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CROWD NOISE, THE WOW FACTOR, TITLE REIGNS AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2021-03-03 10:00:00

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Is it just me, or has the Thunderdome been super over the top with their crowd noise the past few weeks?  For the first time in years I have found myself muting the TV because it seems that there is just a constant susurration running the whole length of the broadcast, and that cuts into the announcing, the promos, etc. It made the Seth Rollins promo from last week very difficult to hear- or maybe I'm getting older and my ears suck.   I long for the days when Big Show would "shush" the crowds!   

It has been a bit over the top.  They should dial it back a bit, especially as we get closer to actual fans being in the building.

Do you think it's more impressive if a wrestler has one or two lengthy reigns with a title or do you think a wrestler having multiple short reigns with a belt is more impressive? Also, why do bookers sometimes switch a title back-and-forth during the course of a program - only for the original title holder to regain the belt? Doesn't this practice devalue said title?

Back in the old days, long reigns were the gold standard.  Now, not the same.  I think really short reigns are a mistake most of the time, but we won’t see multi-year title reigns because the business moves faster now.  I don’t think mid-program changes devalue the Title but I don’t always think they are needed either.

I’m not a fan of the money in the bank concept, so seeing Miz win the title the shortcut way left a sour taste with me at the end of elimination chamber.  With that said could it be they want Drew to have his mania moment in front of fans?  But what I don’t understand is why does his or anyone else’s moment have to be when winning the title? Can’t it be just a successful title defense, instead of the Disney ending?  A successful title defense at the big stadium I think is just as rewarding and a big thank you when you’ve been the man for over a year.

I agree with you.  Obviously winning the Title is important but you make a good point that, if booked properly, a defense can be a great moment as well.

At one point in time, what seems like a long long time ago, turning was or had a wow or shock factor. Example being seeing Hogan turn heel or Michaels superkick Marty. In today's modern time, seeing someone turn no longer has that feel. I think seeing Big Show turn multiple times was the beginning of when turning officially lost his steam. What's your take on why turning no longer has that shock factor and when do you believe was the beginning of when it did?

Things move so much more quickly now.  Back then, it was an hour or two of squash matches and slow moving storylines because the goal was to get fans to buy tickets to shows and PPVs.  That is where the money was made.  Now, it’s made with TV revenue so things move much more quickly and more first run matches take place on free TV, eliminating the special moments that fans used to have to wait for.

What do you think WWE can do to bring that wow factor back?

To me it always comes down to the same thing, great booking and writing.  Surprises pop people for a moment while good storytelling and characters draw people in.

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