Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again with another deep dive into the world of pro wrestling. Today, I wanted to talk about something that’s been bugging me for a while: why did WWE get rid of elevated stages?
Getting Started
So, I started digging into this, and it was a real trip down memory lane. I remember the good old days when every pay-per-view had these crazy, elaborate stage setups. You had the Smackdown fist, the classic Raw stage, and so many others. It really added to the spectacle, you know?
The Investigation
First thing I did was hit up some old forums and articles. I found this one post by Andrew Zarian, he’s like, a big-shot wrestling journalist, talking about changes to their shows. Then I stumbled upon some discussions about the PG era and how that might have played a part. People were saying that after the Monday Night Wars and Vince buying WCW, things started to change, and maybe, just maybe, that’s when the stages started to disappear.
Diving Deeper
I wasn’t satisfied, so I kept digging. I watched this interview where WWE gave some reporter access to their behind-the-scenes stuff. It was pretty cool, but they didn’t really talk about the stages. But then I found out that back in 2002, WWF changed its name to WWE, and a lot of people say that was the end of the Attitude Era. Makes you wonder if that was the turning point, right?
Venue Issues
Then I started thinking about the practical side of things. I read somewhere that a lot of these venues WWE goes to are pretty small, some only holding around 3,000 people. Maybe there’s just no room for those big stages anymore. Plus, there are all these fees for broadcasting from different places. I bet that adds up, right?
Considering the Business Side
Another thing I considered was the business angle. I saw that WWE had this scaled-down production setup for some events, like before WrestleMania. Maybe it’s all about cutting costs. Those big stages were probably super expensive to make and move around.
The Conclusion
So, after all this digging, here’s what I think. It’s probably a mix of things. The shift to the PG era, the changing landscape of wrestling, the practical issues with venues, and of course, the good old dollar. WWE is a business, after all, and they gotta do what makes sense for the bottom line.
- The PG Era: Maybe the wild stages didn’t fit the new, family-friendly image.
- Venue Limitations: Smaller venues might not have the space for big setups.
- Cost Cutting: Those stages were probably expensive to produce and transport.
- Changing Times: The wrestling world is always evolving, and maybe elaborate stages just became a thing of the past.
It’s kind of sad, though. I miss those crazy stages. They were part of what made WWE so special. But hey, things change. At least we still have the memories, right? Let me know what you guys think in the comments!
