated.

What needs to happen is Vince needs to loosen the reigns a little bit. What made the WWE so successful at it's pinnacle is that people were willing to push the envelope. DX, The Nation, Austin, The Rock, McMahon, etc. they were all edgy, and the entertainment value appealed to people.

The perfect example of this is John Cena. He is one of four young people I looked at and said "he'll be a main eventer soon" (Kurt Angle, Orton, and MVP being the others). I was right about Cena, but I NEVER would have predicted he'd do it like this. Youtube some of his old freestyles. The guy was very edgy, saying things that there's no way would get on TV today. He'd put his mic up and let the crowd finish his lyrics, having an arena full of people cursing in unison. The guys is crazy charismatic and is great as both a face and a heel. I thought he was going to lead the next attitude era (his raps, creating his own spinner belt, his rap CD), but instead they totally phased "The Dr. of Thuganomics" character out.

He could have been the next Austin, but instead they tried turning him into the next Hogan. I remember Vince declaring that the attitude era was about shades of grey, real people rather than black and white good and bad guys. That's what Cena/Austin were. But now, I think Vince is more scared to take risks due to bad publicity. He has no competing force so he can play it safe rather than take risks and push the envelope.

Look at Orton as another example of this. The edgier he gets, the more people are interested, and we end up getting a rise in the numbers. Now imagine if every wrestler was as edgy as Orton, and this was going on for years. That's how it was in the attitude era.

It's not so much the product has to be edgy, but they needed a better balance with their characters. Cena is cool for the kids, women and drunk lifers like myself, but there wasn't anyone "new" who connected with the older crowd for whatever reason.

They tried the anti-Cena with Batista, but he wasn't a good enough talker for that. It's not that the anti-Cena has to be a heel, just something different from him with as much presence. I talk about how the product is aimed at kids, which it is, but the individual wrestlers themselves have to be targeted at a certain demo, too.

With Cena it was kind of like they went backwards with his character. Not that it got worse, because it's fine for what it is. They got the older people first, then went for the kids. Compared to the Attitude Era where they got the kids into it a few years before and kept them as they got older.

They might've taken it too far for some with trying to get the kids, but that's how it's done after every boom perioid ends. It was just that balance they were missing. I'm not even really disagreeing with you, just semantics AFAIC.

And a big LOL at anyone suggesting a return to the '80s-early '90s business model.

[johnny4LSU]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

no monday night football this type of year , not much to choose from at this moment on monday nights LOL nah seriously tho i watched it and i think alot of people like seeing shane mcmahon in the ring ,, him not being a wrestler sure can work.. i like watching him

[DTX3]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

Rated-RKO = ratings.

[goh]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

I'd say it's more due to Edge winning and people wondering if Raw stilll had a champ.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

How does Smackdown ratings look on Fridays?

Was always interested in what they were.

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

I think it's the combo of the McMahons being more present (build up), Edge sneaking the title, and the hints a HHH popping in.

[TimmeH]

Re: Raw scores a huge rating Monday.

How does Smackdown ratings look on Fridays?

Was always interested in what they were.

I'm pretty sure they're in the 2.5-3.0 range. Nothing spectacular, but good for MyNetworkTV