Does anybody really watch wrestling?
 

i just saw a commercial for wwe wrestling, and i still don't get it. i remember when i was little it was big, and i guess i could see that cause you're young. but now? isn't it just a big fake show? why follow it?

Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars are two of the top television shows.

Does "reality" matter?

WWE / TNA are "Sports entertainment"...if you're entertained, watch...if you expect it to be "a sport"...give it up, because it never was in the first place...

RAW is the highest ranked show on USA Network, and is the longest running weekly "episode" type tv show in history...with Smackdown a close second, because it started a few years later...so somebody's watching....and attending sold out arenas a few times a week...

so there's your answer...

wwe wrestling is wrestling with more hype. wrestling is actually on a much smaller mat and not in a boxing ring and involves a lot more holds and positions. i have been to two wwe shows you should go to just one and find out just how much of a circus it is for yourself.

The WWE just changed everything this last week.

They released "The WWE Network".

While a lot of you have been (foolishly) saying that the "subscription model" is dead...The WWE Network is $9.99 a month. It's an app. And it already is working on apple, android, roku, apple tv, playstation, xbox and many other devices. Samsung smart tv's will get the app in a couple of months and chromecast is in the mix as well in the near future.

And you get every Pay Per View (starting with Wrestlemania coming up) as part of your subscription. Plus you get every PPV from the past from the WWE, WCW, ECW, etc.

And they have original "series" that they have as well on there.

The beauty of it is that Vince McMahon keeps 100% of the money (gross of course).

The cable and satellite companies are going apeshit over this. Dish has already dropped WWE PPV's because of it.

But The WWE will actually make more money with the $9.99 subscription than they ever did on the PPV's airing on cable and satellite. (because the satellite and cable companies took a BIG piece of the pie on PPV's..now they won't be needed)

It's gonna change everything.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the UFC do something very similar. As well as boxing and other PPV sports.

Think what you will, but pro wrestling is a huge business. And the actual "art" of being a really good pro wrestler is not easy to do (there aren't many Ric Flairs, or The Rock or Hulk Hogan, or Steve Austin's in this world who know how to work a crowd)

I think the new WWE Network subscription is the wave of the future.

Think of how many millions of people worldwide are WWE fans. And at only $9.99 they will be jumping on this (the Wrestlemania PPV alone is $69.95).

If McMahon gets 10 million subscribers, he will be making 100 Million dollars a month every month JUST on the WWE Network.

Then factor in his television deals, the huge merchandise sales, the action figure deals, the video game deals, etc.

Big money.

I guess yeah, that's a lot of money. Just seems silly to me

I used to watch it a lot with my Dad. After he passed away I mostly lost interest. Its fun for kids. I'll probably take my youngest son to a live show or two.

But in answer to your question, that industry is probably as big as porn or very damn close. They make a fuckload of money.

^^^^^^^^^ This.
...and it is somehow in conjunction w/ MLB {Major League Baseball}
PayPal payment goes to:
Business Name:
WWE NETWORK (The recipient of this payment is Verified)
Email:
WWENetwork @ mlb.com

Robbie ufc is already following suit with ufc fight pass. Actually they might have even been first, I'm not sure. I know they have been talking about it for a while. Not sure who launched it first.

Wow! There you go.

The cable and satellite companies are shitting their pants.

It was fake then and it is fake now. So are movies. People don't really die in those either.

I used to be a big fan. Infact i still have the event programme from Summerslam 1992 when it was at Wembley stadium,London...

1992 was the vintage year for WWF... :)

So is it subscription to watch it over the internet?
I somehow hate watching "TV" over the internet, I must be conservative :)

I watch it on TV.

My daughter has a playstation. I just watch it that way.

And once chromecast gets the WWE app, I'll watch it that way too. All on my t.v.

And it looks just as good as what I watch on Dish Network on "regular" t.v.

And it started going downhill not long after that.

It is entertainment the adults also have the credit cards to buy the merchandise.
If your into wrestling check out the Aussie wrestling
http://www.iwawrestling.com.au
http://www.jellywrestling.com

yeah because millions of people on the planet are lining up and filling stadiums to watch actual 'real' wrestling..

It's all about the drama.

The same reason people keep coming here.

Redneck soap opera

It's fake like everything else

It's a soap opera for men. I know plenty of dudes in their 30s that still watch it.

Personally I have no interest in the scripted drama wrestling. I've been a fan of Freestyle and College wrestling for two decades.

Almost all TV shows ever made were fake, so why do people pick on wrestling?

:1orglaugh

American? That's fake for retard ppl...

Not "almost" - all TV shows are staged. Theaters, movies, all this Pawn Stars and Repo shows, fucking news, reality shows. Sometimes I think real sports staged too.

seems like more actors less fighters!!!!!!!

Actually pro wrestling's is HUGE in Europe and the UK right now.

Also in the Middle East countries (WWE tours over there as well, just came back from Dubai)

And of course the Japanese have been rabid fans of pro wrestling for as long or longer than American fans.

And don't forget about Canadians. The Hart family in Canada are national heroes.

So it's far from being a few hillbilly rednecks somewhere in Alabama watching pro wrestling.
It's a worldwide entertainment monster that has been making big money since the time of our great grandparents.

You hit the nail on the head!

It's very athletic, but it's more based on the ability to get a crowd into the storylines.

And some of the guys who do it are very, very masterful at working an audience.

Vince McMahon himself now says that the WWE is a "content company". They produce content for their pro wrestling television shows, the WWE network, and their theatrical movie division.

He doesn't even call the wrestlers..."wrestlers". He refers to them as "WWE Superstars" and the matches are in-ring performances.

Still, when they hit the right storyline...it's fun. And as McMahon also said: "We put smiles on people's faces".

Nothing wrong with that.

You wouldn't believe, but some of them died right at the ring. So they are all together - actors+stunt. It takes a lot to be a part of such kind of show.

Wrestlemania 8 was the last one i watched proper.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...MVIIIhogan.jpg

I was about 10 years old when the Warrior made his comeback at that event. Thought it was cool as fuck at the time.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zLZAkfBBop...rWM8Return.gif


I remember the "big 4" events basically took up the year. You'd start off with the Royal Rumble. Then Wrestlemania. Summerslam and Survivor Series. The title matches mostly took place at those events. Now it seems someone becomes the Champion every week..

Yeah, you get it!

It's a darn show, entertainment and nothing else.

Wrestling is genius :

Look at all injuries in football, boxing, MMA etc...
but in wrestling injuries are reduced way down by staging the action.
Yet they can make the same money!

The crowd just wants to have a good time and these actor/athletes do a good job of playing their fantasy fighters.
It's like I love Bruce Lee, but did he ever actually beat anybody up? :1orglaugh

Wrestling is a "Soap Opera"; but instead of fighting for love they fight for the belts.

Pure genius.

Disclaimer : I'm not a wrestling fan but just seeing one episode in a bar a few years ago was enough to know what it is.

still enjoying ;)

I heard from a few people that being at the event is very different mostly because you don't have the commentators.

When i thought about it, it is hard to imagine watching it for hours without the commentary. Mind you these days the guys in the ring seem to have a mike most of the time...

I know that you can watch internet streams on TV screens :) I just mean it is still internet stream, I do not know why, but I dislike that. If I watch TV screen it is either regular TV stations, cable, satelite or DVD/USB movies and never internet translation. For some reason I am not into that, I am oldcshool :upsidedow

Me in tight clothing rubbing up against each other.... Pass.

The future for all sports leagues and many premium cable channels. I wonder how long before HBO goes direct to consumers.

Question is what will the cable companies do when they are cut out - they won't go down without a fight and they will try to make us pay for the Internet like we presently pay for cable TV.