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19.3.24 0905
The W - Pro Wrestling - Comedy Matches and Good Television
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Alex
Lap cheong








Since: 24.2.02

Since last post: 317 days
Last activity: 25 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.05
It seems like comedy matches don't really get that much respect, especially not from workrate-centric folks like you'll find on most wrestling discussion places. But I totally think that comedy wrestling has its place on the card, especially if you agree with Mick Foley's "three-ring circus" theory that wrestling should have as much variety to appeal to as many people as possible.

Unfortunately, it seems like WWE has of late been focusing more on the main storylines, and has let some of the supporting cast fall by the wayside.

Now, I think that WWE is still caught in rough transition here. I believe there's a difference between a good wrestling show and a good television show.

Right now, your average episode of Raw/Smackdown/ECW is just a series of mostly unrelated segments and matches, each following their own seperate thread. Of course with the main storylines, there will be more than one segment per episode, but you get my idea.

For example, say, in the Mickie James/Victoria storyline, you'll get one or two segments per week, and they're sequestered off by themselves and have no impact on the show as a whole.

Whereas, say, on a more critically-acclaimed television show, you might have storylines that are totally seperated from each other, but oftentimes two seperate storylines will intersect at some point. I think that Vince Russo is better at this particular point than people will give him credit for. If you remember back in 1998/1999, Vince McMahon and the Corporate Ministry would do more than just fuck with Steve Austin. One of the things that made that particular angle work was that so many subplots and other storylines would get swept up in it.

This is something I wish would happen more today.

Another hallmark of a good television show is the ability to start watching from just about any point and understand what's going on. You can turn on 24 for the very first time this season, and while you won't have much a clue about the backstory of the characters, the writing is good enough that you can get an understanding of the relationships enough to care when someone dies.

WWE is actually pretty good at this, but that's just because they selectively ignore anything older than a few months. Which is somewhat insulting to people who have been watching for over a year!

Another aspect that WWE sometimes struggles with is comic relief. Many high quality dramatic shows do have comic relief, often to relieve the tension of a very serious situation so as not to burn out the viewer. WWE has an odd way of doing comic relief, however, as they'll usually have it restricted to interviews and backstage segments, and not do comedy matches. And I rather wish they WOULD do comedy matches more often.

For an example of a really good comedy match, check out this youtube link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AY6IhXSoFkg
(the commentary is kind of awful, mind)

Now while a match like that would never work in WWE, it brings me back to Mick Foley's "three rings" theory and what I was talking about in television in particular. Namely, that just because it's not serious, comedy wrestling should be used more often than it is.

Of course, now that I've typed all that, I realize that there was a comedy match on Raw last week and it fell flat. So, erm, I guess maybe they should have more characters like Simon Dean and Eugene, that are there mainly as a source of comic relief but who could also be used to advance more serious storylines as well.

Mainly, WWE should work on making their TV shows tighter, and do a better job of having different levels of storylines, with more variety, fewer loose ends and outright dropped threads, if they really want to be considered an "entertainment" company.

(edited by Alex on 20.1.07 1545)
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JustinShapiro
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 12.12.01

Since last post: 1755 days
Last activity: 1407 days
#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 8.46
    Originally posted by Alex
    Whereas, say, on a more critically-acclaimed television show, you might have storylines that are totally seperated from each other, but oftentimes two seperate storylines will intersect at some point. I think that Vince Russo is better at this particular point than people will give him credit for. If you remember back in 1998/1999, Vince McMahon and the Corporate Ministry would do more than just fuck with Steve Austin. One of the things that made that particular angle work was that so many subplots and other storylines would get swept up in it.


I think this is a great point. My favorite thing about the booking in 2000 was that everyone wasn't bracketed off in tiers. There was a pecking order, but everyone was involved. Rock feuded with Triple H and the Factgime while Jericho was chasing Hunter and feuding with Benoit while Angle was putting the moves on Stephanie who had the women's title which got her involved against Lita which brought in the Hardys who feuded with T&A and Trish and with Edge & Christian who were friends with Kurt Angle while the Dudleys were trying to put X-Pac's girlfriend Tori through a table. And it carried over on through Rikishi and Too Cool, Eddie and Chyna, people hiring the APA, etc etc.
miknight
Blutwurst








Since: 22.10.02
From: Oztraya

Since last post: 3431 days
Last activity: 3367 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.00
One of the best comedy matches i ever saw was Batista V Simon Dean on Smackdown a while back.

Simon tried to sell his "Simon System" to Batista who laid him out for a bit, got tired, stumbled over to Simon's kit bag, took a swig of SS, regained his strength and Batista bombed him.

Absolute gold!



Three oinkers wearing pants, a plate of hot air, a basket of grandma's breakfast and change a bull to a gill, got it.
oldschoolhero
Knackwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: nWo Country

Since last post: 5422 days
Last activity: 5356 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.00
Indeed. The main event/midcard/jobber heirarchy is so strongly adhered to these days that it get sincredibly depressing. Were Rikishi to debut today, he would never have been booked in that surprise SmackDown match against HHH. There's no risk-taking any more, no mixing of over midcard acts with main-event feuds. Take Cryme Tyme. They're moderately popular right now. They should be fucking with Edge and Orton, or saving Michaels from a Rated RKO beatdown.



To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Spiraling_Shape
Bierwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: PA

Since last post: 24 days
Last activity: 2 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.98
Also, the comedy attempts lately aren't really that...funny. E&C were funny, Angle, Mick, The Rock etc. had a knack for comedy.

Most of the attempts at humor have sorta bombed as of late and been too forced/scripted...Crime Time are sort of over, but their humor hasn't really worked. There's DX's dick jokes and of course, Rosie/Trump...is that the idea of a 'comedy match' in 2007? Or anything with Big Dick Johnson?

Aside from Regal's reactions to Vito, have any of his 'comedy' matches been that funny?
CTX
Chourico








Since: 11.5.02

Since last post: 2647 days
Last activity: 1589 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.69
    Originally posted by Spiraling_Shape
    Most of the attempts at humor have sorta bombed

Well as the story goes, the writing team is full of failed sitcom writers. And with the plethora of awful sitcoms you guys produce, I'd hate to imagine how bad you'd have to be to fail in that profession.



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Freeway
Scrapple








Since: 3.1.02
From: Calgary

Since last post: 3740 days
Last activity: 3427 days
#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.07
    Originally posted by JustinShapiro
      Originally posted by Alex
      Whereas, say, on a more critically-acclaimed television show, you might have storylines that are totally seperated from each other, but oftentimes two seperate storylines will intersect at some point. I think that Vince Russo is better at this particular point than people will give him credit for. If you remember back in 1998/1999, Vince McMahon and the Corporate Ministry would do more than just fuck with Steve Austin. One of the things that made that particular angle work was that so many subplots and other storylines would get swept up in it.


    I think this is a great point. My favorite thing about the booking in 2000 was that everyone wasn't bracketed off in tiers. There was a pecking order, but everyone was involved. Rock feuded with Triple H and the Factgime while Jericho was chasing Hunter and feuding with Benoit while Angle was putting the moves on Stephanie who had the women's title which got her involved against Lita which brought in the Hardys who feuded with T&A and Trish and with Edge & Christian who were friends with Kurt Angle while the Dudleys were trying to put X-Pac's girlfriend Tori through a table. And it carried over on through Rikishi and Too Cool, Eddie and Chyna, people hiring the APA, etc etc.


In addition to this, Justin, the intertwining of the tippity-top guys with the midcard gave the midcarders an extra bit of legitimacy. The fact that former (and current) Federation champions like Triple H, The Rock and Austin commonly worked with (and alongside) guys like Benoit, Angle, Jericho and teams like the APA and Too Cool gave them all an extra bit of prestige that similar guys don't get now.



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I can understand RAW being a 2 and half hour WM plug but they could not fit in just a couple more matches? 4 matches...well sometimes HeAT doesn't even get regular 4 so I guess i will live.
- mrwrestlingfan2, RAW Note (2003)
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