Gimmick matches vs. PG

[noumenon]

Alright, so I'll skip the whole background and introduction because we all know WWE has gone PG and they've made the shift of making their PPV's mainly gimmick match geared. Now the question is... don't you think this is kind of ass backwards?
Why choose now to flood your PPV market with gimmick matches? Matches that are usually intentioned to be violent and bloody affairs, HIAC, TLC, various extreme rules matches. It just doesn't make sense.
Watching Punk and Rey go out last night made me really think. Shouldn't WWE at this point be more focused on putting on straight up amazing wrestling matches. There is so much great young talent in the company right now. PG does limit promo quality no matter how you dispute it, so why not let some of these guys try to get over with their in ring ability. Instead of dumbed down and half asses gimmick matches where a single drop of blood halts the entire match... why not just focus on the wrestling.
So what do you guys think the reasoning is. Are WWE trying to compensate for their PG rating by throwing bones with gimmick matches? Should they just focus on utilizing the phenomenal wrestling talent they have in the company right now?

 

[hbkfan]

i dont understand why if wwe wants to elimanite blood why do they make matches like last man standing streetfight cage and hell in the cell matches. i mean in matches like those its bound to happen at some point. just let the superstars go in there and have solid matches without having so many gimmick matches. they should save the gimmick matches for special events like wrestlemania summerslam etc.

 

[21403]

Well since most of their fanbase are kids now, kids are looking for the shock factor. So I would go for the gimmick matches.

 

[FabulousRougeauBrother]

Well when you have Batista vs. John Cena as your main event for a quarter of a year you gotta change it up some how.

That, and a lot of the WWE roster isn't talented and/or interesting enough to keep people's attention in a normal encounter.

The stopping the matches because of blood grinded Over the Limit to a screeching halt last night. I did like the "BORING! BORING!" chant from the crowd, though.

 

[xtremebadass]

They really did kick themselves in the nuts here. HIAC, Chambers, and Extreme Rules matches are all made to be brutal, bloody matches. That is what SELLS THOSE MATCHES. It does appear quite idiotic that WWE expects to sell those matches to their full potential without using blood, chair shots to the head, etc.

 

[21403]

They really did kick themselves in the nuts here. HIAC, Chambers, and Extreme Rules matches are all made to be brutal, bloody matches. That is what SELLS THOSE MATCHES. It does appear quite idiotic that WWE expects to sell those matches to their full potential without using blood, chair shots to the head, etc.

Like I said, the generic shock factor. To wrestling fans like us, no blood and chair shots are problems to us. But the majority of people attending WWE shows are kids and casual wrestling fans. If you say Hell In a Cell, chances are that they will pay to see it.

 

[JurassicBonez]

Well when you have Batista vs. John Cena as your main event for a quarter of a year you gotta change it up some how.

That, and a lot of the WWE roster isn't talented and/or interesting enough to keep people's attention in a normal encounter.

Agreed.

When you have people feuding and being in multiple matches, they'll lose interest if it's just straight up standard match. Feuds get boring now having gimmick matches and stuff in them. Imagine how it'd be with out them.

 

[xtremebadass]

This maybe just me talking, but does everyone else miss the days of the shocking announcement of these gimmick matches? I remember Austin coming out on Raw and announcing the 2003 Chamber match, I was freaking out! Same with Bischoff announcing the HBK/HHH HIAC.

Now-a-days you know when those matches are coming, it really ruins the aura of the matches.

 

[21403]

This maybe just me talking, but does everyone else miss the days of the shocking announcement of these gimmick matches? I remember Austin coming out on Raw and announcing the 2003 Chamber match, I was freaking out! Same with Bischoff announcing the HBK/HHH HIAC.

Now-a-days you know when those matches are coming, it really ruins the aura of the matches.

Yes it does kill the vibe, especially when the name of the PPV is the gimmick match, and it comes around the same time every year.

 

[TheAnswer]

I used to like the shock factor and I have been against these PPVs for a long time.

I dont like that Smackdown and Raw both have the same match types as well because I think that also hurts the "aura" of the gimmick.

I think Vince is just trying to change the flow of what wrestling was when we were growing up, he seems to want everything structured and layed out for the fans to know whats coming and when its coming.

Side Note: The blood thing is getting more and more ridicoulous everytime someone gets cut. If Vince doesn't want wrestlers to blade during matches, fine. But if someone gets cut by accident there should not be a stopage to the match, just keep going through the match and maybe edit it out on TV for Smackdown, but for Raw/PPVs just let them finish the match, a few drops of blood is nothing that kids dont see on Saturday morning cartoons or any sporting event the could watch.

 

[Lady Redfield]

Last night's PPV showed how much people can't stand this no blood shit, when hey started yelling THIS IS BORING during Punk and Mysterio's match. It's Blue to stop a match and waste time cleaning up the wrestlers. It's fucking WRESTLING, I don't give a shit how fake it is, they will still bleed sometimes, so just let it go. It kills the match when the guys are going at it and then the momentum stops because someone is bleeding so they have to stop the match and clean it up.

 

[chessarmy]

Gimmick PPVs suffer with the PG rating, unfortunately certain elements (blood, certain dangerous spots, etc...) must be sacrificed to maintain a family friendly on screen product and it makes the matches come off as bland, half assed, and just not the same as what we've seen in the past. If WWE wants to do a PG rating, they should at least make the PPVs TV-14, while keeping the actual TV shows PG

 

[kingovkings]

Last night's PPV showed how much people can't stand this no blood shit, when hey started yelling THIS IS BORING during Punk and Mysterio's match. It's Blue to stop a match and waste time cleaning up the wrestlers. It's fucking WRESTLING, I don't give a shit how fake it is, they will still bleed sometimes, so just let it go. It kills the match when the guys are going at it and then the momentum stops because someone is bleeding so they have to stop the match and clean it up.

THIS ^^^ And Punk seemed totally pissed off about the match been stopped. It really is fucking lame that they stop the matches for a bit of blood.

The match getting stopped to clean up wrestlers really pisses me off.

It really stopped the momentum of the match big time in the Punk/Rey match the other night.

 

[maty619]

^I just about to suggest making the PPVs for an older audience whilst keeping Raw/Smackdown/NXT PG, but then I read the rest of your post :'(. :shakehead: The gimmick PPVs would have been bad enough in the Atitude Era but with PG haunting the WWE at the moment it is even worse, what with the no blood or chairshots to the head.

 

[Airfixx]

Look no further than Edge v Cena LMS @ Backlash 2009 for a perfectly AWESOME gimmick match that didn't end up a bloodfest and was no worse for off for it.

So, whilst I have no idea what they're playing at with all this stopping the match for a cut bullshit (***), no; I'll stand by my opinion that the prodcut can function perfectly well without blood (and profanity).

(***I mean, WDF... Is it a work? ...Do they genuinely feel they need to check the guys at the first sign of blood?),

The lack of blood & violence does mean however that the so-called creative department needs to up their game in terms of angles, stroylines, swerves and finishes... Whether the intention was there or not, they haven't succeeded. Furthermore, the influx of gimmick PPVs simply further stifles the creative potential of the product, because they mean the year is all but mapped out so the fueds have to concur to whatever the WWE PPV calendar dictates rather than simply booking what makes sense during the individual fueds.