It’s something that has been more noticeable as of late. On the December 5th edition of SmackDown, between Lana’s excellent delivery of her nasty persona and Dean Ambrose’s “I-don’t-care” vibe, the promos cut during the show were excellent. However, while it may have just been me, there was definitely something off about that interaction. After Lana announced that Rusev would not be competing tonight, the crowd seemed quite. When Ambrose made a comment joking about how Lana was batting her eyelashes at him flirtatiously, the crowd didn’t generate a pop. While that didn’t define the entire night and those moments far from define an entire crowd, it made me stop and think about how important the audience is to live spectacles.

Every time the WWE Superstars and Divas go out to the ring, it is evident that they feed off the energy of the crowd. Whether they receive a loud pop greeted with cheers and applause or they are welcomed with a roar of boos and thumbs down, those reactions motivate the Superstars and Divas to bring their personas to life in a way that would fit that characterization even more. When the crowd gives no reaction, the steam is taken out from under anyone who wants to go over as a top face or heel. If you win a title and no one cheers, the element of the fanfare after a victory is taken away from that experience with a lackluster crowd. The same goes for a heel who says a disgusting, nasty, and evil comment. If no one gasps or boos, was the comment really that horrible to begin with?

This can occur beyond wrestling as well. Musicians vibe off of the excitement of the crowd at a concert. People who are on-camera participants in live television shows, whether it’s a taping of a daytime talk show or a late night talk show, a sketch comedy show, or even a taping of a sitcom, get instant feedback of whether or not what they’re doing is working. If no one says anything, it leaves people wondering if things are going good or bad in that moment. Especially in an era when not everyone can have tickets and when it’s looking exciting and optimistic for the future of entertainment, remember that the audience means as much to the performers as the other way around. Cheer that face (or boo him/her) and boo that heel (or cheer for them). Get excited, get loud, and make some noise. The Superstars and Divas themselves appreciate it too.

-Celine

One of my favorite nights of the WWE year is the Slammys. One thing about the Slammys is that it’s an excellent reflection of the highs and lows of the past year (which is still not even completely done yet). From shocking moments such as the Undertaker’s streak ending at WrestleMania and the WWE debut of Sting to happy moments like The Rock’s return to the WWE in New York and the tragedy of the untimely passing of the Ultimate Warrior days after his Hall of Fame induction, the deserving people won awards.

There was emphasis on the new generation, with a renewed interest in Dolph Ziggler in light of his Survivor Series victory, awards going to Dean Ambrose and nominations including the likes of Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt. Roman Reigns was Superstar of the year, showing that there’s still a want for him in light of his injury, and Diva of the Year AJ Lee gave a shout out to such NXT and newer WWE Divas as Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Paige. Speaking of Charlotte, the NXT Women’s Champion made her WWE TV debut as well. Such a push for the new generation was exciting to see on one of the biggest nights of the RAW calendar year. Here’s to an excellent new year and the rise of even more up and coming young stars.

-Celine

If you would have told me in 2010 that one of the most exciting story lines in the WWE would be the feud with the divas, I would have only imagined it in my dreams. However, that’s the case with feuds such as the AJ Lee/Bellas one generating a lot of attention. After AJ Lee made comments about both Brie and Nikki Bella that were not in the realm of PG, Nikki shot back on the 11/28 SmackDown with her rebuttal. However, according to recent tweets by her and real-life boyfriend John Cena, some of the content was edited out. Perhaps Nikki appeared too much like a face defending herself against AJ’s words to fit with her heel character? Social media sites such as Tumblr were quick to judge the comments, but keep in mind they are only doing what they are told to do—cut promos to help propel story lines forward. It’s an interesting turn but in the end, it helps to generate buzz for what can be argued as one of the most exciting divisions today.

-Celine

Two weeks ago, TNA Impact programing began to broadcast only on YouTube as Impact Wrestling parts ways with Spike TV in preparation for their jump to Destination America. Year-in-Review shows soon followed on the channel but only after the YouTube night, an interesting move. In the meantime, if your cable or satellite provider has it, Lucha Underground is an excellent alternative along with various televised independent organizations. Back to TNA and its TV deal, the decision to move TNA highlight shows to YouTube can almost compare to the WWE’s Network—programing focused on media formats other than traditional TV. Would it have been better to keep TNA shows on television for an extra week even with the deal ending soon or is it best to move the content to YouTube to help spice the appetite for TNA’s triumphant return to television in January? Such is another sign of the changing times of the distribution of not only pro wrestling but television and entertainment content in general. Here’s to a bring 2015 for TNA Impact.

-Celine

TNA President Dixie Carter revealed the new Impact Wrestling logo, which you can see above. TNA will use the new logo beginning with Impact’s debut on Destination America.