Jump to content

What are the differences between WWE PG during the 80's and early 90's and WWE PG Today? -

Black Dahlia

By Black Dahlia
in WWE Universe

Recommended Posts

Rockstar™ Official CAWs.ws Addict

Rockstar™

Posted
Posted

Back then bookers and wrestlers themselves booked the matches, the angles and the storylines unlike today where you have ex soap opera writers write scripts and book angles when they have no clue or comprehension about wrestling psychology. Kevin Nash said it himself when creative were originally brought in during his second run. How can you have creative write storylines about sex and violence when 90% of the creative team have never been *censored*ed or had a fight?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lyriqz ✪ Official CAWs.ws Addict

Lyriqz ✪

Posted
Posted

Back then bookers and wrestlers themselves booked the matches, the angles and the storylines unlike today where you have ex soap opera writers write scripts and book angles when they have no clue or comprehension about wrestling psychology. Kevin Nash said it himself when creative were originally brought in during his second run. How can you have creative write storylines about sex and violence when 90% of the creative team have never been *censored*ed or had a fight?

 

:XD:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Crazy. Official CAWs.ws Addict

Crazy.

Posted
Posted

Back then bookers and wrestlers themselves booked the matches, the angles and the storylines unlike today where you have ex soap opera writers write scripts and book angles when they have no clue or comprehension about wrestling psychology. Kevin Nash said it himself when creative were originally brought in during his second run. How can you have creative write storylines about sex and violence when 90% of the creative team have never been *censored*ed or had a fight?

Lmao I'm dead xD

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Saturi Legend

Saturi

Posted
Posted

- less restrictions for males and females

- shape and form of a male/female wrestler didn't really matter, Talent and skill did

- good storylines

- good matches (though we partially still have some good and better ones)

- Wrestling

- females didn't had to be girlie and a bitch was a bitch not a "witch" when it came to promos or segments

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WWF WrestleFest Main Eventer

WWF WrestleFest

Posted
Posted

Every major star WWF had in the 80's was already a major star in another promotion. Hogan, Savage, Andre, etc.

 

In the 80's, the smartest thing Vince did was get out of their way. That was his genius. He did a lot of the big picture stuff, where the storylines were going and all of that, but the day to day stuff, the promos and the matches, those were in large part done by the wrestlers themselves.

 

TV writers weren't writing promos, wrestlers were making them up themselves. As a result, they were much more natural sounding, even if the guy was just yelling in an 80's wrestler cliche way. It sounded like that was the guy's actual personality, not like he was just reading a script and trying to remember his lines. It also gave you much more memorable characters. Have you seen the movie "She's out of my League"? It's a stupid chick flick, but in one scene, a guy jumps on another guy and yells "Superfly Jimmy Snuka!" This movie came out like in 2009 or 2010. Snuka hasn't been a full time wrestler in decades. But he was such a memorable character that he was mentioned in that scene. Do you think someone like Dolph Ziggler, no offense to Dolph, is going to be mentioned in some random movie 20 years from now?

 

Matches were not also pre-planned much in advance. Sure, the winners were still pre-determaned and some of the big spots were planned ahead. But for the most part, the wrestlers called the match in the ring. If the crowd wasn't reacting to what they were doing, they had enough freedom to go off script and try something different

 

Today's wrestlers don't have that freedom. The problem with today's product isn't that it's PG. The problem is that they don't have the freedom to really get over. They have to follow the script, if they don't, they have no where else to go. TNA and ROH aren't as big as AWA and NWA were in the 80's, and they're not as big as WCW and ECW were in the 90's. WWE really is your only option if you want to be on a national wrestling show.

 

In part, I think Vince wants it that way. No one is bigger than the company. Hogan, Austin, even the Rock, all got bigger than the WWE. And then they all left. I think Vince is protecting himself from that happening again. If CM Punk leaves, it won't really hurt WWE too much. If he shows up on TNA, it won't really improve TNA's ratings too much. Same with Daniel Bryan. Same with Randy Orton. They've made one true superstar since the 90's ended, and that's John Cena, who's devoted his whole life to the WWE and is 100% their company man. He's not going anywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lightning116 Official CAWs.ws Addict

lightning116

Posted
Posted

PG back then = much less limitations to what they can do/say

 

PG today = you have to be too careful on what you're doing because you'll have 100 angry moms call you if they God forbid, hear something they don't like.

 

Mankind changed from normal to too sensitive. Nowadays you have to be careful, and thus you can't really explore and set your mind in "creative mode" like back in those days.

 

That and everything else already mentioned about soap operas, gimmicks, etc.

 

But I'd like to say that the match quality today is overall better than before. If anything evolved in wwe it's this. As years went by match quality improved. Sadly can't say that about promos and feuds. They were much better back then.

 

Also mic talent, and the way everyone was believeable back then. Now you have guys like Sheamus and Cena who can't sound believeable if it killed them. Each time they open mouths, you can literary feel the "forced" ring to their voices. They don't put too much thought into "sound believeable" as they put thought into "oh gosh i should remember what the script said". Thus they at times fail miserably on trying to make jokes. Just listen to sheamus' promo last night on 3MB. Or Cena whenever he tries to be funny. (though I must admint he's kind of getting better as of recent). But it's generally sad. I mean they sound like new theater players who are nervous and cant really remember the lines, etc.

 

Back then it wasnt really all about "oh gosh i should stay true to the script" it was more of a "I should try to sound realistic and not like im acting" thing.

 

But hey, your inital question was, I suppose difference in PG? I believe I've covered that in the begining of my post - basically mankind became pussified (a term made popular by one comedian), and they can't stomach things anymore, and basically PG today is more sheltering than PG back then.

 

Pretty much this. Especially the ones about the promos. God they're horrible to listen to nowadays and I can bet if everything were similar to how promos were done in the 80s, a lot of guys would sound a hell of a lot better than what we're hearing now.

 

Anyone remembers this? In 1991? I was 7 years old at that time too.

 

We will NEVER see this ever again. And to think, I was NOT scared of this at all.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vii Kay Oh Midcard

Vii Kay Oh

Posted
Posted

Every major star WWF had in the 80's was already a major star in another promotion. Hogan, Savage, Andre, etc.

 

In the 80's, the smartest thing Vince did was get out of their way. That was his genius. He did a lot of the big picture stuff, where the storylines were going and all of that, but the day to day stuff, the promos and the matches, those were in large part done by the wrestlers themselves.

 

TV writers weren't writing promos, wrestlers were making them up themselves. As a result, they were much more natural sounding, even if the guy was just yelling in an 80's wrestler cliche way. It sounded like that was the guy's actual personality, not like he was just reading a script and trying to remember his lines. It also gave you much more memorable characters. Have you seen the movie "She's out of my League"? It's a stupid chick flick, but in one scene, a guy jumps on another guy and yells "Superfly Jimmy Snuka!" This movie came out like in 2009 or 2010. Snuka hasn't been a full time wrestler in decades. But he was such a memorable character that he was mentioned in that scene. Do you think someone like Dolph Ziggler, no offense to Dolph, is going to be mentioned in some random movie 20 years from now?

 

Matches were not also pre-planned much in advance. Sure, the winners were still pre-determaned and some of the big spots were planned ahead. But for the most part, the wrestlers called the match in the ring. If the crowd wasn't reacting to what they were doing, they had enough freedom to go off script and try something different

 

Today's wrestlers don't have that freedom. The problem with today's product isn't that it's PG. The problem is that they don't have the freedom to really get over. They have to follow the script, if they don't, they have no where else to go. TNA and ROH aren't as big as AWA and NWA were in the 80's, and they're not as big as WCW and ECW were in the 90's. WWE really is your only option if you want to be on a national wrestling show.

 

In part, I think Vince wants it that way. No one is bigger than the company. Hogan, Austin, even the Rock, all got bigger than the WWE. And then they all left. I think Vince is protecting himself from that happening again. If CM Punk leaves, it won't really hurt WWE too much. If he shows up on TNA, it won't really improve TNA's ratings too much. Same with Daniel Bryan. Same with Randy Orton. They've made one true superstar since the 90's ended, and that's John Cena, who's devoted his whole life to the WWE and is 100% their company man. He's not going anywhere.

THIS. EXACTLY THIS.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...