WWE policy that I have never understood...

Hi all, this is my first article so be gentle!

I always enjoy reading your opinions and comments so hopefully you can answer a question that has been bugging me for some time about the WWE.

When WWE sign a talented wrestler who we know from their work with other promotions can pull off some amazing looking moves, do they always insist in limiting their move set to a few moves only.

I can understand giving them a few signature moves that everyone associates with them and can also understand that some moves that they can get away with on the indie circuit are probably a bit too dangerous for WWE (piledrivers ect). But honestly what does the WWE gain from limiting move sets?

A few examples are Daniel Bryan who they regularly mention knows hundreds of holds but we only usually get to see the same few, CM Punk who if you watch some of his indie work on Youtube pulls off some awesome looking moves that we never see in the WWE. Even some lower card & development talents like Paul Burchill, Kassius Ohno, Seth Rollins and the like have had their move sets limited by WWE. Wouldn’t it be great if matches were sometimes less predictable with different moves thrown in?

I presume it's a mixture of WWE believing that the fans like familiarity and that with the WWE13 etc game range where each wrestler has the certain move sets.
Also it'd show up Cena if everyone had even more moves than him.

cheers Hero. I did wonder if it was something to do with not wanting to highlight just how limited John Cenas move set is. Didn't think about the games but that is a fair point.

I still feel it would be a more interesting product if the more talented members of the roster were allowed to mix it up every now and then whilst keeping a core set of signature moves and I don't think it would alienate the fans provided they used moves that fit with their personality or gimmick.

I think there are a few reasons - WWE take their influence on young audiences seriously and wouldn't want lawsuits by parents sueing them for their child having their neck or spine broken by some incredible move they'd copied off of the WWE. Children are impressionable. There is also the principle of sacrificing the minority for the majority - WWE want to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, whereas indie promotions are for a niche 'smark' market and indie style wrestling doesn't always appeal to everyone, especially those who enjoy more story driven wrestling shows. Furthermore, the WWE touring schedule is far more demanding then many indie promotions and a smaller moveset is easier on the wrestlers' bodies. Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) said as much when he made the move to WWE, explaining he couldn't perform his ROH moveset on a WWE schedule, it would be too gruelling and painful on the body. There is also the fact that Vince no longer sees himself as a 'wrestling promotor' but an 'entertainer' and therefore he looks at the overall entertainment factor of the product not just purely in the wrestling sense. So movesets are only one part of the entertainment factor of the product not the be-all-and-end-all.

talkingpoint wrote:I think there are a few reasons - WWE take their influence on young audiences seriously and wouldn't want lawsuits by parents sueing them for their child having their neck or spine broken by some incredible move they'd copied off of the WWE. Children are impressionable. There is also the principle of sacrificing the minority for the majority - WWE want to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, whereas indie promotions are for a niche 'smark' market and indie style wrestling doesn't always appeal to everyone, especially those who enjoy more story driven wrestling shows. Furthermore, the WWE touring schedule is far more demanding then many indie promotions and a smaller moveset is easier on the wrestlers' bodies. Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) said as much when he made the move to WWE, explaining he couldn't perform his ROH moveset on a WWE schedule, it would be too gruelling and painful on the body. There is also the fact that Vince no longer sees himself as a 'wrestling promotor' but an 'entertainer' and therefore he looks at the overall entertainment factor of the product not just purely in the wrestling sense. So movesets are only one part of the entertainment factor of the product not the be-all-and-end-all.

interesting points and all make sense. Thanks for the answers. I wasn't aware that Seth Rollins said that when he joined WWE. I don't watch much indie stuff, I guess they work a lot less dates than WWE then?

I suppose that by limiting the movesets it also gives them an easy way to give the fans an omg moment during a big PPV match.

probably also helps the guys in the ring as it it less for the superstars to remember when they are in the ring with them they know what they are going to do next so they can anticipate it abit better maybe? just another idea to throw in there but i might be wrong