WWE TV's PG Rating

If you have not read my CGS article, here is an exsert on the PG rating. "I would like to talk about is the PG rating on WWE programing. People want to blame their dislike of the current product on that and I think that people are blowing it way out of perportion. It might be a small factor, but it is not the full reason. The WWE has had many physical, violent matches, without the use of blood, in the past. I would like to point out a few examples. Mankind vs. HBK at Mind Games 96, Mankind vs. Taker in the first ever Buried Alive match, Summer Slam 96. Austin vs. Dude Love at Unforgiven 98. I could go on with this but the point is, the PG rating thing is not that big of a deal. I think that there was so much blood that we come to expect it and it lost some of it's effect. I do wish that they would have had the HIAC PPV with a TV MA rating, but even those matches were very physical."

Even since the PG rating there has been some fantasticly physical and violent matches. Edge vs. Hardy in the Ladder Match and Punk vs. Hardy TLC come to mind. As well as Orton vs. Cena at Breaking Point and DX vs. Legacy at Breaking Point.

FLAWS.
What you are saying is the PG rating is based soley around blood and hardcore. Thats not MY problem with the PG rating. In fact, the less hardcore/extreme/bloodshed, the better (makes more room were actual wrestling needs to be). The PG rating is hurting WWE in the sense that the characters, storylines and promo have become utterly pathetic. Very childish, very fake, very "Oh my god, where are my CHIKARA tapes, at least when they do stupid thigns, its in a tasteful and proerpyl executed manner".

As well, did you take notice to EVERY match pre the PG Rating you mentioned involved Mick Foley (Whom works for TNA, not WWE now). And Jeff Hardy, whom you mnetioned twice no longer wrestles for WWE (as well, I found those matches boring on Hardy's part).

Back to my point, I want more actual wrestling, I could care less about the "physical" and "violent" nature of matches... I just want GOOD matches and GOOD promos/storylines/characters which the PG Rating is keeping locked up (and just like that ROH and TNA are on the prow picking up all the fans leaving WWE).

DX has still been funny, even with the PG rating. They can't do as many overt dick jokes, but they have still been funny. The opening DX segment on this weeks Raw was very funny.

I would hardly call Punks, Jerichos, Ortons, Takers and other promos water down. Jericho uses words that no child would understand. Punk rails on the evils of booze and also uses words children would not understand. Last week on SD, Taker talked about taking souls. Are Cena's promos a little childish, maybe, but after he dumped the rapper gimmick, he went with this promo style. That was long before the PG rating.

You want more current matches that have been great without blood? Taker vs. HBK, Orton vs. HHH, Taker vs. Punk in the Cell, Cena vs. Orton in the Cell, Jericho vs. Mysterio No DQ, I could go on. The worst part of the PG rating is that there are no more Bra and Panty matches, but that has lead to some better wrestling matches from the Divas. McCool, Mayrse, Mickie, Melina, have all done good things in the Diva division and Eve, Kelly Kelly, A. Fox, and the Bellas have all gotten better in the ring.

DX hasn't been funny for years. They are trying to be comedians, but they really do fail to make even the slighest smile crack on my lips... And I can be quite the easy going person >_> >_> >_> >_>

I never once stated that their promos were watered down... But now that you mention it... they are. Taker still sounds like he just ran 20 miles, and taking souls sounds like a VERY childish version of an already cliche and boring horror movie plot. Orton... Mister... Ro-bot-o. Jericho and Punk have always been good at making promos... Wait, let me back this up a bit... When Jericho was in WCW and WWF (and early WWE) HE was doing the things DX should be. He was a god, and an amazing promo-cutter. But now, he is slowing down.. His promos are starting to become stale... The words he uses are HARDLY big, and if a 10 year old doesn't know some of the words he is using, I am ashamed of our education system. Punk is VERY watered down, and its not at all his fault... Go watch a CM Punk, anti-drugs/drinking promo from his indy days... Now watch one now... QUITE a big difference. And I agree with the Cena notation. As for the Divas Division... They are slowly climbing up, but still bore. TNA's is miles ahead of them, and SHIMMER is just a giant compared to an ant (ant being WWE's division).

All of the matches you mentioned are quite sub-par. I think you might have mistaken me... I want good matches now that they have a PG rating because they cannot use as much blood... I am expecting more... Something like HBK vs Angle from WM 20/21 (?).

I disagree totally about DX not being funny, but we will never convince each other differently, so I won't try. You may think that Taker's promos are breathy, gravely, or whatever you want to call it, but he has not change the content, due to the PG rating.

Taker vs. HBK was an instant classic and if you can't see that, you must just be a WWE hater and nothing that the WWE does will make you happy.

I will agree with you that HBK vs. Angle was a brilliant match, but I will stand behind the matches that I mentioned. I will also throw the Jericho/HBK feud into that mix.

CM Punk as Jeff Hardy was brilliant. Punk's wrestling and his mic work has been great since his heel turn.

I was fine with the American badass Undertaker.... Also before the PG Rating (true, he changed before his PG rating, but at least he kept quite 98 percent of the time).

Taker Vs HBK is blown out of porportion. It wasn't... Bad, but it wasn't "OMFG!!!!1!! H0LY SHIZ NIT!!!!!!!!1!!". In fact, Dragon Gate: USA's CHIKARA 8 man tag match on "Enter the Dragon" was far more interesting, and that match was merely filler to bring CHIKARA fans over to the promotion. So... Random match beating what was called Match of the Year as far as skill, entertainment, pure wrestling ability ect. Of course WWE has had better matches then this... But, oh wait, this is all before the PG or deal. And even so! That doesn't change that the PG rating has brought WWE down in many ways. One good match out of thousands doesn't mean you are doing better.

The older Jericho Vs HBK was brilliant (WM 18), the one that happened as of late, not so much.

Have you even WATCHED and old CM Punk promo? Compare the two, though Punk is better as a heel promo wise, he is still kind of meh.... VERY meh when compared to his indy days (once again, I blame the PG rating, NOT Punk).

Jericho and HBK did not wrestle at WM18, it was WM19. Taker vs. HBK was not blown out of proportion. It had great physicality, great physcology and great drama.

I have not seen Punks pre-WWE promos, but nothing can top Punk coming to the ring with Hardy's ring gear.

If you prefer watching indy promotion, good for you, but that does not change the fact that WWE still has some great wrestling, especially on SD

CM Punk Vs. Samoa Joe Part II [ROH World Title Match] which went to a 60 minute draw. THAT is great physicality. HBK and Taker wasn't bad.. Its just that if thats WWE's best now, its kind of sad.

PLENTY of Punk's promos can top that. Though I did enjoy him making fun of Hardy, there are SO many better promos done by him. Him making fun of Spirit Squad in OVW, his "invisible microphone" promo, his "clown crowd" promo, his Straight-Edge Vs Drunks promo vs Raven, AND MORE! He isn't bad at promos, hands down the best in WWE at the moment.. But its S T I L L watered down compared to his indy work. You can't even make an argument about his promos now vs his old promos, WITHOUT seeing his old promos.

I do enjoy indies. And while that wouldn't change the fact that WWE is stale... WWE being stale does... And if the topic at hand is still the PG rating... That rating is helping the product stay childish and boring.... Do I smell another era of "when wrestling fans would watch WWE but never talk about it in public, from how ashamed they were" (though I am quite sure thats not word for word, it says this in the Rise and Fall of ECW novel).

Concrete Jesus wrote:

I have not seen Punks pre-WWE promos, but nothing can top Punk coming to the ring with Hardy's ring gear.

Orly?

Good stuff but making fun of Hardy is still my top Punk moment. There is a eb and flow to the wrestling industry, always has been. The PG rating won't last forever. I still love the WWE though. Don't get me wrong, I don't love everything about the WWE right now, but I can't blame the PG rating for its short comings.

Concrete Jesus wrote:

Taker vs. HBK was an instant classic and if you can't see that, you must just be a WWE hater and nothing that the WWE does will make you happy.

I hated this match...it sucked major balls. And I'm no WWE hater.

OK, you hated that match, but there have been many other physical, violent match since the PG rating. Randy Orton hung Cena on the ring post and tortured him. That match was brutal, even without blood.

Lulz @ Deathlocke for thinking we will see actual wrestling in the WWE.

We will see more in CZW than we see any in the WWE.

Silly Brett.

Straight-Edge Zach wrote:

Concrete Jesus wrote:

Taker vs. HBK was an instant classic and if you can't see that, you must just be a WWE hater and nothing that the WWE does will make you happy.

I hated this match...it sucked major balls. And I'm no WWE hater.

HELL TO THE YEAH!!!
Interesting note: That was an epic match sheerly because of the ginger kid in the front row, the wrestling was rather shit.

stl311 wrote:

Lulz @ Deathlocke for thinking we will see actual wrestling in the WWE.

We will see more in CZW than we see any in the WWE.

Silly Brett.

Yeah, a german suplex on to lightbulbs and barbed wire
If you think there is not some great wrestling happening in the ,WWE, then you are not paying attention. SD brings great matches week after week. This week there was a great Jericho/Taker confrontation, Knox vs. Mysterio, M. Hardy vs. Batista and the Dolph/Morrison feud is at a fever pitch. Mysterio took a machette shot to the balls, from that thug New Jack, you would watch.