Storylines then and now

Say Hey Kid

NY was his town & it always would be
Dec 10, 2007
23,620
5,496
This seems like it belongs in Classic Wrestling Discussion.
 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
18,042
12,663
I find that most of the storylines from the past decade are terrible or barely qualify as storylines. A lot of them are generic feuds about who does or does not respect who, and that's in pretty much every promotion. Not a lot of things go long term, particularly with WWE and the amount of content it needs to push out. I liked the storylines of the mid to late 90s best, even though they sort of set the trend for the terrible storylines that followed. There were great long term storyline before the 90s as well.
 

CaptainCrunch67

Registered User
Aug 23, 2005
6,472
1,063
Storylines are created on the fly now and they suffer because of it, also because there's a ppv like once a month they move at blistering speed and often get confusing, not fully developed or just plain dropped.

Story lines in the 80's and early to mid 90's were just flat out better because they seemed realer and didn't have some dopy flunky soap opera idiot writing it or the companies owner writing it because it makes him laugh (I'm looking at both of you Tony and Vince). Feuds back then would last like months.
 
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Kaner9

Registered User
Nov 10, 2019
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NJ
Storylines are created on the fly now and they suffer because of it, also because there's a ppv like once a month they move at blistering speed and often get confusing, not fully developed or just plain dropped.

Story lines in the 80's and early to mid 90's were just flat out better because they seemed realer and didn't have some dopy flunky soap opera idiot writing it or the companies owner writing it because it makes him laugh (I'm looking at both of you Tony and Vince). Feuds back then would last like months.

True the stories all seem like a kid or old man with no attention span (wonder who?!) makes them and forgets half the details. I dunno about 80s stories but the 90s ones from ECW era and after and then 2000s stories are better no doubt.
 

alko

Registered User
Oct 20, 2004
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Slovakia
www.slovakhockey.sk
Wasn't Macho Man involved in the top ever story-lines? I have still in memory Ric Flair : Macho Man, Jake the Snake Roberts vs Macho Man.

Then there was this feud vs Hulk Hogan...
 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
18,042
12,663
Wasn't Macho Man involved in the top ever story-lines? I have still in memory Ric Flair : Macho Man, Jake the Snake Roberts vs Macho Man.

Then there was this feud vs Hulk Hogan...

Those were good storylines. The George Steele one and the Macho King vs Ultimate Warrior as well. Things with Macho Man in WWF were pretty Elizabeth-centric but they generally worked well. I'd say that he had the best storylines of any WWF wrestler in the late 80s/early 90s.
 

Roo Returns

Skjeikspeare No More
Mar 4, 2010
9,255
4,783
Westchester, NY
It's not really comparable because the 70s-80s was all about using tv to build for house show matches and eventually the WWF would have 1-3 big shows until KOR. TV was mostly squash matches and confrontations.

Once the Monday Night Wars came along, it was an entirely different ballgame.

Storylines were also given room to breath back then and booked year to year. Now it's like hour to hour.
 

Unholy Diver

Registered User
Oct 13, 2002
19,031
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in the midnight sea
Storylines from the past were more well though out and developed, it gave you more of a reason to buy in and hate the heels and sympathize with the faces, two that alway come to mind form me would be:

Savage crushing Steamboat's larnyx with the ring bell

Road Warriors gouging out Dusty Rhodes eye with a spike
 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
18,042
12,663
Storylines from the past were more well though out and developed, it gave you more of a reason to buy in and hate the heels and sympathize with the faces, two that alway come to mind form me would be:

Savage crushing Steamboat's larnyx with the ring bell

Road Warriors gouging out Dusty Rhodes eye with a spike

Actually selling the storyline over time makes a big difference. Present day storylines seem sped up to reflect tv time rather than actual time. Today Steamboat would be making crapy promos at the latest two weeks after being attacked, and the promo would be advertised before hand online.
 

TD Charlie

Registered User
Sep 10, 2007
36,266
16,113
It all comes down to exposure IMO. Back then you had to wait for and pay to see the up and coming babyface finally get his hands on the heel with the world title. Now, it happens multiple times per show.
 

Ozz

Registered User
Oct 25, 2009
9,459
673
Hockeytown
Wasn't Macho Man involved in the top ever story-lines? I have still in memory Ric Flair : Macho Man, Jake the Snake Roberts vs Macho Man.

Then there was this feud vs Hulk Hogan...

Don't forget on Raw's premiere when Repo Man stole his hat and kicked off that gem of a feud...


Honestly, I loved Repo Man
 

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