Unpopular Wrestling Opinions

[Machinehead]

If you want another hot take jumping off of that...

Look at some of the worst drawing champions in WWE history: Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Seth Rollins.

These guys are all great and fairly grounded professional wrestlers.

Professional wrestling just doesn't appeal to most people.

Most of the people familiar with wrestling outside of the bubble of hardcore fans are familiar with Hogan's iconic moments or Stone Cold's shenanigans, and they tuned out shortly thereafter.

I can't tell you how many people find out I'm a wrestling fan and start reminiscing about early Undertaker (and Kane) back when they were cartoon characters. They weren't around for Taker's best work from 2005-2013 when he was presented as an athlete with a winning streak instead of a zombie.

The vast majority of fans are in it for silliness and the shocks and couldn't give a toss about working.

 

[JackSlater]

If you want another hot take jumping off of that...

Look at some of the worst drawing champions in WWE history: Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Seth Rollins.

These guys are all great and fairly grounded professional wrestlers.

Professional wrestling just doesn't appeal to most people.

Most of the people familiar with wrestling outside of the bubble of hardcore fans are familiar with Hogan's iconic moments or Stone Cold's shenanigans, and they tuned out shortly thereafter.

I can't tell you how many people find out I'm a wrestling fan and start reminiscing about early Undertaker (and Kane) back when they were cartoon characters. They weren't around for Taker's best work from 2005-2013 when he was presented as an athlete with a winning streak instead of a zombie.

The vast majority of fans are in it for silliness and the shocks and couldn't give a toss about working.

I'd say that's in line with most entertainment. Fun spectacles bring in more money than the artfully crafted experiences do at the movie theatre or on TV.

 

[Machinehead]

Jericho hasn't done good work for AEW going on two years and his new gimmick is change-the-channel bad.

He's surviving on the most over entrance in the business, possibly ever.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I learned tonight that this might be unpopular and since I really don't post in this forum very much, I don't know if it's been mentioned or not.

I don't like Pat McAfee and think he brings Cole down. I get he's one of the biggest names in sports talk right now, but listening to some of his show, it's that Morning Zoo Radio that turns me off. He reminds me of why I didn't like Howard Stern in the 90s and early 2000s.

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

I learned tonight that this might be unpopular and since I really don't post in this forum very much, I don't know if it's been mentioned or not.

I don't like Pat McAfee and think he brings Cole down. I get he's one of the biggest names in sports talk right now, but listening to some of his show, it's that Morning Zoo Radio that turns me off. He reminds me of why I didn't like Howard Stern in the 90s and early 2000s.

I hate mcafee on commentary

 

[JackSlater]

Jericho hasn't done good work for AEW going on two years and his new gimmick is change-the-channel bad.

He's surviving on the most over entrance in the business, possibly ever.

I'd say that's fair. I wouldn't expect all that much from a 50 year old who likes to... indulge. I will add this likely unpopular opinion - the entrance has been a negative for Jericho. Not an appropriate heel entrance even though (and honestly, because) the fans really enjoy it.

 

[Ezpz]

I don't think CM Punk is particularly good and I don't think he's on the same tier as a wrestler as the other ROH guys from his era. He was always character-first and can't think of a good match he wasn't working with an all-time great in. He's not a Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart of his era, he's a DDP or Booker T, good with the right partner. He's a real-life asshole who wants to be a good guy. Face Punk doesn't work in the slightest if you know anything about his relationships with others. His arrival in AEW basically waned my interest in the promotion.

Also he didn't denounce the Blackhawks during the entire scandal, voice of the voiceless indeed.

On top of that CM Punk doesn't bring anything AEW doesn't already have. The loss of Cody will be bigger for them than people think. Cody was basically the bridge between casuals and hardcore fans to get into AEW. Too soon people forget Cody was the most over guy on the roster for the first two years.

Pairing Moxley and Bryan with Regal, while canonically is cool, is also a waste of their drawing ability and is going to make them look second-rate to new or WWE fans tuning in. It'll be the same way I looked at Ric Flair feuding with Eric Bischoff and Buff Bagwell in the 90's in WCW.

In general I feel AEW are overplaying their hand a ton and aren't doing anything to grow their audience, just pandering to the same million who keep watching.

 

[Duddy]

I mean there are unpopular and bad takes.

In no world is Cody > Punk. I mean of course WWE fans are over the moon to have cody back for some weird reason. But he is not as good a wrestler, talker or draw as CM Punk. Punk > Cody and it's not even close.

Oh and you should check the data and see that AEW has a year to year growth in viewers. But why let facts get in the way.

 

[Megahab]

I can't stand when fans say "the business" instead of just "wrestling".

 

[JackSlater]

I don't think CM Punk is particularly good and I don't think he's on the same tier as a wrestler as the other ROH guys from his era. He was always character-first and can't think of a good match he wasn't working with an all-time great in. He's not a Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart of his era, he's a DDP or Booker T, good with the right partner. He's a real-life asshole who wants to be a good guy. Face Punk doesn't work in the slightest if you know anything about his relationships with others. His arrival in AEW basically waned my interest in the promotion.

Also he didn't denounce the Blackhawks during the entire scandal, voice of the voiceless indeed.

On top of that CM Punk doesn't bring anything AEW doesn't already have. The loss of Cody will be bigger for them than people think. Cody was basically the bridge between casuals and hardcore fans to get into AEW. Too soon people forget Cody was the most over guy on the roster for the first two years.

Pairing Moxley and Bryan with Regal, while canonically is cool, is also a waste of their drawing ability and is going to make them look second-rate to new or WWE fans tuning in. It'll be the same way I looked at Ric Flair feuding with Eric Bischoff and Buff Bagwell in the 90's in WCW.

In general I feel AEW are overplaying their hand a ton and aren't doing anything to grow their audience, just pandering to the same million who keep watching.

I agree for the most part, though I think that you're underselling Punk's abilities. He's clearly not on the Michaels or Hart level, particularly in the ring, but I don't think anyone ever considered him on their level in-ring. He's an all time great promo when he's on and an all time great wrestling character.

I agree that face Punk falls flat, putting Danielson in a tag team is a waste (I don't think what happens with Moxley matters, which is a different unpopular opinion) and that AEW more or less just tries to keep the same people, stereotypical online wrestling fans, popped. I do not think that Rhodes leaving will impact AEW much even though he did bring a different element.

 

[JackSlater]

I can't stand when fans say "the business" instead of just "wrestling".

Agreed, we all use random wrestling terms sometimes but that one annoys me too. I can almost hear HHH's voice in my head when I hear or read it. I dislike the general trend of wrestling fans discussing wrestling as though they are financially invested in it.

 

[Megahab]

Agreed, we all use random wrestling terms sometimes but that one annoys me too. I can almost hear HHH's voice in my head when I hear or read it. I dislike the general trend of wrestling fans discussing wrestling as though they are financially invested in it.

Yeah you really shouldn't use it if you're not in "the business".

I also don't get why people care about ratings so much. Like some fans will want certain things to happen on the show because it'll be good for ratings instead of it actually being enjoyable for themselves. Someone on this forum said they should announce CM Punk's (or maybe Bryan Danielson's) debut ahead of time because it'll be good for ratings.

 

[JackSlater]

Yeah you really shouldn't use it if you're not in "the business".

I also don't get why people care about ratings so much. Like some fans will want certain things to happen on the show because it'll be good for ratings instead of it actually being enjoyable for themselves. Someone on this forum said they should announce CM Punk's (or maybe Bryan Danielson's) debut ahead of time because it'll be good for ratings.

That's a good example of it. Unless you are a financial stakeholder.... why root against the thing that makes for a better product? Wrestling fans are desperate to appear as insiders in a way that you don't see in other forms of entertainment for whatever reason. People will bring up drawing when discussing how good a wrestler is with a straight face. Imagine discussing the quality actors or athletes by busting out box office receipts and ratings.

 

[sabremike]

That's a good example of it. Unless you are a financial stakeholder.... why root against the thing that makes for a better product? Wrestling fans are desperate to appear as insiders in a way that you don't see in other forms of entertainment for whatever reason. People will bring up drawing when discussing how good a wrestler is with a straight face. Imagine discussing the quality actors or athletes by busting out box office receipts and ratings.

How would you be able to continue enjoying a product that gets yanked off the air for bad ratings and goes bankrupt and out of business?

 

[JackSlater]

How would you be able to continue enjoying a product that gets yanked off the air for bad ratings and goes bankrupt and out of business?

What a bizarre response. Probably the same way I can enjoy movies and sports without worrying about how very minor things will affect the bottom line of companies that I do not have a financial stake in. But as said, many online wrestling fans have become accustomed to pretending to be insiders or stakeholders rather than what they actually are.

 

[Megahab]

How would you be able to continue enjoying a product that gets yanked off the air for bad ratings and goes bankrupt and out of business?

If WWE gets to those extremes, I'll understand those takes. But it's not happening in our lifetime.

 

[GKJ]

WWE ain’t coming off the air anytime in the next 30 years unless something happens so horribly profound we wouldn’t want to speak it into existence.

 

[Megahab]

I can understand fans being interested in the ratings in terms of looking it up and see who's doing better just out of interest. I do that sometimes with TV shows and movies. But I don't understand hoping for something to happen on the show because it'll increase ratings rather than what makes a better show.

I think I'm being repetitive but it's a pet peeve of mine. Too many IWC fans do this.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't know how unpopular this actually is so I'm interested in getting a feel for it.

I hate two-night Mania. I'll never like it.

That's just my personal taste and I see the argument for it, it's just to me, it loses a lot of pomposity being two nights.

It's THE event. It can't be THE event if it's two events.

 

[JackSlater]

I don't know how unpopular this actually is so I'm interested in getting a feel for it.

I hate two-night Mania. I'll never like it.

That's just my personal taste and I see the argument for it, it's just to me, it loses a lot of pomposity being two nights.

It's THE event. It can't be THE event if it's two events.

I believe most would agree. I certainly agree. New Japan does a better job balancing it than WWE does but one big show is still better than two lesser shows.

 

[Megahab]

I don't know how unpopular this actually is so I'm interested in getting a feel for it.

I hate two-night Mania. I'll never like it.

That's just my personal taste and I see the argument for it, it's just to me, it loses a lot of pomposity being two nights.

It's THE event. It can't be THE event if it's two events.

Agreed. Two nights is a chore no matter how good the show is and also makes it feel less special. I was disappointed to find out they're sticking with two nights next year. I used to have Mania get togethers at my house but I can't do that with a 2 night event.

 

[GKJ]

2 nights is way easier to watch. I was able to go out Saturday and stay home Sunday as my friend was only able to do one night and Saturday was easier. And we were glad since Saturday was the better show. And I was glad I didn't have to drive home at 12:30 on a Sunday night.

 

[Sheppy]

I don't know how unpopular this actually is so I'm interested in getting a feel for it.

I hate two-night Mania. I'll never like it.

That's just my personal taste and I see the argument for it, it's just to me, it loses a lot of pomposity being two nights.

It's THE event. It can't be THE event if it's two events.

This is essentially my take as well. I felt come Monday the fans were gassed as hell...

When I went to WM in New Orleans back for WM30 it was legit perfect. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and it wasn't over-kill. Saturday was chill at the HOF, Sunday was Wrestlemania and Monday was RAW.

It just feels weak having two nights for Wrestlemania, especially when you factor in that half of the matches were borderline RAW/Smackdown matches. This whole "everyone deserves to have a spot on the card" nonsense needs to stop. Wrestlemania should be the best possible card.

 

[GKJ]

They don't even get everyone on the card though. They had champions not on either card. Last year they didn't have a spot for the Mysterios or Shinsuke Nakamura.

 

[Sheppy]

They don't even get everyone on the card though. They had champions not on either card. Last year they didn't have a spot for the Mysterios or Shinsuke Nakamura.

That's because they're idiots and can't book properly.

There's no reason for Drew/Corbin and those types of matches to be on the card. Make it the best possible card.