Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how to fix the "ratings problem". This week's Raw reminded me a lot of 2010 TNA (and many other longtime fans of 2000 WCW) and I even knew back then the April 5, 2010 Impact was enough ass juice that I remember the date. Embarassingly.
But if you ask me the quickest fix it's to see what NXT does that works and copy it..
Granted many will use someone as Ricochet as an example, which NXT kinda did nothing with. It was just "Look! Cool dude who does flippy shit" and he arrived and put on spectacular displays of flippy shit and moved on and it was awesome.
But the best example I can think of, right after WWE just crowned the THREE VERY OVER BABYFACES at Wrestlemania, is the story of Bayley.
People remember how great Bayley vs Sasha at Brooklyn was, but the journey to get there made it special. It was watching years of Bayley growing from the superfan hugging Khali to working at the PC with Sasha Banks getting her feet wet in the early days of NXT, before Sasha listened to the words of Summer Rae, looked herself in the mirror, and remembered who she truly. The Boss. Blinged out bad bitch that'll stomp on your toys just to watch the simpleton in the front row weep. So Bayley sees another newcomer to help her in the battle against team BAE, and that was the newly signed Ashley "Charlotte" Flair... who eventually realized she was literally born into greatness and being a heel and she didn't need to be around this nerdy girl Bayley and her starry-eyed stare as she hopes to make it among all these megastars... she's a damn Flair and she can outwrestle a 10 year veteran in Natalya because she's naturally gifted and Bayley... isn't. Charlotte wins the title.
Bayley keeps the faith going and wants to stand on her own against the heel regime and becomes #1 contender for the third Takeover, and I remember at this time feeling really hopeful that the girl who's fought for her beliefs so long was going to fight for the title finally... She did, and she lost. Clean. The one time I remember really hating a heel for being good at wrestling because screw whatever fight you have, how hard you train and all that "babyface fire" stuff, I'm better than you, bow down to the queen.
Back to square one for Bayley, who as the underconfident person who's trying to believe in her heart she can hang with the big boys and talking to Sami Zayn who was a WHITE HOT BABYFACE at this time, like, Daniel Bryan WM30 levels of over after people were chanting for him every NXT Takeover, and she's looking up to him with starry eyes thinking she too can be a champion, just like him... meanwhile Sasha's coming out from behind the shadows to become #1 contender, while there's another new girl for Bayley to befriend... and the riverdancing idiot known as Becky Lynch seems torn between sides before turning on Bayley and going after Sasha's title. (Around this time, #GiveDivasAChance was happening, and the main roster storyline was "Paige needs a partner to face the Bella Twins, and the rest of the failures in the division like Emma are getting killed in 30 seconds". Nobody cares, because there was no reason for Paige to hate the Bellas, then AJ Lee returned and a Wrestlemania crowd chanted for some MMA fighter with an 0-2 record. Cool)
So here comes Emma back to NXT. Who looks at Bayley and said "eventually you're going to have to stop being nice. Look what happened to me. I thought I could be nice, and be myself too, and look where it got me... back here... on NXT." (Remember that line so, so well. Emo Emma >>>>> all other Emmas). So Bayley, who's still the fangirl sticking to her guns but is getting more and more angry and bitter because she keeps getting turned on. Keeps losing. Questions herself and everything she's done. Sees Charlotte and Sasha with championships after they broke into WWE as her friends, and here she is, being consoled by fucking Emma and having a really awkward match built on their mutual depression.
NXT TV, Bayley speaks to Sami. Looks in the mirror, and gets fired up. Faces Emma again. Beats her. Gets a little confidence going after the losing streak. Goes to Regal's office. Faces Becky Lynch, and gets roughed up for a while and kinda-sorta lucks into a win, but Becky shows her respect after the match. All is well, before it's time for the final boss before...well, the Boss. Bayley vs Charlotte, the girl she just wasn't good enough to beat. Charlotte toys with her, Bayley fights back. Match is even for a while before Charlotte's athleticism just takes over and there's a very natural heat spot, and I still remember seeing Charlotte go to the top rope, get ready for a Natural Selection from the top, and Bayley springing up and Hugplexing her off the ropes onto the mat. One. Two. Three. #1 Contender, beat the girl she couldn't beat, and I jumped up out of my chair that day as a grown ass man watching fucking Bayley.
Sasha at this point was just on fire. Coolest girl in the world, seemed like a star shining so bright you had to squint to look at her. The athleticism, the aggressive in your face promos and just the feeling of this air of superiority we all feel around us at work, at school (especially) and seeing dorky ass Bayley looking up at her was something we could relate to. Snobs vs slobs. I remember posting on here after the contract signing and everything.
Then, the match... But I want stuff like this. I want memories I can remember fondly years down the line like this was. I haven't watched a second of live Raw since Hashtag Give Divas a Chance (partially because of work because I'd love to revisit an old LD)
But if you're speaking for Snow... this is your template.
But if you ask me the quickest fix it's to see what NXT does that works and copy it..
Granted many will use someone as Ricochet as an example, which NXT kinda did nothing with. It was just "Look! Cool dude who does flippy shit" and he arrived and put on spectacular displays of flippy shit and moved on and it was awesome.
But the best example I can think of, right after WWE just crowned the THREE VERY OVER BABYFACES at Wrestlemania, is the story of Bayley.
People remember how great Bayley vs Sasha at Brooklyn was, but the journey to get there made it special. It was watching years of Bayley growing from the superfan hugging Khali to working at the PC with Sasha Banks getting her feet wet in the early days of NXT, before Sasha listened to the words of Summer Rae, looked herself in the mirror, and remembered who she truly. The Boss. Blinged out bad bitch that'll stomp on your toys just to watch the simpleton in the front row weep. So Bayley sees another newcomer to help her in the battle against team BAE, and that was the newly signed Ashley "Charlotte" Flair... who eventually realized she was literally born into greatness and being a heel and she didn't need to be around this nerdy girl Bayley and her starry-eyed stare as she hopes to make it among all these megastars... she's a damn Flair and she can outwrestle a 10 year veteran in Natalya because she's naturally gifted and Bayley... isn't. Charlotte wins the title.
Bayley keeps the faith going and wants to stand on her own against the heel regime and becomes #1 contender for the third Takeover, and I remember at this time feeling really hopeful that the girl who's fought for her beliefs so long was going to fight for the title finally... She did, and she lost. Clean. The one time I remember really hating a heel for being good at wrestling because screw whatever fight you have, how hard you train and all that "babyface fire" stuff, I'm better than you, bow down to the queen.
Back to square one for Bayley, who as the underconfident person who's trying to believe in her heart she can hang with the big boys and talking to Sami Zayn who was a WHITE HOT BABYFACE at this time, like, Daniel Bryan WM30 levels of over after people were chanting for him every NXT Takeover, and she's looking up to him with starry eyes thinking she too can be a champion, just like him... meanwhile Sasha's coming out from behind the shadows to become #1 contender, while there's another new girl for Bayley to befriend... and the riverdancing idiot known as Becky Lynch seems torn between sides before turning on Bayley and going after Sasha's title. (Around this time, #GiveDivasAChance was happening, and the main roster storyline was "Paige needs a partner to face the Bella Twins, and the rest of the failures in the division like Emma are getting killed in 30 seconds". Nobody cares, because there was no reason for Paige to hate the Bellas, then AJ Lee returned and a Wrestlemania crowd chanted for some MMA fighter with an 0-2 record. Cool)
So here comes Emma back to NXT. Who looks at Bayley and said "eventually you're going to have to stop being nice. Look what happened to me. I thought I could be nice, and be myself too, and look where it got me... back here... on NXT." (Remember that line so, so well. Emo Emma >>>>> all other Emmas). So Bayley, who's still the fangirl sticking to her guns but is getting more and more angry and bitter because she keeps getting turned on. Keeps losing. Questions herself and everything she's done. Sees Charlotte and Sasha with championships after they broke into WWE as her friends, and here she is, being consoled by fucking Emma and having a really awkward match built on their mutual depression.
NXT TV, Bayley speaks to Sami. Looks in the mirror, and gets fired up. Faces Emma again. Beats her. Gets a little confidence going after the losing streak. Goes to Regal's office. Faces Becky Lynch, and gets roughed up for a while and kinda-sorta lucks into a win, but Becky shows her respect after the match. All is well, before it's time for the final boss before...well, the Boss. Bayley vs Charlotte, the girl she just wasn't good enough to beat. Charlotte toys with her, Bayley fights back. Match is even for a while before Charlotte's athleticism just takes over and there's a very natural heat spot, and I still remember seeing Charlotte go to the top rope, get ready for a Natural Selection from the top, and Bayley springing up and Hugplexing her off the ropes onto the mat. One. Two. Three. #1 Contender, beat the girl she couldn't beat, and I jumped up out of my chair that day as a grown ass man watching fucking Bayley.
Sasha at this point was just on fire. Coolest girl in the world, seemed like a star shining so bright you had to squint to look at her. The athleticism, the aggressive in your face promos and just the feeling of this air of superiority we all feel around us at work, at school (especially) and seeing dorky ass Bayley looking up at her was something we could relate to. Snobs vs slobs. I remember posting on here after the contract signing and everything.
Then, the match... But I want stuff like this. I want memories I can remember fondly years down the line like this was. I haven't watched a second of live Raw since Hashtag Give Divas a Chance (partially because of work because I'd love to revisit an old LD)
But if you're speaking for Snow... this is your template.
