What is your definition of a casual fan?
I think there are a difference for, for lack of a better term between the general audience and “smart fans”, I suppose. And those who follow online a little closer. But I think to a degree, both are plugged in.
But the idea of a “casual fan”, who doesn’t follow the product regularly anymore, and tuning in for “big names”, is non existent. Bringing in guys like Austin or Taker for TV to bring up a rating no longer makes a difference. That attitude era crowd has tuned out, and aren’t coming back for anybody.
It might be the age, but I can point to the last few years where the WWE product became progressively bad and they’ve managed to turn me from actually watching (their) matches. I can pay attention to NJPW or AEW or ROH matches, but in the WWE product last years I was told way too often that what happens in their ring does not matter. Repetitive and rehashed storylines with lazy, formulaic matches does not help either. Put also the insulting your intelligence stuff there, the oversaturation of the product, hours and hours of the same, pushing guys against what people want to see, or when you see some of it (mainly in NXT) than it is SQUASHED on the main roster. It kills you inside. It’s not rewarding to watch anymore. It’s frustrating and tiresome. Even in NXT I hear the WWE speech in the commentators or backstage segments and I can’t force myself to be invested anymore. In AEW at least everything feels more natural and it is 2 hrs. a week that don’t make me feel like a stupid idiot for the most part, week after week (well, sometimes I watch Dark or BTE, but lately it’s really rare so it doesn’t really count).
NJPW is a treat, but I am so oversaturated with the other stuff that I mainly stuck to their main shows (and despite what it turned out to be - not giving the title to Naito couple of years back killed him for me). Perhaps cause I like the soap aspect of the American wrestling in general, the later years I am watching NJPW far less than before, but if I have to sit and watch a match or a show, it’s most likely a NJPW one (especially if Ishii is in).
Got carried away a bit there, but I hope I got my point over, sorry.
No worries man, and your points are all valid. Nothing that you have said here am I disagreeing with, I just think that sometimes internet fans get caught in a bubble and assume everyone thinks like them which isn’t true. It doesnt make their opinions wrong or invalid, just unique to them and others like them.
I hear you with the matches, when I watch a Raw or Smackdown I typically fast forward through the matches unless its something with meaning or something that feels special. I refuse to watch a 30min random 6 man match that has zero consequence. When I watch a Raw, I can get through a 3 hour show in 40min. With NXT I just watch the Takeovers, those IMO are great in the ring. I dont hear the WWE speak with NXT’s announcers, though maybe its because I watch around 4 shows a year.
I believe that Raw and Smackdown need a complete overall whenever shows have live audiences.
At the minute the logos, on screen graphics, the sets and theme music for the shows (Not the wrestlers theme music) need changing. For me it’s completely sanitized.
I remember in 97, The Raw Theme song was completely generic and then all of a sudden, they changed the Theme song to Thorn In Your Eye (It was just the best) the intro was the wrestlers walking amongst explosions in a Waste Yard and the presentation was cool, edgy and you wanted to watch it. Remember when Smackdown started in 99, everything looked really good then.
I’m just saying maybe you take what was popular during the Attitude Era and go with that look and feel. Just don’t do all the crap.
I’m not saying go completely go back to that but it was popular for a reason and I believe you can do a different take of the Attitude Era and make it work
Obviously there is crossover, however I would classify a “casual” WWE fan as someone who watches Raw or Smackdown every once in a while, follows no other promotions, doesnt read about wrestling online, and may go to a show when a Raw or Smackdown come to their local town. Just do the math, when WWE does a Raw or Smackdown, they may draw anywhere from what 5000-15,000 fans. There are not 5000 fans in each city watching Raw or Smackdown every Monday/Friday, as if there were their ratings would be through the roof, a lot of fans tune in here or there and if you promote a show well, more of those fans will watch.
I’m sorry but even by your definition of “casual fan”, you’re wrong. I can say first hand I know a bunch of people that fit into that exact category you say no longer exists, sure that’s anecdotal, but its true.