The midcard is not just a waiting room
I was watching an old WWF pay-per-view. I watched a Hacksaw Jim Duggan match. During the WWF Hulkamana era there seems to be a number of wrestlers in that same kind of role. I am thinking about wrestlers like Junk Yard Dog, Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine, Hercules, Koko B. Ware, and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts. All of these guys were over wrestlers who could get crowd reaction, but did not need to be in the title hunt. They did not even spend a lot of time going for the Intercontinental Title. There seemed to be a well developed Mid card and it seemed to serve a purpose.
Right now the midcard of the WWE seems like a waiting room. Wrestlers in the midcard are just waiting for their shot at the main event. If the midcard is just a waiting room for the main event, it feels like the stories being told there are less interesting. It seems like the fans are spending the time waiting for the important push for these wrestlers and not being entertained by them on the midcard. Because the midcard is a wasteland and wrestler we think can be a main eventer, it feels like no one is invested in what happens there
I know that the world of wrestling was different at that time. At that time there were no main event level guys on weekly television, there were only four Pay-Per-Views a year and most of the business was done at house shows. The stories moved at a different pace. For a long time the WWE had a log jam at the main event level. The midcard had to be interesting.
I really think the problem is how the WWE spends their time on their TV shows. It seems like they do not take the time developing Mid-card feuds on Raw and Smackdown. It seems like all of the time on these shows are taken up with the top of the card and introducing characters. It seems like we are more likely to see a squash match than a good non belt related story on the mid card.
I know part of the issue is the current Pay-Per-View schedule. Once one PPV is over, you need to start building to the next PPV. This puts a demand on the top of the card. They have to focus on the top of the card. If the WWE has a different PPV schedule they could do this. That is like wishing the NBA is going to have fewer games or that ice cream would not be fattening, is it not going to happen. The WWE will not reduce the number of PPVs they put on for better stories. The only reason it would happen is if they start losing money.
When I look the current card for Over the Limit, I do not see a single midcard match. Two wrestlers who should be wrestling midcard matches are part of the four way for the World Title. In this Pay-Per-View Randy Orton and Chris Jericho should be working midcard matches, but they are shoehorned into a title match. This booking feels to me like someone saying "We need to get the most out of our roster," not realizing this works against that idea.
Building a midcard is a long term development issue. It is not something that will bring in money right away, so it is hard thing to get any company to invest in. In the long run I think a well developed midcard will make for more interesting story telling.
Right now the midcard of the WWE seems like a waiting room. Wrestlers in the midcard are just waiting for their shot at the main event. If the midcard is just a waiting room for the main event, it feels like the stories being told there are less interesting. It seems like the fans are spending the time waiting for the important push for these wrestlers and not being entertained by them on the midcard. Because the midcard is a wasteland and wrestler we think can be a main eventer, it feels like no one is invested in what happens there
I know that the world of wrestling was different at that time. At that time there were no main event level guys on weekly television, there were only four Pay-Per-Views a year and most of the business was done at house shows. The stories moved at a different pace. For a long time the WWE had a log jam at the main event level. The midcard had to be interesting.
I really think the problem is how the WWE spends their time on their TV shows. It seems like they do not take the time developing Mid-card feuds on Raw and Smackdown. It seems like all of the time on these shows are taken up with the top of the card and introducing characters. It seems like we are more likely to see a squash match than a good non belt related story on the mid card.
I know part of the issue is the current Pay-Per-View schedule. Once one PPV is over, you need to start building to the next PPV. This puts a demand on the top of the card. They have to focus on the top of the card. If the WWE has a different PPV schedule they could do this. That is like wishing the NBA is going to have fewer games or that ice cream would not be fattening, is it not going to happen. The WWE will not reduce the number of PPVs they put on for better stories. The only reason it would happen is if they start losing money.
When I look the current card for Over the Limit, I do not see a single midcard match. Two wrestlers who should be wrestling midcard matches are part of the four way for the World Title. In this Pay-Per-View Randy Orton and Chris Jericho should be working midcard matches, but they are shoehorned into a title match. This booking feels to me like someone saying "We need to get the most out of our roster," not realizing this works against that idea.
Building a midcard is a long term development issue. It is not something that will bring in money right away, so it is hard thing to get any company to invest in. In the long run I think a well developed midcard will make for more interesting story telling.
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