After a while (talking around 89), all the top talent ended up in WWF or WCW.  ECW came along after a while offering something different--but things became more about TV ratings, and then came the Monday Night Wars.  More people tuning in, the envelope being pushed, but the biggest "hurtful" thing about the "wars" was that TV had to feature top matchups--bye, bye jobbers.  Now everything is pretty much under 1 banner now, and everyone knows it.  There are really not a lot of top guys around the country anymore to move territories like it was in the past.  WWE just has their farm, filled with cookie cutter guys.  There is no fresh feel, because guys are not moving in and out of the TV picture.  Just think of the 80s when VKM pulled in these guys from all over:  Hulk, Piper, Valentine, Orton, Orndorff, Steamboat, Windham, Savage, then later all the UWF guys--there is no quality like this to bring in to WWE today.  Sad.

Quote from Graham Cawthon on Jul 11^th, 2007, 9:59pm:

 
That's a good point, Graham - whilst we remember what the function of the pre-MNW squash match format was, and we can see that it would have some validity today (if for no other reason than to 'buy time' showcasing talent without having to show top guys selling or jobbing too much, or wasting marquee matches) it resulted in a very different type of TV. In this day and age it might be suitable for a Heat-type B-show, in between recaps and getting over the angles from the main shows, but it is simply a completely different animal than what the audience is used to seeing from primetime wrestling. To be honest, even when I didn't know any better, as a young kid I found the week after week squash match format of Wrestling Challenge boring. It was frustrating as I really wanted my weekly fill of wrestling, but soon I learnt that the matches were pointless as (with a few notable exceptions) it was the same crap over and over again, it was largely non-competitive, and I would just sit through the matches waiting for any interviews, news, angles etc....
 
Today, the logic remains somewhat - you have 'Glorified J's' like Jim Duggan, Eugene, Cryme Tyme, Santino Marella etc (& soon, one Randall Orton) - but they generally aren't used to put people over as much as just lose to others at a similar level, as almost no importance is placed on anything other than the top stuff in WWE, and there is generally no upward mobility for any non-Zahorian prospects. So in 2007 we have the other extreme - even big competitive matches don't mean much, except the biggest of the big 2 or 3 PPV main events per year, or well-booked comebacks. So I guess there is some kind of logical 'middle ground', or more appropriately - a new format - for Raw & Smackdown to take. They have a lot of PPVs to sell, their roster is thin, and they typically do quite a bad job of creating new stars and getting angles / matches over for the PPV, plus the TV shows are usually filled with a lot of stuff that's just thrown out there, so I guess the obvious thing would be to make the shows more angle & interview oriented, where the matches are longer and used very simply to build to PPV. Basically create an environment where personalities are allowed to thrive and develop, with much more psychology and 'storyline' involved in building the matches, instead of the usual 'we have PPV time to fill in 3 weeks - we now have a feud and will exchange wins for the next month', have longer pre-recorded segments building the story behind upcoming matches. You could also have constant 'plot devices' like ongoing tournaments in between each PPV to be, say, the number one contender for the IC title - i.e things that are naturally episodic, and are easy for the viewer to follow when used to push a new wrestler. Furthermore - they could do a deal where when a PPV main event is signed, the participants can't be booked in a match together, and/or the champion can be booked to defend his title on TV before his next contracted defense (except  in rare special circumstances where it can be made into a big deal)....
 
Just some thoughts: instead you have Bobby Lashley beating everybody. It might be more effective for him to just beat one person in a long hard fought victory, or even to not wrestle at all....
 
Also - the GM gimmick in its current form, where random decisions are made in the spur of the moment, should die, replaced by neutral & rarely seen authority characters. The point is that I think 'heels' have been killed by the heel GM deal, as people know that the real difference is made by the angry heel GM so the heat is all on that person with the heel wrestlers as their 'minions' rather than the ultimate conflict being with the heel WRESTLER who will actually work the matches. When you do need to pull something unfair in order to go for the 'righteous indignation dollar' for the babyface, then use J.J Dillion-esque managers & schyster-like lawyers etc to 'unfairly' turn events in their favour & against the face. It's much more realistic, believeable & interesting than Coach laying up some random stips against John Cena....