What do you think the wrestlers hate more during their matches? Annoying, off topic chants (Rusev Day, CM Punk, We Are Awesome, etc) or fans just sitting on their hands?
I’m personally torn, silence shows that the match isn’t very good or at least not interesting to the crowd, but the chants really strike me as disrespectful, so I guess I’d prefer if you don’t like a match, go get a beer, text your mom, or just at least be quiet.
What do you guys prefer?
Personally I don’t like nonsense chants. It is fine to see industry fan chants, like whenever there is a two count proclaimed by the ref the fans yell “Too Sweet!” even in WWE, it is fine.
But as an example at an NXT house show over the weekend getting CM Punk chants or “We want tables” in a house show is stupid. CM Punk has never even been part of NXT and tables are not a mainstay in NXT so why do we hear those chants, probably because of alcohol and because they are trying to be funny smarks but wound up coming off as lame most of the crowd turned on them by the end of the night.
I think wrestlers depending on geography would dislike silence more. They are performers, trying to tell a story in the ring and silence tends to indicate a disinterested audience. Exception being maybe Japan they tend to clap for spots but otherwise are fairly quiet.
I think a lot of the time chants are an indication of support for one performer or the other, but there are always stupid ones but I think things like Rusev Day chants are not to screw with the wrestlers but to get the message across to WWE that they aren’t giving the fans what they want, rather they are actively ignoring them and thumbing their nose at them.
“CM Punk”, “We Want Tables”, and “What” chants can all go to hell. For completely different reasons, so can “This Is Awesome” and “You Deserve It”.
“We Are Awesome!” “CM Punk!” “Fight Forever!” and “2…Sweeeeet!” are the drizzling shits and need to die.
Everything else I can live with. The world does need more chants based on KC & The Sunshine Band’s ‘Give It Up’.
Silence stop pushes immediately.
You’d think the supposed smart fans would know this. But nope…you just work in the companies favor as they milk you for every penny you have because you want to “hijack the show”…genius…absolute genius.
I think you’ll find empty seats stops pushes more than any crowd reaction, or lack therefore of. Fans need to learn to vote with their wallets.
The chants are highly annoying! But the silence is a killer too, I noticed that during the PPV last night, there were a few big spots during the main event and no reaction from the crowd. Of course, that probably had to do with everyone knowing what the result was going to be
So Smacknowns recent attendance should be the reason why AJ Styles loses his spot as a top guy right?
Depends on where you wrestle.
Japanese fans in general are more like observers, especially during the PRIDE days. They only chant/cheer when they truly appreciate the action in the ring.
A silent crowd in America can mean different things, but it’s mostly negative, so you’re either not over or the match just isn’t good. But chanting stupid stuff during a match that isn’t related to the people involved is disrespectful and insulting. So I do think if those wrestlers have to pick their poison, they’d probably choose silence.
Yeah, I think I’d go with silence here. A good worker will know how to deal with stupid chants & crowds trying to get themselves over. Silence though is the ultimate show of indifference and that’s the one thing you don’t want to generate as a worker.
I think the crazier chants have been overdone, to the point that they really don’t have any affect on the performers or the company. I doubt you’d get a Sheamus/Orton reaction nowadays. That said, if people are chanting for a performer they really like (like the Rusev stuff, or Bryan from a few years ago) then go for it, at least its a somewhat positive move.
Smackdown has always had trouble maintaining crowds. But if I were in Vince’s shoes, I certianly would think about removing AJ from that spot and experimenting with someone else who can bring in those attendance numbers.
Silence is worse in my view as it means no one cares at all. At least with the annoying chants it shows that the fans do care enough to turn on the match, even if it’s in a negative way it shows they still care. The worst thing a wrestler can get is to work in silence.
How about just from your view as a viewer?
I personally find the chants more intrusive to my ability to enjoy a match, as not only does it take me out of the ring, trying to figure out what the heck these people are saying, but also forces the commentators to use verbal gymnastics to try and spin the chants as somehow connected to what’s happening in the ring, instead of just drunk people trying to be cool.
Sometimes I wonder if wrestling fans even like wrestling ha ha.
But that would still, at the very least, keep me watching. If it’s silent then I would switch off, I hate watching guys work to silence.
I would think the performers would hate the chants more when they’re cutting a promo. Unless you’re someone like Alexa or Owens, most seem to struggle with counteracting the chants on the mic.
I’m okay with “two sweet” chants and the like, but they’re mostly used to death. Silence doesn’t come across well on TV, but sometimes it’s caused by poor match placement on the show or stale booking.
Went to an Indy show this past weekend and a local wrestling school had guys there in the crowd who you could tell where doing chants just to get them selves over. On of the in ring wrestlers looked at them and told them to shut up and that he was there working and to stop being marks. It was really bad when they are duel chanting telling a guy to go back and retire, then please come back. Show some respect for the business. It is one thing for fans to be stupid but trainees or wrestlers should act better.
Silence is worse. Once the fans figure it out wrestling will never be the same again. I’m expecting the Reigns promo after Mania to be the night it finally happens.
And who would do that on Smackdown?
I don’t see AJ Styles losing his spot as a main event guy anytime soon. Vince knows he can rely on AJ for pulling off great matches when he needs it. Not all top guys, especially on Smackdown, can do this.
Smackdown Live attendances have always been an issue. It’s nothing new and it certainly won’t improve while the brand split is still applied.
Cena, obviously.