HHH on scripted television and WWE characters

[Jose Tortilla]

Take, for instance, current WWE world heavyweight champion Sheamus. Bullied as a kid, Sheamus learned to be tough to survive. But fans are as charmed by his spiky red hair, Irish accent and trademark pasty white skin as they are wowed by his finishing moves.

“When I first tried to get noticed by the WWE, I shaved my red hair and sprayed on fake tanner,” said Sheamus, who is from Dublin. “But when I got here I realized I have something different in the pale pasty skin and under the lights, I look even whiter. Mattel had to come up with a special shade of white for the action figure. Being in the ring, I’m not afraid to be who I really am.”

Other wrestlers, however, are nothing like their on-stage characters, said Levesque.
“The Rock is the Rock. I’ve known Dwayne since he got into the business and that same charisma that you see in the ring is the same guy you see in movies is the same guy he really is,” said Levesque. “And we’ve got some characters that if you put their personality on air, people would go to sleep. They are the most plain, ho-hum guys you would ever meet. You have to give them something.”

For instance?

“Believe it or not, Kane,” said Levesque. “He’s this Freddy Krueger, psychotic character but if you met the guy who plays Kane, he’s a very nice dude. He’s very politically savvy and he’s a speed reader. He is so the opposite of what he appears in the ring.”

Levesque and WWE’s team of writers insert these characters into heated feuds and scorching romances. In fact, Levesque married his on-stage sweetheart Stephanie McMahon, daughter of WWE chairman Vince McMahon. The couple now have three daughters.

“We control the story lines but we follow the fans. The guy is whoever the fans get behind,” said Levesque. “The beauty of what we do is every night somewhere in the world we have a group touring and those fans in the crowd are our focus group. They tell us what they like and what they don’t like.”
If Levesque sounds more like a TV showrunner than a sports executive, that’s because he is one. He stands behind the WWE’s 2008 decision to make “Raw” PG television. That meant no more chair shots to the head or profane trash talking. Hard-core fans still grouse, but the show’s growing base of family viewers applauds change.

Fan Kerry Wandro watches “Raw” with his teenage son and young nephews and appreciates the family-friendly approach.
“I don’t want the kids to have to ask, ‘Why did he grab his crotch’ or ‘Why did he make him bleed,’” said Wandro of Red Bud, Ill. “It’s still a lot of fun. It’s the soap opera aspect that makes it great.”

The move also has improved WWE’s public image. Critics have always derided wrestling as barbaric, but the steroid scandals of the 1990s and the murder-suicide of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit threatened the future of the publicly traded business. Levesque says he compares a PG “Raw” to a clean stand-up routine.
“There are comics who can be great and never use a bad word,” said Levesque. “I never have had a fan come up and say to me, ‘Ah man, my all-time favorite moment in “Raw” was when this guy used this dirty word.’ What they remember are the story lines. The movies that do the biggest box office aren’t the ones with the most blood and swearing.”

But do not be confused. The pain is real.
“A word we hear a lot and that we dislike is ‘fake.’ ‘Oh, the WWE is fake.’ But let me tell you, it’s physical and it’s hard,” said Levesque. “If a 300-pound guy jumps on you from five feet up, does it hurt any less if you know it’s coming?”

-PWMania/STLToday

Good read, interesting.

 

[Rysenberg]

That was an interesting read actually. I think WWE will be a better place with him in charge.

Question though: If you are meant to be pushing whoever is over, why is Daniel Bryan not the WWE champion?

Oh and on a side note that fan's statement makes me want to hit my head repeatedly off a wall.

 

[Jose Tortilla]

That was an interesting read actually. I think WWE will be a better place with him in charge.

Question though: If you are meant to be pushing whoever is over, why is Daniel Bryan not the WWE champion?

Oh and on a side note that fan's statement makes me want to hit my head repeatedly off a wall.

WWE's creative is jelly on faces, because they will get the fans to the shows.
Faces as champs will be safe for them.

 

[Lacky]

Thanks for sharing that with us Jose, seems like a good read, I think once Triple H gains control (Which I think will happen) WWE is going to change for the better, In his interviews, and in rumors on the net, it seems he's implementing his own changes which sound very good for the company.

 

[Stopspot]

Then why ain't Ryder Us champ or A-Ry IC champ :haha: Good read, read it earlier but never posted it.

 

[Jose Tortilla]

In time. In time. Changes will come, for everyone.

 

[Matt]

omg pg sucks

 

[Crayo]

Then why ain't Ryder Us champ or A-Ry IC champ :haha: Good read, read it earlier but never posted it.

Lol this.

They listen to the fans when it suits them too. If they listened to the fans we wouldn't have Tensai, over pushed ADR, Big Show and the like.

 

[Stopspot]

Lol this.

They listen to the fans when it suits them too. If they listened to the fans we wouldn't have Tensai, over pushed ADR, Big Show and the like.

This noob clearly missed the sarcasm/joke.

 

[Donald Trump_]

is not a nice person

 

[Crayo]

This noob clearly missed the sarcasm/joke.

You high? I said "this". Noob.

 

[Stopspot]

You high? I said "this". Noob.

...........Yes......

 

[Leo C]

Nice read. Listening to the fans is sort of vague since we have guys being pushed when they shouldn't but it happens somewhat. I'm sure there are a few guys who would benefit from having a gimmick more similar to their persona.

 

[mark_htfc]

Interesting read this, the one thing I slightly disagree with though is the PG Era, personally I thought the Attitude Era was brilliant and today's PG era isn't a patch on what it used to be, they say it's to make it more family friendly but when I was a kid, and I probably speak for most here our parents wasn't bothered about use watching it during that era.

Is just today's world with everything takes everything way way out of proportion.

 

[shrayan]

What about the politics in the wwe that remains silent in every interview