Fwd: Reality Sports Feel: NJPW vs WWE

By Scott Keith on January 11, 2020

Hey Scott,

In the "Please Steal This It's Such An Easy Win" Department: Why do you think WWE does not copy over New Japan's post match press conference gimmick?
WWE TV (and all US wrestling) continues to be invested in the fabricated backstage skits from the 90s where everybody is pretending there is no camera there but then is clearly playing up to a camera. You would think that three decades in that it would improve or move forward (re: the Lucha Undergound stylized vignettes) but it has not. Meanwhile, NJPW really has the post-match presser as a constant for all its big shows and it does a great job of having wrestlers speak to the camera in a style that is familiar to sports fans all over the world.
Case in point, I have not seen the full Okada vs Naito match but the YouTube of the after math is amazing. First, you have Okada, a dynasty style champion in the vein of Tom Brady/Lebron James/Flair/Big Match Cena, deflated and perplexed after losing his most valued possession. We also get KENTA's brazen promo where he is totally gloating on ruining Naito's coronation. Bonus, Natio not even on the press conference video sells that he is either too injured, pissed, and/or embarrassed to speak. Cha-ching! More drama and context for a series of matches that can be easily re-shown on any of the promotion's shows or packaged off to other media as teasers for buying the PPV or jumping on to new stories.

I was under the impression that the original idea for Backstage was going to be exactly that sort of thing, but then plans changed and it went off the rails into whatever stupid kayfabe show it is now. But yeah, 100% that's a great idea. It would also help guys better understand their character, by answering questions in character.

Also, they should do one after NXT shows and let Matt Riddle answer all the questions.

Comments are disable in preview.