Excessive attacking and assaults, backstage, after matches. Too much?

[Ramaeno]

Hi all, this is the user formerly known as Ramaeno incase anybody remembers me by my old username.

 

I was thinking about this, and just wanted to throw this out there. I will start off by saying I could be totally, 100% absolutely wrong about this, and if so, so be it. Nevertheless, it seems to me that a lot of people use this angle, I mean, as a primary angle that features alot in their shows. I just wanted to suggest that things could be more fun, and you can push your creativity to new levels, maybe if you use this angle sparringly.

 

I think old school fans who grew up on a different era of wrestling, as that is the kind of fan that I am, maybe just see things differently. When there was a post match attack or backstage beatdown, it was often a huge deal when it happened and by itself setup matches between the parties for weeks to come, culminating no doubt with a PPV blow out bout.

 

Some examples of this would be the Honky Tonk Man attack on Macho Man and Elizabeth at Saturday Night's Main Event. The backstage assault of Macho Man against Hulk Hogan when the Mega Powers began to... "explode" if you weel. Or, I'll use my favorite wrestler of all time in this, but when the British Bulldogs broke up, in Stampede Wrestling, a backstage assault segment was used to make it happen.

 

So if you were like me, growing up on that kind of wrestling, you were probably or possibly, like me, when the Monday Night Wars began and took off, somewhat shocked and incredulous when the post match attacks and backstage beatdowns started happening, 2, 3 times a show and then in the glory days of horrible WCW booking it seemed like there were more in ring beat downs and backstage brawls than actual matches, and I think I remember gradually growing mortified by seeing that all the time and honestly match interferences became so predictable you could throw up and wishing for the days of a 20 minute main event thriller with no interference, no ref bumps and a decisive 1-2-3 and *gasp* maybe the match would not end with a "finishing move" either... oh, the horror.

 

Yes my personal bias is I really hate the concept of "finishing moves" as a former amateur wrestler in school and other experience I'd like to keep personal, but in amateur wrestling, I can just imagine it now, trying to compete with a "finishing move" the idea is both hilarious and scary, I digress..

 

I've seen card results in screen shots and dynasties and what have you and I just have seen so much of this post match in ring assaults and backstage beat ups, I just thought that it was happening so much in so many places and such overkill that I just thought maybe people were doing it and not being aware, but maybe they are too and maybe Im the one whose out of touch or wrong here, but I think maybe it'd be good if you could challenge yourself, broaden the proverbial creative horizons and diversify your stories, shows, and cards and put together different things... 4-5 in ring beat downs and backstage assaults per show every show, I just cant imagine... but I dont watch the modern American product anymore and havent since around the invasion angle so again I could be out of touch.

 

If you'd like an example, from real life, of something like a creative, out of the box "segment" or "angle" I will give you one right now:

 

So as some know, Asian history is my real life trade, specifically Japanese history (focusing on the Muromachi period.) Naturally I have great affection for "puroresu". In the late 90s Japan had a psuedo phenomenon "sports celebrity" in the Olympic medalist Judo champion Naoya Ogawa. He became a sort of protege to the recently retired Antonio Inoki who was however, also, becoming less and less interested in pro wrestling as a whole (this is a man whose life long dream has been to invent something of Thomas Edison like historical relevance and as a result has nearly lost everything several times, one example being an attempt to find alternative energy to fossil fuels by trying to create a machine that would turn sugar cane/pure sugar into gasoline. crazy? yes.) and actually he'd be gone from the company he founded, NJPW, in due time. But at this time Naoya Ogawa was THE man.

 

They put him over Shinya Hashimoto match after match and up until that time Hashimoto was THE man. Doing this was very risky because it may've backfired as Hashimoto was beloved and in Japanese culture it's a bit of a taboo what they were doing. Not to mention the *way* that Ogawa went over Hashimoto, knocking him out on one occassion, making him a bloody mess in another occassion....

 

Anyway, the decision was made to try and further get Ogawa over and even potentially get him over to the US audiences by getting the NWA involved and putting the NWA title on Ogawa. This is the late 90's early 2000's and the NWA was just kind of getting itself out of the black hole it had been in since Shane Douglas incident and also it was capitalizing on it's WWF air time and the general wrestling boom. At the time, Dan Severn was NWA champion.

 

So this "out of the box" creative angle went like this. Dan Severn arrived at Tokyo Narita airport with the NWA Championship and NWA President Howard Brody. The cameras were rolling and the Japanese press were swarming them, taking pictures. The original Tiger Mask, as a sort of NJPW "commissioner" was on hand with Naoya Ogawa and a host of young boys. The challenger and champion met face to face and then proceeded to the press conference area.

 

What happens next is that Tiger Mask initiates a "debate" about the use of open palm grappling gloves versus padded palm grappling gloves for the title match. NWA President Howard Brody and Dan Severn want nothing to do with the unpadded gloves, Naoya Ogawa on the other hand, wants nothing to do with the extra padding. No agreement can be reached and the title fight is called off. The press go crazy and scream and shout and Dan Severn and Howard Brody get the title and prepare to board a flight back to the US.

 

Suddenly a "special NWA envoy" arrives. Dory Funk Jr (with his insane wife, thats all Ill say.) And Dory Funk in this ambassadorial capacity is able to broker a peace/agreement between the parties and in addition he will be the guest referee!

 

Naoya Ogawa won the match and the belt and there you have a great example of some certainly for US audiences unusual and out of the box booking.

 

Like I said, I could be wrong, but I just thought I'd share my view on the matter.

[Lex Star]

<p>I just realized I haven't been using backstage assaults lately as much as I have in the past. My angles usually are interviews or microphone duels. </p><p> </p><p>

I had Randy Bumfhole and Rick Law brawl backstage every week though, until the Authority Figure got fed up and booked them in an I Quit match to end the madness. </p><p> </p><p>

My attacks outside matches usually come from Gargantuan, who routinely loses matches by 'Rage DQ' so he's unhinged to begin with. He very rarely gets pinned when he loses, it's a way to protect the monster and a way to show the fact you should fear competing with him. Sure you might get a 'win' against him, but at what cost?</p><p> </p><p>

Another time I had Colossus wreck Rogue before Rogue competed in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Title, because Colossus was the guy he beat to qualify for the match. I had 5 spectacular entrance angles before the match, and one Rogue getting destroyed angle. <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p>

I think the only time I've ever had interference or distraction during matches so far was with my jobber heel stable, trying in vain to distract their ally's opponents, or if I was having a tag team feud, if I had half of each team in a singles match with each other, the partners might get involved.</p><p> </p><p>

I usually take advantage of 'menace' angles by having a manager talk about how dangerous their client is. Like Heyman hyping Lesnar, while also talking about or even talking against Lesnar's opponent.</p><p> </p><p>

If someone in a storyline has a match on TV, I might have their opponent come out after the match and rant at them, but rarely attack them. I think it's because when I started the save, the overness of my roster wasn't that great, so taking advantage of menace and entertainment led to better ratings, and I just continued the trend.</p><p> </p><p>

Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of using attack angles way too much in the past, but I think I will continue to limit them, and use them fairly sparingly. That way when I debut a new stable of guys from developmental and they show up and destroy someone, it will have more impact.</p>

[Sigilistic]

I'm a big fan of using attacks sparingly as well. Over-use dilutes the impact. It's hard for announcers to genuinely sell the shock and horror of a sneak attack when it's happening like three or four times a night.

[Bigpapa42]

<p>I like the examples and some interesting booking. </p><p> </p><p>

Honestly, I try to avoid falling into the trap of the same angle over and over. The only ones I do that with are simple interview segments. To me, its simply diminishing returns. If every week has some kind of post-match or backstage attack, then any shock value is gone. Whereas when you use its sparingly, the impact is much greater. </p><p> </p><p>

I use a fairly simple, old school approach even when booking modern SE. I try to avoid too much in the way of backstage segments, and really don't like using the "magic camera" that captures all the dastardly events happening and being planned, but is never noticed by those who are conspiring in "secret".</p>

[Sigilistic]

<p>That said, I'll love finishing moves til I die. Pro wrestling isn't amateur wrestling, and I'm a big fan of the storytelling conceit of a wrestler perfecting a move so that's delivered harder and faster than any other wrestler could deliver. </p><p> </p><p>

But then, I'm also a firm believer than finishers should actually finish matches. Like sneak attacks, it should actually be a huge damn deal when somebody kicks out of a finisher. They should be protected.</p>

[Lex Star]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Bigpapa42" data-cite="Bigpapa42" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41742" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I like the examples and some interesting booking. <p> </p><p> Honestly, I try to avoid falling into the trap of the same angle over and over. The only ones I do that with are simple interview segments. To me, its simply diminishing returns. If every week has some kind of post-match or backstage attack, then any shock value is gone. Whereas when you use its sparingly, the impact is much greater. </p><p> </p><p> I use a fairly simple, old school approach even when booking modern SE. I try to avoid too much in the way of backstage segments, and really don't like using the "magic camera" that captures all the dastardly events happening and being planned, but is never noticed by those who are conspiring in "secret".</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I really liked when Hideo Itami was attacked to write him off for his injury and they didn't show who attacked him.</p>

[Dr. Hook]

<p>Well DK- I have to say I agree with you on the excessive run-ins, assaults etc. I grew up on 1970s wrestling, in WWWF territory and got to see an occasional NWA or AWA match. The attacks post-match were a shock, and really, at least to my young mind, enhanced the value of it to a story. Like Greg Valentine attacking Pedro Morales at an interview, or Crippler Ray Stevens suplexing Pedro on the concrete floor. </p><p> </p><p>

I came back to wrestling in the mid-late 90s and watched a lot of WCW and while enjoyable, it was competely different, and the matches were almost the angles, right? Anyway, when I play TEW, I try to book like the 70s and early 80s (before the Rock and Wrestling Cyndi Lauper Hogan crap). Like you, the attacks are rare and most angles are interviews, rants, challenges, etc.</p>

[AfRoMaN36]

I've always found that my strongest feuds are the ones where two top guys avoid actual contact until either the match itself, or a breaking point just before the match.