A few weeks ago, it was announced that former WWF and ECW performer, Don Callis, and one of early figures from Total Nonstop Action, Scott D'Amore will take over Impact Wrestling as Executive Vice Presidents of the company. The move was made public shortly after the Impact offices were moved to Toronto, which is also the base for Anthem Sports, the parent company that bought TNA earlier this year when the organization was on the brink of collapse. The almost unbelievable story of how Impact survived was already discussed so there's no reason to repeat that again, but it should be noted that after the GFW/Jarrett debacle a few months ago, Impact Wrestling was a promotion that could barely decide its name, let alone an actual direction for the fledgling league.
In many ways, when Jeff Jarrett, who co-founded NWA-TNA with his legendary father, Jerry, was brought back under the Anthem umbrella, The Fight Network executives hoped to catch lightening in a bottle again. Jarrett's family worked in the wrestling business for decades, and he took the TNA brand from relative obscurity on weekly pay-per-view in 2002 and elevated it to a national TV platform on Spike TV by 2005. The odds that Double J could take Anthem's wrestling project from the sparsely viewed Pop TV network and bring it back to prominence for a second time were slim at best. Jarrett, a veteran grappler with a series of well-documented problems outside of the ring, checked into rehab a few months ago to deal with his personal problems. Obviously, Jarrett's health is exponentially more important than Global Force Wrestling and hopefully he improve his health soon.
Still, that left Anthem without a true direction for their new purchase. The organization staggered along without any clear identity or brand throughout the duration of this year. Perhaps, this signing of Callis and D'Amore as a team to run the promotion will be the first legitimate "fresh start" the company has in at least 5-6 years. The reason being, neither Callis or D'Amore put finger prints on the promotion before, which by nature will give their concepts an originality that was not seen before under Anthem. In many ways, when Jarrett was brought back with GFW, he attempted to recreate an era of TNA from a decade ago, but the state of the industry has evolved. The X Division style that put TNA on the map during its early years is much more common place now and doesn't allow the promotion to stand out nearly as much as it did previously.
Callis, who worked for years on the Canadian scene and internationally as "The Natural," is probably best known for his work in the last 90s. As "The Jackal," the cult leader persona, he made himself a memorable character at a time when as many segments as possible were jammed into a show in an attempt to get an edge on the competition during the Monday night wars. Though his run on WWF TV was relatively brief, the exposure of the national platform allowed him to showcase his ability, and he debuted for Extreme Championship Wrestling as "Cyrus," a network official to include the real-life disputes between ECW and TNN into the weekly TV program. Callis flourished as a villainous persona, and finally had a chance to do some of his best work on a national stage. Unfortunately, after Callis became one of the best heels in the company and probably the entire business, ECW folded in early 2001. Once again, his stellar work brought him another opportunity, this time for Eric Bischoff's Fusion group that planned to buy WCW after the company lost $60 million under Vince Russo's direction. Joey Styles and Callis were an entertaining duo when they called the action for Extreme Championship Wrestling pay-per-views, and Bischoff wanted to sign the pair to become the new announce team of Nitro when he relaunched WCW in mid-2001. As history shows, AOL refused to broadcast wrestling, the Fusion deal was off the table, and Vince McMahon bought WCW for pennies on the dollar.
With the WWF as the only national company, and a somewhat rocky exit from the organization a few years prior, Callis left the wrestling industry entirely to purse further education with an MBA in business, an accomplish that led to his work with the government in Manitoba and even teaching a course of international business at a university. In my opinion, Don Callis is one of the hidden gems of the wrestling business, an extremely talented performer that just wasn't at the right place at the right time to get the chance to fully utilize his skills. His time in ECW gave the audience a peek at how a heel can still get heat in front of even the most jaded crowds, and had Fusion purchased WCW in 2001, it's safe to say that Callis would've been an asset to the relaunch of Nitro.
Proof of his knowledge and insight can be heard weekly on "Killing The Town," the podcast he co-hosts with his longtime friend, Lance Storm, another extremely underrated performer. When he returned to the genre after over a decade, the podcast garnered rave reviews and eventually led to a return to broadcasting, as Callis joined Kevin Kelly for the English commentary team for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
On-screen, most will known D'Amore as the obnoxious manager of the original Team Canada, but he had quite an extensive in-ring career prior to his time at ringside during the early episodes of Impact. A true journeyman, the Canadian veteran brings an expansive amount of knowledge to the table, working in almost every role possible during his lengthy career. After working as an enhancement talent for the WWF and WCW in the early 90s, D'Amore worked in several countries as well along with running an independent promotion in Canada for years. Aside from the previously mentioned managing role, D'Amore also worked as an agent and consultant for TNA for several years. Outside of the wrestling business, he assisted with his family's construction company.
So, what could be different for Impact going forward?
As I said before in previous articles, the key for Impact is to create legitimate revenue streams that can generate a profit. I would suggest that the biggest challenge for the new regime will be the distribution of the product. Pop TV is still a smaller network compared to a channel such as Spike TV so gaining more exposure to showcase the new direction will be extremely important. Along with that, improving the perception of Impact Wrestling will be an uphill battle. For many years, TNA was plagued with a cloud of negativity, particularly because of the business decisions made by Dixie Carter. Obviously, when the company had a tax lien and several lawsuits against them, it didn't create an optimistic tone about the future. Even after the Anthem purchase, the story that name was changed because Anthem didn't have the rights to Global Force, didn't help the public image of their wrestling project.
Earlier this year during an interview with The Wrestling Observer, Ed Nordholm admitted that the wrestling business was more complicated than Anthem executives thought it would be prior to the TNA purchase. Quite frankly, Nordhom sounded like he was in over his head with this new project, and to be fair, the sports entertainment industry is a very unique genre. That said, Nordholm made the smart move and knew he needed "wrestling people" to run a pro wrestling company. Acknowledging that he was in over his head proved that Nordholm is smart enough to make the right business decisions for a company.
As a way to promote their new roles within Anthem Sports, Callis and D'Amore appeared on the Talk is Jericho podcast, and the duo explained some of the basic concepts that they want to bring to the organization. Perhaps the most encouraging information from the interview was that everything the pair discussed was based in logic, which is something that TNA lacked for several years. Another major point was that talent can sign a deal with Anthem and retain the rights to their characters, which could be beneficial if a contract is offered to a free agent on the market.
If the Canadian team will be success in the relaunch of Anthem's Impact Wrestling remains to be seen, but this is probably the most optimistic environment for a "fresh start" the promotion had in years. Granted, it will undoubtedly be a process that will take a considerable amount of time to yield results. However, the fact that the foundation of the new management seems to be based on logical angles and a realistic approach to the market is a wise decision. All things considered, the decision to give Callis and D'Amore the opportunity to run the organization is probably the smartest decision Impact has made in several years.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Friday, December 1, 2017
UFC 218
Originally scheduled to feature Frankie Edgar in the main event, the
UFC 218 card was shuffled around and will showcase a rematch between the
UFC Featherweight champion, Max Halloway and former 145 LBS champion
Jose Aldo. Edgar, a former UFC Lightweight champion, sustained an injury
in training, prompting Aldo to sign for another contest against
Halloway. The 25-year-old Hawaiian knocked out the former champion in
the third round of their previous bout earlier this year.
In many ways, the event in Detroit, MI this Saturday could be a defining chapter in the career of the Brazilian athlete. Known for his extensive winning streak during the heyday of the WEC and his efficiency to land strikes, Aldo has fought professionally for the majority of his life. Turning pro at just 17, he escaped poverty in his native country through mixed martial arts. During his time in the WEC, the Zuffa-owned promotion that featured lighter weight classes before they were brought to the UFC, Jose Aldo embarked on an incredible winning streak and defeated every major contender in the 145 LBS division.
By the time Also stepped into the octagon to defend his Featherweight title against the charismatic Conor McGregor in 2015, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was undefeated for a decade, generating an 18-fight win streak and a record of 25-1. Quite simply, Aldo had no glaring flaws in his game, and the UFC 194 main event was probably the biggest stage in both fighters' careers at that point. It took just 14 seconds for McGregor to clip Aldo with a counter left hook, sending the 145 kingpin to the canvas. The referee halted the contest, and Conor's status as the top star in the promotion was cemented after the dynamic performance.
At UFC 200, Aldo defeated the previously mentioned Edgar via unanimous decision to win an interim 145 belt to rebound from the KO loss. Still, much of the aura around him had diminished, and the loss against Halloway earlier this year left his career path without much direction. Aldo didn't compete often in recent years, fighting at the most twice annual or sometimes just once a year. That scenario is a double-edged swords in some ways in terms of perception. When Aldo dominated the competition, his schedule almost added to his persona, as each bout was a rare appearance and seemed like a "special event" when he fought in the octagon. On the flip side, much of the mystic that surrounded him disappeared when he was KO'ed in 14 seconds, and his lack of fighting on a regular basis didn't give him the opportunity to truly reestablish himself.
If Aldo had fought more often instead of just once last year and once so far this year, he might've generated momentum ahead of this title rematch. Granted, an injury led to the replacement, but a title rematch after a KO loss doesn't exactly lend itself to the promotional aspect of a pay-per-view event. At the same time, Conor McGregor's decision to vacate the 145 LBS belt left the division somewhat flat.
As much as UFC brass tried to shoehorn McGregor's status as a two-division champion last year to use it as a marketing tool to be able to promote him even further, it came back to bite them. When McGregor was granted a shot at Eddie Alvarez for the 155 LBS championship, it was specifically to give the Dublin native the chance to win titles in two divisions at the same time. Conor never defended the belt that he won when he defeated Aldo, opting to move up to 155 to remain the Lightweight champion, which is why he vacated the Featherweight belt. Since that time, McGregor decided to cash in on a major payday to fight Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, but still hasn't defended the Lightweight title he won last year. As big of a star as Conor is, it's ironic that he technically has zero title defenses in the UFC. After the rumored $100 million he made to fight Floyd, there's speculation that McGregor might not return to the cage again, which would drastically reduce the amount of star power that the company has to promote on pay-per-view.
Essentially, the opportunity cost to promote and market Conor McGregor as strong as the UFC did left two weight classes without a direction or potential big money fights on the table. Plus, it did nothing to help solidify athletes in the divisions to possibly become stars themselves if they defeat McGregor. In some ways, McGregor became too big of a star for the UFC, because he can basically dictate his own terms at this point because of the major cash he made to fight Floyd, and for how strongly the UFC promoted him as the top star of the company. If he doesn't want to fight in the octagon for another year, what's Dana White going to do? Strip him of the title? If things go sour between McGregor and WME, Conor has more leverage in the negotiations because the company needs the star power, while the brash fighter doesn't necessarily need the cash. So, while Dana White will probably yield to Conor's demands to eventually get him to fight again and draw money on pay-per-view, the entire lightweight division flounders without a fighting champion.
How does this whole situation affect Jose Aldo?
The former champion needs a strong showing to stay relevant, which sounds odd because he only has three career losses, but again, his lack of a regular schedule hasn't generated much momentum, and he was knocked out in two of his last three contests. After such an extended career, is it possible that Aldo is past his prime? Keep in mind, he had to cancel fights several times in his career because of injuries so it's possible that it took a toll on him. At 31, Aldo should have at least a few more years of competition in his career, but his performance this Saturday might determine his options in the future.
The downside of all this is that if Aldo wins the championship without defeating the former champion, it might still label him as the "fighter that couldn't beat McGregor to become champion," similar to the unfair notion that Daniel Cormier isn't a completely legitimate champion because he didn't defeat Jon Jones when Bones tested positive for PEDs.
It remains to be seen it Aldo can be victorious in the rematch or if it answers any of the questions about his career, but UFC 218 does provide Max Halloway with a chance to make himself a star. Obviously, the scenario provides the opportunity for a new competitor to earn the top spot in the division so it's undoubtedly an important main event.
In many ways, the event in Detroit, MI this Saturday could be a defining chapter in the career of the Brazilian athlete. Known for his extensive winning streak during the heyday of the WEC and his efficiency to land strikes, Aldo has fought professionally for the majority of his life. Turning pro at just 17, he escaped poverty in his native country through mixed martial arts. During his time in the WEC, the Zuffa-owned promotion that featured lighter weight classes before they were brought to the UFC, Jose Aldo embarked on an incredible winning streak and defeated every major contender in the 145 LBS division.
By the time Also stepped into the octagon to defend his Featherweight title against the charismatic Conor McGregor in 2015, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was undefeated for a decade, generating an 18-fight win streak and a record of 25-1. Quite simply, Aldo had no glaring flaws in his game, and the UFC 194 main event was probably the biggest stage in both fighters' careers at that point. It took just 14 seconds for McGregor to clip Aldo with a counter left hook, sending the 145 kingpin to the canvas. The referee halted the contest, and Conor's status as the top star in the promotion was cemented after the dynamic performance.
At UFC 200, Aldo defeated the previously mentioned Edgar via unanimous decision to win an interim 145 belt to rebound from the KO loss. Still, much of the aura around him had diminished, and the loss against Halloway earlier this year left his career path without much direction. Aldo didn't compete often in recent years, fighting at the most twice annual or sometimes just once a year. That scenario is a double-edged swords in some ways in terms of perception. When Aldo dominated the competition, his schedule almost added to his persona, as each bout was a rare appearance and seemed like a "special event" when he fought in the octagon. On the flip side, much of the mystic that surrounded him disappeared when he was KO'ed in 14 seconds, and his lack of fighting on a regular basis didn't give him the opportunity to truly reestablish himself.
If Aldo had fought more often instead of just once last year and once so far this year, he might've generated momentum ahead of this title rematch. Granted, an injury led to the replacement, but a title rematch after a KO loss doesn't exactly lend itself to the promotional aspect of a pay-per-view event. At the same time, Conor McGregor's decision to vacate the 145 LBS belt left the division somewhat flat.
As much as UFC brass tried to shoehorn McGregor's status as a two-division champion last year to use it as a marketing tool to be able to promote him even further, it came back to bite them. When McGregor was granted a shot at Eddie Alvarez for the 155 LBS championship, it was specifically to give the Dublin native the chance to win titles in two divisions at the same time. Conor never defended the belt that he won when he defeated Aldo, opting to move up to 155 to remain the Lightweight champion, which is why he vacated the Featherweight belt. Since that time, McGregor decided to cash in on a major payday to fight Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, but still hasn't defended the Lightweight title he won last year. As big of a star as Conor is, it's ironic that he technically has zero title defenses in the UFC. After the rumored $100 million he made to fight Floyd, there's speculation that McGregor might not return to the cage again, which would drastically reduce the amount of star power that the company has to promote on pay-per-view.
Essentially, the opportunity cost to promote and market Conor McGregor as strong as the UFC did left two weight classes without a direction or potential big money fights on the table. Plus, it did nothing to help solidify athletes in the divisions to possibly become stars themselves if they defeat McGregor. In some ways, McGregor became too big of a star for the UFC, because he can basically dictate his own terms at this point because of the major cash he made to fight Floyd, and for how strongly the UFC promoted him as the top star of the company. If he doesn't want to fight in the octagon for another year, what's Dana White going to do? Strip him of the title? If things go sour between McGregor and WME, Conor has more leverage in the negotiations because the company needs the star power, while the brash fighter doesn't necessarily need the cash. So, while Dana White will probably yield to Conor's demands to eventually get him to fight again and draw money on pay-per-view, the entire lightweight division flounders without a fighting champion.
How does this whole situation affect Jose Aldo?
The former champion needs a strong showing to stay relevant, which sounds odd because he only has three career losses, but again, his lack of a regular schedule hasn't generated much momentum, and he was knocked out in two of his last three contests. After such an extended career, is it possible that Aldo is past his prime? Keep in mind, he had to cancel fights several times in his career because of injuries so it's possible that it took a toll on him. At 31, Aldo should have at least a few more years of competition in his career, but his performance this Saturday might determine his options in the future.
The downside of all this is that if Aldo wins the championship without defeating the former champion, it might still label him as the "fighter that couldn't beat McGregor to become champion," similar to the unfair notion that Daniel Cormier isn't a completely legitimate champion because he didn't defeat Jon Jones when Bones tested positive for PEDs.
It remains to be seen it Aldo can be victorious in the rematch or if it answers any of the questions about his career, but UFC 218 does provide Max Halloway with a chance to make himself a star. Obviously, the scenario provides the opportunity for a new competitor to earn the top spot in the division so it's undoubtedly an important main event.
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