We've reached that point...

[J'Dinkalage Morgoone]

Dec 10, 2020 15:05:09 GMT -5 stc13 said:

Dec 10, 2020 14:39:37 GMT -5 J'Dinkalage Morgoone said:

Im the same way, WWE is incredibly boring to me now, because nothing is exciting or fresh.
Ive been watching impact because of the goofy story lines that are fun. I havnt bought a figure at full price in years. If its not at 5 below i dont buy it.

I love that products like MLW and Impact tend to have a rotating cast, similar to the old territories.  It can suck to see somebody you really enjoy move on, but it also keeps the product fresh.  I think part of my lack of interest in WWE is that aside from the COVID cuts, you really haven't had many wrestlers leaving in the last 3-4 years, and NXT callups have slowed down a lot in the last few years.  So the roster has been pretty stagnant, with guys shifting between brands.

Super stagnant. 

Impacts broadcasts rotate the wrestlers every other week lately, which is great. 
Who shot johnny bravo is the best story line in wrestling in a decade.
I am also super weirded out by the weird fan screens at ringside. Id rather have it with no one there than fake fans.

[dizcoduck]

I only watch the Hulu versions & I'm usually weeks behind. It's a chore sometimes. I normally speed watch them & have them running in the background while working on other stuff all in 1 week before whatever PPV is on. I do still watch the PPVs Live though. Last year was the most I ever got behind. Practically speed-watched 6-8 months worth to get caught up for the Rumble.

[CM Tusk]

I mainly stick to NXT when watching and when collecting. I personally loved everything Bayley and Sami have done this year so the updated Bayley was needed and when we get a new Sami I’ll pick him up to. Mainly I just follow who I like instead of watching whole shows now a days and my figure buying reflects that.

[Mclovin]

As long as Randy Orton is on my television, I'm happy enough. Roman Reigns is doing great work right now as well. I'm a big Buddy Murphy fan so there's that. The Hurt Business is pretty dope. Street Profits are not as fun as they was in NXT but they're still great.

[Vamp55]

I watch Mania and Rumble every year. I read the results of Raw/Smackdown in about 3 mins to keep up. The Fiend is really the only interesting thing for me.

How does this impact my collecting habits? Simple. I own very few figures of anyone after 2002 now... of course there are exceptions, but generally, it’s only before that time period. It’s a shame really, cause Mattel make some great figures, but as an adult collector, I want the very highest end product. Ultimates are great, love what Storm does, but a lot of the money I used to spend on WWE Mattel goes to other items I collect. NECA turtles, graded sealed WWF Nintendo games, MOC Hasbros, Kobe/LBJ cards and HOT TOYS. (Anyone else pre-order Dark Knight Batman 😍)

(I still collect ALL the Ultimates, cause I love the line and want to support it, and I’ll get most of the flashbacks and Legends)

[Mclovin]

Dec 10, 2020 12:37:01 GMT -5 warriorheart said:

Dec 10, 2020 8:42:28 GMT -5 Warriah' said:

I haven't been able to watch since the early 00s with any consistency.

Doesn't mean I don't absolutely love the 80s-early 00s. Where wrestling is concerned, I am absolutely content to live in the past.

This is how I feel as well. Started watching in 1982 every week and by 2004 around WMXX I was done. I’ll check in every once in awhile, but it just isn’t for me. My kids watched it around 2010-2015 or so. That was fun to see them enjoy it. Even went to some shows. Now they are Freshman and have no use for it anymore. Like you I’m perfectly content to watch the old stuff.

It's weird how everybody hates the mid-2000's WWE product expect for me. I was a small child back then but still that stuff was fun. I rewatch Ruthless Aggression shows sometimes and it's still good now.

[adecw]

i havent watched wwe for months and i even stopped following nxt (not sure why or when on that one) i watch AEW every week and collect the AEW Figures i havent purchased a wwe figure sine the fiend elite

[Deleted]

Everyone wears black and is a “badass”, stale.

[J'Dinkalage Morgoone]

Dec 10, 2020 15:15:54 GMT -5 Mclovin said:

Dec 10, 2020 12:37:01 GMT -5 warriorheart said:

This is how I feel as well. Started watching in 1982 every week and by 2004 around WMXX I was done. I’ll check in every once in awhile, but it just isn’t for me. My kids watched it around 2010-2015 or so. That was fun to see them enjoy it. Even went to some shows. Now they are Freshman and have no use for it anymore. Like you I’m perfectly content to watch the old stuff.

It's weird how everybody hates the mid-2000's WWE product expect for me. I was a small child back then but still that stuff was fun. I rewatch Ruthless Aggression shows sometimes and it's still good now.

i liked 2002-2006ish 

I was a teen at the time and missed the attitude era because my family watched WCW.

[kinnikuman]

RAW and Smackdown are 100% straight trash. NXT is crap as well ... but for completely different reasons.

That said, I collect figures of "wrestlers", so I will always have an interest in releases throughout the year.

[mcfclee]

I’ve watched rumble and mania only this whole year. I’ve long since given up on raw and sd and haven’t watched anything since the fox debut and not watched an episode of raw in at least 3 years.

What’s worse is I did watch nxt but since the move to tv in America it’s now 24 hour delayed for me here and because of Twitter it gets spoiled so I’ve not watched nxt in a year now either.

I literally only watch classic content and docs on the network and they have even slowed down on that too.

[isloth]

Dec 10, 2020 13:16:07 GMT -5 stc13 said:

I'm in the same boat. I have kept my Network subscription, but at this point I only watch Takeovers and will put on the main roster PPV's but only really watch select matches. The production, camera cuts, 50/50 booking are too much for me. And since going to USA, NXT has really lost the magic for me that made me a huge fan from 2014-2016. Even wrestlers that I love, like Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens, have zero appeal to me in the last year or two. The start-stop booking makes it impossible to invest in any character.

Any my figure buying has gone down with it. I'm buying FTIL figures of folks I've enjoyed in NXT or the indies - War Raiders, Mia Yim, Heavy Machinery. But I'm buying far fewer figures than 2-3 years ago, even though Mattel on the whole is doing a great job design wise.

There is a lot of really good wrestling available these days, and more accessible than ever. With AEW, MLW, Impact, NWA, and NJPW all putting out enjoyable and fairly unique products, there's just no reason to watch WWE unless you truly enjoy their presentation.

This is almost 100% where I’m at. I lost interest in the main roster long ago. NXT was incredible for several years but I’ve fallen off of that too since they went to USA. I just watch Takeovers and PPVs but even then I’m not invested.

They have a massive roster of amazing talent but there are no characters, stories or much development of any kind. Either the matches have zero stakes or it’s obvious what the outcome is easily predicable when it comes to matches. Every year, it means absolutely nothing who wins/loses at Survivor Series for example.

It’s definitely impacted how much I buy.There are some faces I’m fans of and will get their figures, but I’m buying less than I used to. The new Angel Garza elite for example I wanted a figure of him when he was in NXT a year ago, but I just don’t have any interest in buying it now that he’s on the main roster with almost no character and bland matches. That being said standouts like The Street Profits, Keith Lee and Viking Raiders I still pick up.

AEW has done a great job with characters and storylines (in my opinion of course), and as a result I’d pick up probably 80% or more of their roster right now if they were announced because I’m invested in the show.

[jacguitarist]

Agree 100%. It's absolute garbage. It sucks too, because I used to be such a huge fan, but these past 2 years in particular I haven't watched it other than the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania.

I would at least watch the big 4, but I didn't even watch Summerslam or Survivor Series this year. At first I actually felt a little guilty missing Taker's Farewell, but after I read the results the next day, I'm glad I didn't waste my time.

That said, I still keep an eye on these boards and the dirt sheets. I still love the figures, too. But yeah...it's getting tougher to enjoy pro-wrestling these days. It's just not the same.

[jacguitarist]

Dec 10, 2020 10:51:40 GMT -5 zen411 said:

I am mostly bored with the current product and do not buy the current roster figures. Only flashbacks. Its a shame. I was a hardcore fan from the 80s as a kid through attitude, ruthless aggression, and even into the dreaded cena pg era. I used to watch every show and really care and chat about it with friends or have ppv watch parties. I just don't care anymore. I will occasionally put a show on but I will never watch the whole thing.

I really miss having a reason to care. Being emotionally invested in the characters. A well produced raw that sucked you in from the opening segment, felt compelling, genuine shocking surprises, and moments that dared you to miss it. You were glued to the screen.

Now. Meh. Many of the roster is talented. I think the shows are overproduction, overscripted. No real creativity with the exception of bray wyatt and a few little things. I'm older then I was during golden era and attitude obviously but it still makes me sad I feel such apathy to the current product.

Couldn't agree more dude. This is exactly my situation too. I miss it, but it's like I just cannot stomach watching it anymore. I end up feeling like I wasted my time. Maybe it's because I'm 31 now, married, and have 2 little ones, but it just always seems like there's way better things to do with like, 5 or 6 hours a week, instead of watching really sub-par wrestling shows.

The characters are just so uninspired. And whenever they get a good one going, like Fiend, the screw it up by doing something so unbelievably stupid.

[Deleted]

I've pretty much stopped watching. Like certain talent, but because of the bad creative and Vince McMahon not caring about what fans want and writing shows that he likes, I can't support that.

[Deleted]

Transition periods are always rough. 94/95 WWF, 2002-2004 WWF, 2011-14 WWE, etc.

Eventually a few diamonds will turn up. Roman and McIntyre look to be the next era of top guy but who will fill out the rest?

[airbud]

WWE put WCW out of business and turned to trash. Mainstream wrestling hasn’t been good since. 2003-2008 ROH was amazing though.

I miss WCW before 1999.

[Biff Slamkovich™]

It's starting to dawn on me that I may be done collecting this line soon as well.

The only figures I will be collecting moving forward are legends, but with how Mattel always decides to somehow make these lines store exclusives, or tucked away in weird lines that will never reach Canadian retail, it really takes all of the fun out of collecting.

When I have to shop from American websites and pay almost double after shipping and conversion for a figure (if I can even find the item), it really feels like work and that ruins any fun from collecting. Combine that with having to fight off scalpers and people who buy multiples to re-sell and trade for their own gain, it's just not worth it anymore.

If Mattel had simply stuck to one main elite line, and mixed in current talent with legends than I think we would be fine. Distribution has absolutely killed this line from the get-go.

Here in Canada, for the first 6 or 7 elite waves, we only received TWO figures per wave, and they were rarely the sought after ones. We would receive what seemed to be the fodder of each line. I can confirm this because I worked for Toys R Us Canada for five and a half years and was an active in employee for day 1 of the lines release in January of 2010. I even merched our stores entire WWE section, and was so excited opening the street dated boxes for the first time, only to find entire cases of just Undertaker and Rey Mysterio.

I'm hanging onto this line by a thread.

[rudos]

Agree with OP. The crape they put on is atrocious. I haven't watched regularly since 2013/14. In that time it's gotten progressively worse. NXT used to good, but as of late the storylines with Gargano, Thatcher etc have been awful. As for AEW not much better with every match having a swerve or post-match angle

[Nivro™]

Like Chip said, Ive been watching for over 30 years Im not just gonna stop now. The problem isnt wrestling or the writing/booking...its the fans.

There's always interesting storylines going on in WWE but for some reason, and maybe its just the generation, they never look at things positive and only want to point out the negatives and then in turn feel that they're owed to be catered to. They just see segment A or B or mostly likey just read something Meltzer/Alverez shits on and goes "Gah I cant stand this stuff" Is there bad things? Sure....Is there entertaining things? Absolutely. Fans try to defend their stance by going on about the "good ol days" of Austin-Rock or Hogan-Savage....but they forget about the craplike Kaientai-Val Venis or the 5 star classic feud of Red Rooster vs Brooklyn Brawler

If you can really look at WWE or wrestling in general right now and not find absolutely 1 positive thing that entertains you, then you probably werent really that big of a fan any way.