If you were a booker

[Slapchoppin]

i'd make the refs enforce the no striking with a closed fist rule

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

Go back to 3 minute matches on tv, tons of run ins and women know their place and take their tops off bro

Every main event should end after 5 minutes due to an NWO run in

 

[Sanshou Kid]

I don't have one, because there's so much shit that needs to be fixed.

Heels:
- You are not supposed to be cool, stop trying to be cool.
- Cheat, I don't care how you do it, just cheat
- You're not supposed to be doing cool moves to get people chanting "This is awesome", you are not supposed to be appreciated for your workrate, you're supposed to be disliked, stop doing stuff to be liked.
- If you're going to be funny, have them laughing at YOUR OWN EXPENSE! If they're laughing at the babyface, then they're not going to like him and they're going to like you, which isn't the point of what your job is.

Faces:
- You're not supposed to cheat, you're supposed to be the GOOD GUY.
- Stop starting the matches with punches, it's a WRESTLING match, not a FIGHT. You only start punching when you're firing up for a comeback, because the other guy is cheating (if he's doing what I tell him to do, which he should be if I'm the booker), the punches are supposed to signify that you're sick of this motherfucker and his cheating and you're now gonna kick his ass.

Promos:
- Don't bury your opponent, because if you lose to them, you're gonna look fucking stupid, and if you beat them, who gives a shit, you made him look like shit, so you didn't gain anything from it.

Miscellaneous:
- There's this thing in wrestling called SELLING, it helps with the suspension of belief that what the guy is doing to you fucking hurts, if he does something to you, you better fucking sell it. There's a reason why Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels and Macho Man vs. Steamboat are considered all time classics, and people have already forgotten about Ospreay vs. Ricochet. Selling moves and psychology creates DRAMA and EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT. More people remember the dramatic and emotional matches more than a bunch of flippy spots where shit doesn't get sold.
- Outside of storyline reason or if I'm pushing a monster; If you have a weapon, you only need to hit the guy ONCE. Because if you hit him a bunch of times, you look like a huge pussy because you couldn't end a fight with a weapon, when he didn't have one, and it gets the weapon over as something significant. If you hit the guy with a chair, and he goes down like you've just shot him and he doesn't get up, the next time you reach for the chair, people think "Oh shit, he's got a chair, get out the fucking ring!" However, if you hit him a bunch of times, and he keeps getting up, the next person who grabs a chair, nobody is going to give a fuck, they've seen it.

Honestly, all of this. Booking wrestling isn't hard, so to speak, I really don't get why WWE who have people on staff who have been in the business what, 30+ years seemingly have no clue at times.

To add to that list and, this is something admittedly they have started doing again, jobber matches. You can get your main talent over without having to make one of your other main talents look bad and, saves the week to week 50/50 booking nonsense. Those matches are opportunity to get over someone's moveset more, their mannerisms and, they needn't sell so much. I saw a tag match with Cesaro and Sheamus against a jobber team recently and, they weren't selling for those bums and, why should they? They offer no threat and, it makes the team look more formidable, without it being at the expense of other 'names'

And, it is ok to put someone over. This 50/50 booking shit needs to stop, someone can lose a feud, it isn't the end of the world, you can build them back up again. That ties into the comment earlier about faces getting their revenge on the heels at the end, I feel.

 

[streets ahead]

I don't have one, because there's so much shit that needs to be fixed.

Heels:
- You are not supposed to be cool, stop trying to be cool.
- Cheat, I don't care how you do it, just cheat
- You're not supposed to be doing cool moves to get people chanting "This is awesome", you are not supposed to be appreciated for your workrate, you're supposed to be disliked, stop doing stuff to be liked.
- If you're going to be funny, have them laughing at YOUR OWN EXPENSE! If they're laughing at the babyface, then they're not going to like him and they're going to like you, which isn't the point of what your job is.

Faces:
- You're not supposed to cheat, you're supposed to be the GOOD GUY.
- Stop starting the matches with punches, it's a WRESTLING match, not a FIGHT. You only start punching when you're firing up for a comeback, because the other guy is cheating (if he's doing what I tell him to do, which he should be if I'm the booker), the punches are supposed to signify that you're sick of this motherfucker and his cheating and you're now gonna kick his ass.

Promos:
- Don't bury your opponent, because if you lose to them, you're gonna look fucking stupid, and if you beat them, who gives a shit, you made him look like shit, so you didn't gain anything from it.

Miscellaneous:
- There's this thing in wrestling called SELLING, it helps with the suspension of belief that what the guy is doing to you fucking hurts, if he does something to you, you better fucking sell it. There's a reason why Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels and Macho Man vs. Steamboat are considered all time classics, and people have already forgotten about Ospreay vs. Ricochet. Selling moves and psychology creates DRAMA and EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT. More people remember the dramatic and emotional matches more than a bunch of flippy spots where shit doesn't get sold.
- Outside of storyline reason or if I'm pushing a monster; If you have a weapon, you only need to hit the guy ONCE. Because if you hit him a bunch of times, you look like a huge pussy because you couldn't end a fight with a weapon, when he didn't have one, and it gets the weapon over as something significant. If you hit the guy with a chair, and he goes down like you've just shot him and he doesn't get up, the next time you reach for the chair, people think "Oh shit, he's got a chair, get out the fucking ring!" However, if you hit him a bunch of times, and he keeps getting up, the next person who grabs a chair, nobody is going to give a fuck, they've seen it.

I agree with everything except the Heel not doing cool moves.

 

[Max Power]

If I was a booker I would say to everyone hit this, this and this in your promo - fill in the rest yourself. If you can't cut a promo then GTFO!

 

[Blackjack]

What would be one rule you would enforce? I would never let any match other than the main even have spots where one guys kicks out of the others finisher. Save that shit for the main event.

The whole idea of a finisher to be used by just one wrestler i eery match is moronic. If you come up with an effective maneuver, or hold, what would stop others from using it? Can you imagine only one man able to use a kimura in NHB or MMA? Also, why would you want to make it so easy for your opponents to know how you're going to try to win the match? They'll spend their time working on counters, reversals, etc.

One rule I'd enforce is no punches or kicking. This isn't kickboxing; it's wrestling. he most I'd allow would be Dory Funk's European forearm. That way when you get to a no rules match like a Texas Death Match or Steel Cage match the fans have something to look forward to - punches and kicks and basically a more violent style.

 

[Blackjack]

I agree with everything except the Heel not doing cool moves.

Someone doesn't want heels to be able to do any cool moves? That's irrational. Whether a man is morally good or bad doesn't affect his athleticism!

Besides, most wrestlers have heel or face turns at some point. What is the "logic" behind the theory that upon turning face, a former heel would suddenly became much more athletically talented or vice versa? That's exposing the business!

It's not necessary from a character standpoint either as in other sports there are some extremely unlikeable athletes who still pull of some amazing, exciting maneuvers. It doesn't keep them from being hated.

The Road Warriors were heels and the most successful tag team in history. Their "Doomsday Device" - a clothesline by Hawk off the top rope while Animal held one of their opponents of his shoulders was very cool but they were still the most successful team, heel or face, in pro wrestling history.

 

[Blackjack]

Another rule I would strictly enforce is never have your champion beg for his opponent to show mercy. Ric Flair as NWA Champion used to actually get down on his knees and beg his opponent to take it easy on him! Even as a child I thought to myself "If this is the quality of athlete that they consider their "champion" then their whole promotion along with the quality of their referees and especially their wrestlers must be far lesser quality than what they claim and that makes me less inclined to go to one of their events. Someone who is the champion of your promotion sets the standard for excellence. If the standard of excellence in your promotion is your champion getting down on his knees and begging, I'm going to have a hard time staying interested I'm watching. Harley Race, 8 time NWA Heavyweight Champion, never begged for mercy from his opponents and he was as good a heel as there ever was in pro wrestling history.

 

[Blackjack]

Have believability take priority over acrobatics. Make it look like a wrestling match or a fight - not a circus. If you've got a top rope spot that requires your opponent to lie motionless in the ring for 5 or 10 seconds, don't do it! If your opponent is that hurt, he could simply be pinned! The objective is supposed to be to win!

Also never allow your wrestlers to turn their backs on their opponents.

 

[Ozymandias]

I would just cut out all the long overdrawn segments and just have longer matches.

 

[streets ahead]

No blind tags. Establish clear rules for a legal tag enforced by the ref.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

Champions, whether World or IC, never lose, unless they lose the strap.

More mat wrestling.

Mix up wrestling. Equal, face on top, heel takes over, face takes over after failed rest hold, finish, is predictable and boring.

Size and looks matter.

Change the ring set up to how it was in the early 90s. Sounded so much better.

Character flamboyance and diversity.

Wrestlers are actors so they need to simulate real fight emotions. They need to act with more aggression.