A WWE "offseason"; thoughts on it?

Charlie Haughy

I got the topic for this thread from this grantland article, and a reddit post

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9901222/a-quick-hell-cell-recap-modest-proposal-favor-wwe-offseason

A mandatory three months off every year for every wrestler. (For the record, I could easily argue for four and I'd settle for two.)

This time off — I'll just call them sabbaticals — is staggered and coordinated in advance so WWE is never left starless or otherwise short-handed.

Wrestlers can still be on TV while they're on sabbatical, in interviews or other pretaped segments. Think John Cena's recent rehab video, or the kind of serial promo videos once used to repackage characters.

In moments of great need, wrestlers can be called back into duty during their sabbaticals, but it can be mutually agreed that they will appear under these circumstances: (1) for promos and other non-wrestling purposes, (2) for a one-off PPV match, or (3) during the buildup to such a match. Under any of these situations, the time they're called back into duty will be added onto the end of their sabbatical, and under no circumstances are wrestlers required to travel to or wrestle at house shows.

Obviously, WrestleMania (and, to a lesser extent, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble) will upend the calendar to some extent; the likeliest fix is just to not have sabbaticals between January and March; another option would be to plan so the big names don't have sabbaticals during those months, and if a guy who was previously scheduled to have that time off rises in status unexpectedly during the course of the year, they can reschedule his sabbatical. (Another would just be to bring guys back for a few shows leading up to 'Mania, basically putting them on the same schedule the Rock's been on the past couple years.)

If wrestlers suffer an injury during their regular schedule and that keeps them off TV for a significant amount of time, that time can be reduced from their sabbatical, but only if they are sent home during recuperation. Think in terms of formally putting a player on the IR/DL in pro sports.

During the sabbatical, unless wrestlers are nursing a legitimate injury, they are required to spend two weeks at the Performance Center in Orlando working with developmental talent.

If certain wrestlers (I'm looking at you, John Cena) are so driven to succeed in the game that they feel unable to take time off, WWE should partner up with the NBA or NFL and set up a mentoring program so that real pro athletes can show wrestlers how to appreciate a few months off. I'm only half-joking here; LeBron spends summers making his game better in ways that are impossible during the regular season. Couldn't Cena be doing that?

It will probably never happen, unless the wrestlers form a Union for it, but perhaps when HHH takes over, he would take it into consideration?

I personally think it would be a great idea, and would keep WWE far more fresh with big name wrestlers coming back after their break, instead of those post mania slump they have every year.

Im interested to hear your opinions on this topic also.

EdK

Give them all staggered time off each year,better for the wrestlers health and better for the product they'd have to push and develop more people rather than always relying on the same guys.

Wrestlers dont need 2 months off. Just give them 2 months of 'tv only' appearances. The travel has to be the most tiring part of the job, anyway. Im sure they wouldnt say no to a 2 month period with only 8 appearances.

Mr.Nice Guy

It sounds good but Vince won't go for it as he constantly goes on about WWE having no off season.

DM_7

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wrestlers dont need 2 months off. Just give them 2 months of 'tv only' appearances. The travel has to be the most tiring part of the job, anyway. Im sure they wouldnt say no to a 2 month period with only 8 appearances.

There you go, a very workable solution to the issue.

EdK

Don't need an off season,that implies it shuts down for a period each year they just need to give the guys time to rest and recover not necessarily all at once,the tv only isn't a bad idea at all

gerrybbadd

I can only see positives with this proposal. The product would be kept fresh, wrestlers would have a chance to heal up, more new stars could be created.

I especially like the concept of having established stars spend time at the performance centre. This is not the 80s or 90s any more, it's time to smarten up. Wwe have made great moves in recent years to cut out headshots, and eliminate illegal substance use via their wellness policy.

Something like this would lead to better morale all around, and could actually prevent a pile of disgruntled wrestlers from getting together to form a Union.