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.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Will Batista return to the WWE?
Former WWE World heavyweight champion, Batista made headlines recently when he confirmed on the Jim Ross podcast that he would consider a return to the company. At this point, it was somewhat surprising to hear that the grappler might be back, considering that his last run was rocky, and he has several other projects outside of professional wrestling.
Once told by the WCW Power Planet that he would never make it in the business, Dave Bautista originally trained at the Wild Samoan center before he was recruited to OVW in the early 2000s. Already over 30 when he entered the developmental system as a novice pro wrestler and with the look that inherently dictated a particular role, Batista was given a steady push to the top of the card after he debuted on television. In 2005, he began his main event run after he defeated Triple H at Wrestlemania 21 to win the championship. In all fairness to him, the criticism of his early work might be a little unfair when his experience level and age are factored into the situation. With roughly five years of time in the ring, he was asked to carry the Raw brand as the top star. That said, despite some of the unnecessary criticism at the time, the fact is Batista probably did get his initial spot because of the look he had, not necessarily his in-ring ability.
However, after working with ring generals like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and The Undertaker, Batista's work did drastically improve, both from a persona and in-ring presentation. Perhaps, the best example of this is his heel turn in 2009 that set up a memorable series with Mysterio. The presentation of the typical baby face more or less made him a generic big man with limited character development, but the heel run added much more depth to his on-screen persona. Batista as the bully complimented Rey's underdog character very well from a storyline perspective. Plus, Rey can make anyone look good in the ring so that was a benefit to his opponent as well. I think it would be fair to say that Batista "found himself" as a character during the original heel run.
In mid-2010, an injury and dissatisfaction with the creative direction led to his exit from the company. Away from wrestling, he pursued and won an MMA fight at a regional show, but it was clear that at 40, it wasn't realistic to launch a full-time mixed martial arts career. But, he did find continuous success within film, as he worked in several roles during his WWE hiatus.
In fact, it might've been his success in movies that brought him back to professional wrestling. In 2014, Batista appeared on-screen as Drax The Destoryer in the popular, "Guardians of the Galaxy" film. Vince McMahon looked to capitalize on buzz around the release of the film and booked Batista to work the Wrestlemania 30 main event against Randy Orton, who wrestled in one of the worst main events in WM history just a few years earlier. The prospect of a Batista/Orton main event seemed stale, as the two played a major role in the main event scene of the promotion for years during their initial title push. More importantly, Daniel Bryan had organically connected with the audience to become the most over athlete on the roster, prompting the audience to demand that he be given as chance to main event the biggest show of the year. The infamous Royal Rumble match in 2014 will be known within sports entertainment history as the night that the WWE audience launched a mutiny against WWE brass. Unfortunately, Batista was the one that was put in the position to be subjected to the heat that was directed more at management than him. In retrospect, the writing team put the returning star in a no win situation. In the past, who the crowd wanted to see dictated, not a corporate agenda, but with no competition, Vince McMahon can decide what narrative he wants to project to the audience. The audience wanted Daniel Bryan in the main event, but Vince wanted Batista so that was the plan. It took weeks of chants and ultimately the fans interrupting live TV with boos during any WM promos for Daniel Bryan to get a chance. Finally, Bryan won the championship in an epic moment at Wrestlemania 30. Again, it took a heel turn for Batista to find success because of the generic way his return was booked. An Evolution reunion to battle The Shield provided some entertaining matches, but it was clear that the stable was booked after he was rejected as a baby face. Quite frankly, when the planned Batista/Orton feud needed to be scrapped, it seems as though management had no idea what to do with one of their biggest stars of the previous decade. Just six months after his return, Batista left the company.
All things consider, Batista wasn't given a fair chance to have a fresh run because of how he was booked. Ironically, he said in an interview a few years ago that when he inquired about a possible WM feud with Triple H, the office didn't attempt to book it. There were also the rumors that he was contacted to appear at WM last year, but declined. From the comments he made on the JR podcast, it seems as though he still wants to work another WM angle with Triple H, which would make sense because his exit from the company in 2014 was based around a promo with The Authority.
If Batista made a comeback as a baby face against Triple H, it would probably be much more success than his 2014 stint because of his opponent, and his continued popularity as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. At the same time, WWE gets to capitalize on that popularity if Batista worked pay-per-view events. It appears that it would make sense for everyone involved to work a deal, but it might be something as simple as timing that could prevent it. The rumored Kurt Angle/Triple H WM match seems to already be set up, as Triple H attacked him at Survivor Series. At Kurt's age and history of injuries, now might be the only opportunity the WWE has to promote him in another match at WM. Granted, it's wrestling so there are different ways to work an angle, but Batista himself is almost 50 so if he's going to make another run in pro wrestling, it would realistically have to be sometime in the near future.
If I had to guess, I would say that Batista will return to the WWE at some point, possibly as the post-WM Raw surprise that has become an almost annual tradition. I don't see management trying to shoehorn another major angle into the build for WM 34 because of the amount of storylines that will need to be established with the brand extension. The bottom line is, with the popularity of Drax and his history as an established star, there's money to be made for Batista back in the WWE so that might be an indication of his eventual return to the company.
Once told by the WCW Power Planet that he would never make it in the business, Dave Bautista originally trained at the Wild Samoan center before he was recruited to OVW in the early 2000s. Already over 30 when he entered the developmental system as a novice pro wrestler and with the look that inherently dictated a particular role, Batista was given a steady push to the top of the card after he debuted on television. In 2005, he began his main event run after he defeated Triple H at Wrestlemania 21 to win the championship. In all fairness to him, the criticism of his early work might be a little unfair when his experience level and age are factored into the situation. With roughly five years of time in the ring, he was asked to carry the Raw brand as the top star. That said, despite some of the unnecessary criticism at the time, the fact is Batista probably did get his initial spot because of the look he had, not necessarily his in-ring ability.
However, after working with ring generals like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and The Undertaker, Batista's work did drastically improve, both from a persona and in-ring presentation. Perhaps, the best example of this is his heel turn in 2009 that set up a memorable series with Mysterio. The presentation of the typical baby face more or less made him a generic big man with limited character development, but the heel run added much more depth to his on-screen persona. Batista as the bully complimented Rey's underdog character very well from a storyline perspective. Plus, Rey can make anyone look good in the ring so that was a benefit to his opponent as well. I think it would be fair to say that Batista "found himself" as a character during the original heel run.
In mid-2010, an injury and dissatisfaction with the creative direction led to his exit from the company. Away from wrestling, he pursued and won an MMA fight at a regional show, but it was clear that at 40, it wasn't realistic to launch a full-time mixed martial arts career. But, he did find continuous success within film, as he worked in several roles during his WWE hiatus.
In fact, it might've been his success in movies that brought him back to professional wrestling. In 2014, Batista appeared on-screen as Drax The Destoryer in the popular, "Guardians of the Galaxy" film. Vince McMahon looked to capitalize on buzz around the release of the film and booked Batista to work the Wrestlemania 30 main event against Randy Orton, who wrestled in one of the worst main events in WM history just a few years earlier. The prospect of a Batista/Orton main event seemed stale, as the two played a major role in the main event scene of the promotion for years during their initial title push. More importantly, Daniel Bryan had organically connected with the audience to become the most over athlete on the roster, prompting the audience to demand that he be given as chance to main event the biggest show of the year. The infamous Royal Rumble match in 2014 will be known within sports entertainment history as the night that the WWE audience launched a mutiny against WWE brass. Unfortunately, Batista was the one that was put in the position to be subjected to the heat that was directed more at management than him. In retrospect, the writing team put the returning star in a no win situation. In the past, who the crowd wanted to see dictated, not a corporate agenda, but with no competition, Vince McMahon can decide what narrative he wants to project to the audience. The audience wanted Daniel Bryan in the main event, but Vince wanted Batista so that was the plan. It took weeks of chants and ultimately the fans interrupting live TV with boos during any WM promos for Daniel Bryan to get a chance. Finally, Bryan won the championship in an epic moment at Wrestlemania 30. Again, it took a heel turn for Batista to find success because of the generic way his return was booked. An Evolution reunion to battle The Shield provided some entertaining matches, but it was clear that the stable was booked after he was rejected as a baby face. Quite frankly, when the planned Batista/Orton feud needed to be scrapped, it seems as though management had no idea what to do with one of their biggest stars of the previous decade. Just six months after his return, Batista left the company.
All things consider, Batista wasn't given a fair chance to have a fresh run because of how he was booked. Ironically, he said in an interview a few years ago that when he inquired about a possible WM feud with Triple H, the office didn't attempt to book it. There were also the rumors that he was contacted to appear at WM last year, but declined. From the comments he made on the JR podcast, it seems as though he still wants to work another WM angle with Triple H, which would make sense because his exit from the company in 2014 was based around a promo with The Authority.
If Batista made a comeback as a baby face against Triple H, it would probably be much more success than his 2014 stint because of his opponent, and his continued popularity as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. At the same time, WWE gets to capitalize on that popularity if Batista worked pay-per-view events. It appears that it would make sense for everyone involved to work a deal, but it might be something as simple as timing that could prevent it. The rumored Kurt Angle/Triple H WM match seems to already be set up, as Triple H attacked him at Survivor Series. At Kurt's age and history of injuries, now might be the only opportunity the WWE has to promote him in another match at WM. Granted, it's wrestling so there are different ways to work an angle, but Batista himself is almost 50 so if he's going to make another run in pro wrestling, it would realistically have to be sometime in the near future.
If I had to guess, I would say that Batista will return to the WWE at some point, possibly as the post-WM Raw surprise that has become an almost annual tradition. I don't see management trying to shoehorn another major angle into the build for WM 34 because of the amount of storylines that will need to be established with the brand extension. The bottom line is, with the popularity of Drax and his history as an established star, there's money to be made for Batista back in the WWE so that might be an indication of his eventual return to the company.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The career of Chelsea Green
In sports history, there were times that talented athletes had "too much too soon" and couldn't handle the pressure of fame. Mike Tyson saw a meteoric rise on his way to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history before he crumbled in front of the public. Within sports entertainment, Tony Atlas, one half of the tag team champions, admitted himself that he wasn't ready for the obligations of a popular competitor at the time.
However, there are also those that rise to the occasion and can professionally handle the responsibility of notoriety within their chosen industry. For example, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, 27, is arguably the top draw in boxing and is on track to be one of the highest-paid athletes in all of sports. The legendary Chris Jericho was just 26 years old when he debuted on national television for WCW and then became one of the greatest of all time. The argument could be made that athletes must be more careful today than any other time in history because of cell phones that can record everything and the power of social media. One comment at the wrong place at the wrong time can alter a career.
One of the prime examples of an aspiring athlete that took all the right steps to make a name for herself is Chelsea Green, the Canadian grappler that portrays the role of the eccentric Laurel Van Ness on Impact Wrestling. In contrast to her on-screen persona, Chelsea made a series of very wise decisions that saw her transition from a college student to a sports entertainer on national television.
Similar to many from her generation, Chelsea first discovered professional wrestling during the Attitude Era when she was in elementary school. Over a decade later, while studying at the University of Calgary, she found Raw again and saw women's wrestling on the screen.
"That was the moment I fell in love with wrestling all over again. I contacted Lance Storm the next day," she explained.
The underrated Lance Storm opened the Storm Wrestling Academy in Alberta in 2005, the same year that he retired from full-time competition. The former ECW and WWE tag team champion built his program into one of the most well-respected training centers in the world, and students from around the globe travel to learn from him, with reservations for sessions booked almost a year in advance. The no nonsense approach to an education in professional wrestling consist of a full-time regime of lessons. The three-month course is five days a week and includes everything from in-ring technique to match psychology and etiquette. Aside from Green, Tyler Breeze, Emma, and numerous independent wrestlers are graduations of the Storm Academy. Chelsea considers her time there to be extremely valuable and one of the keys to her success so far.
"I don't know why anyone trying to get into this business wouldn't contact Lance Storm. He is the best coach in the world, next to the WWE performance center coaches. I absolutely loved it. The lessons I learned in those 3 months, I carry with me every single day in and out of the ring," she said.
Chelsea debuted in the ring in mid-2014 and worked the Canadian independent circuit, where she quickly made a name for herself for the poise she showed in the squared circle during her rookie year. In just over a year in the business, she was on the WWE radar as a contestant on a season of Tough Enough, placing fourth among the female competitors. Similar to Storm's lessons, Chelsea considers the experience an important part of the development of her skills.
"Being asked to be on Tough Enough was a very proud moment for me. It felt like everything I was working for, had finally paid off. All of the missed family gatherings, the birthdays, the money spent, and the time in the gym was worth it! I spent every single day on Tough Enough working my hardest to show the WWE that I belonged there. There truly is no better place to nurture your dream of becoming a wrestler like the performance center. Being surrounded by some of the top wrestlers in the world was a dream"
Her profile continued to grow and the following year, Chelsea was invited to train and wrestle on a tour of Stardom in Japan. Stardom, the premiere women's promotion in Japan, is known for its very physical style. Green took the chance to learn a more diverse style and evolved as a performer. But, she also experienced the Japanese style, and a video clip of her getting hit with a brutal drop kick garnered millions of views on social media. During the tour in late-2016, she challenged Kairi Hojo, who won the Mae Young Classic earlier this year as Kairi Sane, for the Stardom championship.
"Japan is a tough place to make waves. There are some amazing females that work for Stardom. When I went on my first tour of Japan, I wasn't ready. I was thrown in after only a year of wrestling. But, like many other situations I had been thrown into before, it was sink or swim. I chose to swim. I made the best of my time there, I trained hard, and I made sure I posted about it on social media. My moveset grew, and I grew as a wrestler," she recalled.
The same year she made waves in Japan, a suggestion from a friend led to another chapter in the career of the future Laurel Van Ness. In 2016, she debuted for Impact Wrestling and the progress of her character saw Van Ness become one of the most recognizable personas on the show in 2017. Impact gave her the opportunity to develop a persona, similar to the way Japan allowed her to evolve her in-ring skills. Stumbling around with smeared make up and an array of accessories, the villainous Van Ness became a highlight during the transition period for the promotion earlier this year.
"I met Madison Rayne at Wrestlecade a few years back. She suggested I come in for a tryout with Impact. The rest is history! I have absolutely loved being a part of the Knockout division. They teach me so much, and they treat me with respect," she said.
Within just three years in the sport, the 26-year-old Calgary native learned from one of the best trainers in the world, worked for the WWE, toured Japan, and landed a contract to appear on national television for Impact Wrestling. More than anything, the story of Chelsea Green is an example of how professionalism, hard work, and dedication can lead to success. Despite all the early success in a relatively short period of time, it seems like the best is yet to come for the motivated athlete. Undoubtedly, Chelsea Green will continue to add to her resume and achieve more goals in her career.
However, there are also those that rise to the occasion and can professionally handle the responsibility of notoriety within their chosen industry. For example, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, 27, is arguably the top draw in boxing and is on track to be one of the highest-paid athletes in all of sports. The legendary Chris Jericho was just 26 years old when he debuted on national television for WCW and then became one of the greatest of all time. The argument could be made that athletes must be more careful today than any other time in history because of cell phones that can record everything and the power of social media. One comment at the wrong place at the wrong time can alter a career.
One of the prime examples of an aspiring athlete that took all the right steps to make a name for herself is Chelsea Green, the Canadian grappler that portrays the role of the eccentric Laurel Van Ness on Impact Wrestling. In contrast to her on-screen persona, Chelsea made a series of very wise decisions that saw her transition from a college student to a sports entertainer on national television.
Similar to many from her generation, Chelsea first discovered professional wrestling during the Attitude Era when she was in elementary school. Over a decade later, while studying at the University of Calgary, she found Raw again and saw women's wrestling on the screen.
"That was the moment I fell in love with wrestling all over again. I contacted Lance Storm the next day," she explained.
The underrated Lance Storm opened the Storm Wrestling Academy in Alberta in 2005, the same year that he retired from full-time competition. The former ECW and WWE tag team champion built his program into one of the most well-respected training centers in the world, and students from around the globe travel to learn from him, with reservations for sessions booked almost a year in advance. The no nonsense approach to an education in professional wrestling consist of a full-time regime of lessons. The three-month course is five days a week and includes everything from in-ring technique to match psychology and etiquette. Aside from Green, Tyler Breeze, Emma, and numerous independent wrestlers are graduations of the Storm Academy. Chelsea considers her time there to be extremely valuable and one of the keys to her success so far.
"I don't know why anyone trying to get into this business wouldn't contact Lance Storm. He is the best coach in the world, next to the WWE performance center coaches. I absolutely loved it. The lessons I learned in those 3 months, I carry with me every single day in and out of the ring," she said.
Chelsea debuted in the ring in mid-2014 and worked the Canadian independent circuit, where she quickly made a name for herself for the poise she showed in the squared circle during her rookie year. In just over a year in the business, she was on the WWE radar as a contestant on a season of Tough Enough, placing fourth among the female competitors. Similar to Storm's lessons, Chelsea considers the experience an important part of the development of her skills.
"Being asked to be on Tough Enough was a very proud moment for me. It felt like everything I was working for, had finally paid off. All of the missed family gatherings, the birthdays, the money spent, and the time in the gym was worth it! I spent every single day on Tough Enough working my hardest to show the WWE that I belonged there. There truly is no better place to nurture your dream of becoming a wrestler like the performance center. Being surrounded by some of the top wrestlers in the world was a dream"
Her profile continued to grow and the following year, Chelsea was invited to train and wrestle on a tour of Stardom in Japan. Stardom, the premiere women's promotion in Japan, is known for its very physical style. Green took the chance to learn a more diverse style and evolved as a performer. But, she also experienced the Japanese style, and a video clip of her getting hit with a brutal drop kick garnered millions of views on social media. During the tour in late-2016, she challenged Kairi Hojo, who won the Mae Young Classic earlier this year as Kairi Sane, for the Stardom championship.
"Japan is a tough place to make waves. There are some amazing females that work for Stardom. When I went on my first tour of Japan, I wasn't ready. I was thrown in after only a year of wrestling. But, like many other situations I had been thrown into before, it was sink or swim. I chose to swim. I made the best of my time there, I trained hard, and I made sure I posted about it on social media. My moveset grew, and I grew as a wrestler," she recalled.
The same year she made waves in Japan, a suggestion from a friend led to another chapter in the career of the future Laurel Van Ness. In 2016, she debuted for Impact Wrestling and the progress of her character saw Van Ness become one of the most recognizable personas on the show in 2017. Impact gave her the opportunity to develop a persona, similar to the way Japan allowed her to evolve her in-ring skills. Stumbling around with smeared make up and an array of accessories, the villainous Van Ness became a highlight during the transition period for the promotion earlier this year.
"I met Madison Rayne at Wrestlecade a few years back. She suggested I come in for a tryout with Impact. The rest is history! I have absolutely loved being a part of the Knockout division. They teach me so much, and they treat me with respect," she said.
Within just three years in the sport, the 26-year-old Calgary native learned from one of the best trainers in the world, worked for the WWE, toured Japan, and landed a contract to appear on national television for Impact Wrestling. More than anything, the story of Chelsea Green is an example of how professionalism, hard work, and dedication can lead to success. Despite all the early success in a relatively short period of time, it seems like the best is yet to come for the motivated athlete. Undoubtedly, Chelsea Green will continue to add to her resume and achieve more goals in her career.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
The VHS Memoirs Volume 3
So far, this concept of "The VHS memoirs," a collection of more personal stories, has received a positive response, which somewhat surprised me because I didn't know if readers would care about retrospective articles of my adventures as a wrestling fan. I want to sincerely thank everyone that takes the time to read anything I write and I truly appreciate it. Part of the reason I enjoy writing this collection of stories is that it's a chance to reflect on a simpler time of the wrestling business, before social media catered to many jaded fans.
This edition will go back almost two decades to November 14, 1997 for a WWF house show event that took place less than a week after the infamous Montreal incident that had a profound effect on the industry in the years that followed. My family is very working class, something that I think provided a good example as I grew up because I always knew the value of a dollar and appreciated the events I had the chance to attend when I was younger. Through the years, I attended a few shows, but it was a rare opportunity to see these larger than life characters live.
This particular time, I was actually surprised with the tickets. I specifically remember getting home from elementary school that day and my parents showed me an envelope that had the tickets. I was 8 years old and thrilled to get to go to the Pittsburgh Civic Arena to see a WWF show. Keep in mind, at that age, the realization that "titles don't change hands at non-televised shows" wasn't a factor and it was nice to believe that anything could happen.
A somewhat comical story from when we arrived at the Civic Arena, the venue that later became the Mellon Arena before it closed a few years ago for the opening of the city's new hockey venue, was the merchandise stand. The "Attitude Era" was just starting to boom and Stone Cold Steve Austin had become the company's top merchandise seller with the original "Austin 3:16" t-shirt earlier that year. As mentioned, I was always very aware of the cost of things so when my parents asked me if I'd like to get a shirt for the show, I initially said no, I didn't need a new t-shirt. An usher showed us to our seats, B-level, not exactly front row, but still provided a good view of the ring. Any time I had the chance to attend a live show in my younger years, I always had a rush of excitement when I went through the arena corridor and had the first glimpse of the ring that night. As I beamed with excitement to see the WWF ring in person, my mom snuck back to the souvenir stand to get me something to commemorate attending the show. As I said, Stone Cold was setting merchandise records and in 1997, the first of many follow-ups to Austin 3:16 was a Terminator-inspired t-shirt that had an Austin/robot face design on the back, which is what my mom saw when she bought it. She didn't realize until after she purchased this new WWF apparel that the front of it read, "Other side Jacka**." Adding to this unintended vulgarity, since Austin was my favorite, she bought a Stone Cold foam finger, natively assuming that it was a #1 finger similar to what Hogan fans had in the audience for years. The foam novelty item was in plastic and after getting back to the seats, my mom realized it was the middle finger that Austin so famously displayed during his WWF career. I enthusiastically put the new shirt on and was told that I wasn't allowed to wear it to school, and only allowed to display the foam finger "at wrestling."
As far as the actual show, forgive me for not remembering every match since it was 20 years ago, but there are a few specific moments that I remember even today. Dude Love wrestled Savio Vega in a no DQ match that consisted of a variety of weapons, including a giant bag of popcorn that Mick put over his shoulder like a Santa sack before he smashed Savio with it, sending the snack flying everywhere. At one point, the Puerto Rican star choked Dude with the mic cord and delivered a forearm to the back, which prompted amplified screams from Foley that were picked up by the mic. At the time, I justified Mick's reaction by explaining to my dad that Dude Love's back was still hurt from when Kane choke slammed him on the ramp on Raw the previous week. The other vivid memory I have from the show was the main event, Shawn Michaels defended the WWF championship against The Undertaker.
As I said, this was at a time when "anything could happen" at a WWF show and I was eager to see if The Undertaker could win the championship. It's interesting to note that since this was before the tragic events of September 11, lighters were allowed in the building and the collective small flames from the audience illuminated the arena as Undertaker made his way to the ring. This same concept was replaced by cell phone screens and remains an interactive part of the show for Bray Wyatt's entrance today. As was the case with many house show events, the heel champion retained after getting intentionally disqualified just as the "good guy" almost had a victory. During the Undertaker/Shawn Michaels bout, Chyna interfered in the match, causing the DQ, but would later get choke slammed for revenge.
While this finish was common at house shows at the time, it's nice to reflect on an event where there was still the belief that anything could happen. The internet has helped and hindered professional wrestling in different ways. One of the good things is that it allows for more wrestlers to be discovered and provides a platform for them to make a name for themselves. At the same time, the argument could be made that watching the shows might be more fun if possible surprise angles weren't reported prior to an event.
This edition will go back almost two decades to November 14, 1997 for a WWF house show event that took place less than a week after the infamous Montreal incident that had a profound effect on the industry in the years that followed. My family is very working class, something that I think provided a good example as I grew up because I always knew the value of a dollar and appreciated the events I had the chance to attend when I was younger. Through the years, I attended a few shows, but it was a rare opportunity to see these larger than life characters live.
This particular time, I was actually surprised with the tickets. I specifically remember getting home from elementary school that day and my parents showed me an envelope that had the tickets. I was 8 years old and thrilled to get to go to the Pittsburgh Civic Arena to see a WWF show. Keep in mind, at that age, the realization that "titles don't change hands at non-televised shows" wasn't a factor and it was nice to believe that anything could happen.
A somewhat comical story from when we arrived at the Civic Arena, the venue that later became the Mellon Arena before it closed a few years ago for the opening of the city's new hockey venue, was the merchandise stand. The "Attitude Era" was just starting to boom and Stone Cold Steve Austin had become the company's top merchandise seller with the original "Austin 3:16" t-shirt earlier that year. As mentioned, I was always very aware of the cost of things so when my parents asked me if I'd like to get a shirt for the show, I initially said no, I didn't need a new t-shirt. An usher showed us to our seats, B-level, not exactly front row, but still provided a good view of the ring. Any time I had the chance to attend a live show in my younger years, I always had a rush of excitement when I went through the arena corridor and had the first glimpse of the ring that night. As I beamed with excitement to see the WWF ring in person, my mom snuck back to the souvenir stand to get me something to commemorate attending the show. As I said, Stone Cold was setting merchandise records and in 1997, the first of many follow-ups to Austin 3:16 was a Terminator-inspired t-shirt that had an Austin/robot face design on the back, which is what my mom saw when she bought it. She didn't realize until after she purchased this new WWF apparel that the front of it read, "Other side Jacka**." Adding to this unintended vulgarity, since Austin was my favorite, she bought a Stone Cold foam finger, natively assuming that it was a #1 finger similar to what Hogan fans had in the audience for years. The foam novelty item was in plastic and after getting back to the seats, my mom realized it was the middle finger that Austin so famously displayed during his WWF career. I enthusiastically put the new shirt on and was told that I wasn't allowed to wear it to school, and only allowed to display the foam finger "at wrestling."
As far as the actual show, forgive me for not remembering every match since it was 20 years ago, but there are a few specific moments that I remember even today. Dude Love wrestled Savio Vega in a no DQ match that consisted of a variety of weapons, including a giant bag of popcorn that Mick put over his shoulder like a Santa sack before he smashed Savio with it, sending the snack flying everywhere. At one point, the Puerto Rican star choked Dude with the mic cord and delivered a forearm to the back, which prompted amplified screams from Foley that were picked up by the mic. At the time, I justified Mick's reaction by explaining to my dad that Dude Love's back was still hurt from when Kane choke slammed him on the ramp on Raw the previous week. The other vivid memory I have from the show was the main event, Shawn Michaels defended the WWF championship against The Undertaker.
As I said, this was at a time when "anything could happen" at a WWF show and I was eager to see if The Undertaker could win the championship. It's interesting to note that since this was before the tragic events of September 11, lighters were allowed in the building and the collective small flames from the audience illuminated the arena as Undertaker made his way to the ring. This same concept was replaced by cell phone screens and remains an interactive part of the show for Bray Wyatt's entrance today. As was the case with many house show events, the heel champion retained after getting intentionally disqualified just as the "good guy" almost had a victory. During the Undertaker/Shawn Michaels bout, Chyna interfered in the match, causing the DQ, but would later get choke slammed for revenge.
While this finish was common at house shows at the time, it's nice to reflect on an event where there was still the belief that anything could happen. The internet has helped and hindered professional wrestling in different ways. One of the good things is that it allows for more wrestlers to be discovered and provides a platform for them to make a name for themselves. At the same time, the argument could be made that watching the shows might be more fun if possible surprise angles weren't reported prior to an event.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Ric Flair documentary
The professional wrestling business, much like other forms of entertainment, is amazing and tragic. Perhaps, nobody in the history of the industry personifies that contrast more than "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. A sixteen-time world heavyweight champion, Flair came from a wealthy background in Minnesota and his time as one of the recruits of the AWA's Verne Gagne in 1972 led to a successful formula. Flair carried the National Wrestling Alliance on his back in his heyday, wrestling hundreds of matches a year around the globe. His elaborate attire and interviews about his lavish lifestyle were more than wrestling hype, "The Nature Boy" lived the gimmick.
The peaks and valleys of his nearly four decade career were numerous. The fast lane of sports entertainment caught up with him after the in-ring spotlight faded. The life on the road and late night parties garnered Flair four alimony payments by the time he retired, and the financial pressure of multiple divorces, as well as other debts, forced him back to the ring even after his grand WWE retirement. In many ways, World Wrestling Entertainment provided a safe haven of sorts for the former NWA champion, because after his exit in 2008, several personal problems surfaced. Lawsuits over financial problems and contract disputes were a different side of the charismatic athlete than fans had seen before. After decades as pro wrestling's iron man, years of "stylin and profilin" finally took their toll on him, as this past August he landed in the intensive care unit at an Atlanta hospital after he was diagnosed with a bowel obstruction. Several years of drinking caused the health scare and he spent ten days in a coma before another month in the hospital to recover prior to his return home.
Still, in the years since his WWE retirement, Ric Flair became somewhat of a pop culture icon that many modern sports stars emulate as a tribute to his legacy. This continued popularity led to the much anticipation ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on his life. Despite the WWE's working agreement with ESPN, I was really skeptical about how the documentary would portray the sports entertainment industry. Would this be another, "pro wrestling ruined another athlete" type of feature?
One of the most interesting aspects of this documentary is the background of his adoption and early family life. It appears that Flair's parents didn't necessarily have much time for him in their lavish environment. In some ways, it gives some insight into why he might've sought the approval of the viewing audience during his career. It was also nice to see the emphasis on the strict training that the AWA recruits endured because it showcased performers as athletes, not just "phony wrestlers."
Another impressive feature in the documentary is that it took an honest look at Ric Flair, both inside and outside of the ring. The problem is, sometimes viewers might not be too thrilled with the answered revealed about his personal life. This part of the show might've given some insight into the "character" of Richard Fliehr the human being as opposed to the Flair that appeared on television. During the documentary, Flair almost bragged about his infidelity, dismissing it as a part of his on-screen persona. But, there's a harsh reality to his choices, including alimony payments that resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest in 2013 before his attorneys resolved the situation. The partying life style and drinking caused a diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy more than a decade ago, and ultimately contributed to the life-threatening health scare earlier this year were taken lightly by Flair in the film. Again, he seemed to brag about the excessive drinking that had already caused him health problems before the most recent health scare, which took place after production for the documentary had finished. At some point, the excessive alcohol consumption isn't, "Flair being Flair," but rather a series of unwise decisions that led to a major problem.
The financial problems that he had throughout his career were highlighted. As depressing as it was to watch again, the portrayal of Flair's post-WWE wrestling career was very accurate it the film. His TNA run was embarrassing and difficult to watch, but he did it because he needed the money. As mind-boggling as it is, Flair, one of the highest paid wrestlers of the 80s, was forced to continue to take bumps in his 60s because he needed the cash. The 61-year-old bleeding on live TV for a minor league organization was sad. Still, make no mistake, Flair is not a victim in this situation, but rather an example of the pitfalls to avoid. He's responsible for his own decisions, and his foolish financial decisions are what led to his TNA run. The Nature Boy lived his on-screen persona and quite literally paid the price for it.
On the flip side, the greatness of arguably the best in-ring competitor of all time was featured, too. As wild as his lifestyle was outside of the ring, Ric Flair was always consistent and solid inside of the squared circle. Jim Crockett Promotions was one of the major league groups in the 80s, and the main event star on an almost nightly basis was Ric Flair, who delivered quality matches with any opponent. The ability to make his opponents look like credible challengers can't be overlooked, and it's importance can't be mentioned enough. The skill to make an average hometown hero look like a legitimate threat to the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight title was the basis of the business model at the time. The ability for NWA on the marquee to draw, and for Jim Crockett Promotions to surge in popularity in the 80s was based around the credibility of the World Heavyweight championship. Obviously, Flair was one of the most successful champions in the history of the company.
The details of Reid's tragic passing continued to shed light on some of the unstable family life that can result from fame. It's sad that Flair joked about his son drinking at a young age before he breaks down in tears at the notion that he should've asserted more authority. Triple H was very well spoken in the documentary, and it was very interesting to hear that Reid was initially going to be signed by the WWE, but failed the drug test.
The conclusion of the documentary leaves somewhat of a sense that some things in Flair's life are still unresolved. Don't get me wrong, Rory Karp did very well as the director of the film, but the former grappler seemed as though he has yet to truly find a place of peace in his life after he hung up the boots. As Shawn Michaels said in the film, Ric Flair hasn't discovered who Richard Fliehr is yet. Maybe the joy of watching his daughter, Charlotte compete as a major star in the WWE is the closest resolution possible for Flair.
The sum of the 30 for 30 about "The Nature Boy" is a fair look into the world of professional wrestling. Just like any other form of entertainment, it can be a tough way to make a living, but the platform it gives performers allows them to become extremely influential figures. Ric Flair had an unquestionable dedication and passion to his craft. In fact, he was without a doubt one of the hardest working competitors in the history of the business. He's responsible for the consequences of his personal choices, and despite being nearly flawless inside the ring ropes, he was far from perfect outside of the arena, which is something that Flair said himself during the film. The wrestling business didn't leave Flair financially struggling in his 60s, but rather several unwise personal decisions contributed to his money problems. Regardless, Flair's impeccable style, precise skill, and tremendous dedication to professional wrestling made him one of the most influential and recognizable figures in sports history.
The peaks and valleys of his nearly four decade career were numerous. The fast lane of sports entertainment caught up with him after the in-ring spotlight faded. The life on the road and late night parties garnered Flair four alimony payments by the time he retired, and the financial pressure of multiple divorces, as well as other debts, forced him back to the ring even after his grand WWE retirement. In many ways, World Wrestling Entertainment provided a safe haven of sorts for the former NWA champion, because after his exit in 2008, several personal problems surfaced. Lawsuits over financial problems and contract disputes were a different side of the charismatic athlete than fans had seen before. After decades as pro wrestling's iron man, years of "stylin and profilin" finally took their toll on him, as this past August he landed in the intensive care unit at an Atlanta hospital after he was diagnosed with a bowel obstruction. Several years of drinking caused the health scare and he spent ten days in a coma before another month in the hospital to recover prior to his return home.
Still, in the years since his WWE retirement, Ric Flair became somewhat of a pop culture icon that many modern sports stars emulate as a tribute to his legacy. This continued popularity led to the much anticipation ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on his life. Despite the WWE's working agreement with ESPN, I was really skeptical about how the documentary would portray the sports entertainment industry. Would this be another, "pro wrestling ruined another athlete" type of feature?
One of the most interesting aspects of this documentary is the background of his adoption and early family life. It appears that Flair's parents didn't necessarily have much time for him in their lavish environment. In some ways, it gives some insight into why he might've sought the approval of the viewing audience during his career. It was also nice to see the emphasis on the strict training that the AWA recruits endured because it showcased performers as athletes, not just "phony wrestlers."
Another impressive feature in the documentary is that it took an honest look at Ric Flair, both inside and outside of the ring. The problem is, sometimes viewers might not be too thrilled with the answered revealed about his personal life. This part of the show might've given some insight into the "character" of Richard Fliehr the human being as opposed to the Flair that appeared on television. During the documentary, Flair almost bragged about his infidelity, dismissing it as a part of his on-screen persona. But, there's a harsh reality to his choices, including alimony payments that resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest in 2013 before his attorneys resolved the situation. The partying life style and drinking caused a diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy more than a decade ago, and ultimately contributed to the life-threatening health scare earlier this year were taken lightly by Flair in the film. Again, he seemed to brag about the excessive drinking that had already caused him health problems before the most recent health scare, which took place after production for the documentary had finished. At some point, the excessive alcohol consumption isn't, "Flair being Flair," but rather a series of unwise decisions that led to a major problem.
The financial problems that he had throughout his career were highlighted. As depressing as it was to watch again, the portrayal of Flair's post-WWE wrestling career was very accurate it the film. His TNA run was embarrassing and difficult to watch, but he did it because he needed the money. As mind-boggling as it is, Flair, one of the highest paid wrestlers of the 80s, was forced to continue to take bumps in his 60s because he needed the cash. The 61-year-old bleeding on live TV for a minor league organization was sad. Still, make no mistake, Flair is not a victim in this situation, but rather an example of the pitfalls to avoid. He's responsible for his own decisions, and his foolish financial decisions are what led to his TNA run. The Nature Boy lived his on-screen persona and quite literally paid the price for it.
On the flip side, the greatness of arguably the best in-ring competitor of all time was featured, too. As wild as his lifestyle was outside of the ring, Ric Flair was always consistent and solid inside of the squared circle. Jim Crockett Promotions was one of the major league groups in the 80s, and the main event star on an almost nightly basis was Ric Flair, who delivered quality matches with any opponent. The ability to make his opponents look like credible challengers can't be overlooked, and it's importance can't be mentioned enough. The skill to make an average hometown hero look like a legitimate threat to the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight title was the basis of the business model at the time. The ability for NWA on the marquee to draw, and for Jim Crockett Promotions to surge in popularity in the 80s was based around the credibility of the World Heavyweight championship. Obviously, Flair was one of the most successful champions in the history of the company.
The details of Reid's tragic passing continued to shed light on some of the unstable family life that can result from fame. It's sad that Flair joked about his son drinking at a young age before he breaks down in tears at the notion that he should've asserted more authority. Triple H was very well spoken in the documentary, and it was very interesting to hear that Reid was initially going to be signed by the WWE, but failed the drug test.
The conclusion of the documentary leaves somewhat of a sense that some things in Flair's life are still unresolved. Don't get me wrong, Rory Karp did very well as the director of the film, but the former grappler seemed as though he has yet to truly find a place of peace in his life after he hung up the boots. As Shawn Michaels said in the film, Ric Flair hasn't discovered who Richard Fliehr is yet. Maybe the joy of watching his daughter, Charlotte compete as a major star in the WWE is the closest resolution possible for Flair.
The sum of the 30 for 30 about "The Nature Boy" is a fair look into the world of professional wrestling. Just like any other form of entertainment, it can be a tough way to make a living, but the platform it gives performers allows them to become extremely influential figures. Ric Flair had an unquestionable dedication and passion to his craft. In fact, he was without a doubt one of the hardest working competitors in the history of the business. He's responsible for the consequences of his personal choices, and despite being nearly flawless inside the ring ropes, he was far from perfect outside of the arena, which is something that Flair said himself during the film. The wrestling business didn't leave Flair financially struggling in his 60s, but rather several unwise personal decisions contributed to his money problems. Regardless, Flair's impeccable style, precise skill, and tremendous dedication to professional wrestling made him one of the most influential and recognizable figures in sports history.
Friday, November 3, 2017
The disarray of Impact wrestling
Anthem Entertainment's Impact Wrestling is in disarray.
That isn't news or anything surprising, as it's a pattern that has followed the company for years. Dixie Carter's role as Hulk Hogan's money mark was the start of a rocky road for the promotion, and despite the change in ownership, the stain of TNA is still upon the organization. In many ways, it's truly remarkable that the group is still in business, considering that it was on the brink of collapse multiple times, including when Smashing Pumpkins front man, Billy Corgan had to pick up the tab for production costs on more than one occasion. After that, it became clear that Carter tried to swerve Corgan to pay for her to be a TV star, and the lawsuit that followed exposed TNA wrestling as an entity that owned debts to several companies, as well as a tax lien from the state of Tennessee.
Eventually, The Fight Network bought the promotion and basically paid to clean up Dixie's mess, including a settlement with Corgan. It's extremely ironic that WCW, even with the major losses in 2000, closed despite the theoretically billion dollar funding of Ted Turner, but somehow TNA survived on literally no funding until Anthem Entertainment rescued it. When Ed Nordholm became the president of the wrestling league, it officially ended Dixie's vanity project.
However, the problems that plagued Impact for years persisted and became almost comical recently. During an interview with The Wrestling Observe Live a few months ago, Nordholm essentially admitted that he wasn't familiar enough with the pro wrestling industry and said it was "more complicated" than Anthem expected. Anthem is a TV company and the TNA sale gave them the opportunity to own one of their primary content providers and produce that content relatively cheap, especially with the TNA taping schedule. The unique environment of the wrestling business is what Nordholm seemed unprepared for, and he sounded unaware of the reasons why TNA was in shambles prior to the Fight Network purchase. Lack of brand identity, advertisement, marketing, etc. are all problems that continue under the Anthem ownership. As I mentioned in a previous article, most of what Impact Wrestling is attempting to do now is already done in other promotions with much better results. For example, Ring Of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have an extremely beneficial working agreement that brings foreign talent to the United States on a semi-regular basis. Plus, New Japan Pro Wrestling has expanded their distribution with the NJPW World streaming service and a TV deal on Axs so American fans have access to the best Japanese talent. Lucha Underground covers much of the lucha libre demand in the United States so what unique content does Impact bring to the table? No disrespect intended to the performers because they work well in the ring, but Impact puts the equivalent of mid-card Japanese and Mexican talent on their show as the international portion of the product, as opposed to the top stars used from Japan and Mexico in ROH or LU.
The major problems with Impact Wrestling are much more basic, though. They rightfully got rid of the TNA initials, which limited the marketability and the potential advertisement revenue of the company. They traded the name for Global Force Wrestling, the group that TNA founder Jeff Jarrett started after he left the company. GFW sounds like a major league brand and fit the international aspect of the product. The story of TNA went full circle when Anthem, knowing that they needed a knowledge wrestling mind for their new purchase, brought Jeff Jarrett back to the company to direct the creative team. Jarrett, who is from a wrestling family, originally took Total Nonstop Action from a dingy building in Nashville and secured the organization a cable deal with shows filmed at Universal Studios so his return created a sense of optimism about a legitimate "fresh start" for Impact Wrestling. Jarrett's original GFW concept never got off the ground and amounted to a series of spot shows at minor league baseball parks, and a TV taping that didn't land a network deal. Perhaps that said more about the state of the industry than anything about the potential of the original Global Force product.
However, the Global Force name with the Impact TV show and the Anthem ownership appeared to give the organization a chance for a "clean slate" with the viewing audience. Unfortunately, even after all the shuffling and a new name, the problems that had the group on the brink of collapse under Dixie Carter still existed under Anthem with the only difference that The Fight Network can afford to keep the promotion in business. Nonsensical booking, random arrivals and departures, and controversy are all still continuous topics for Impact Wrestling.
When Alberto El Patron made his debut, he added some legitimate star power and could still go in the ring. He won the Impact Heavyweight title and worked the main event of one of the company's rare live pay-per-views. But, a domestic incident with Paige at an Orlando airport that made TMZ headlines prompted his exit from Impact, and the belt was vacated. Alberto was legally cleared in the incident, but the negative press that it brought to the company that was trying to rebuild itself didn't help the organization. Eli Drake, a very talented and entertaining performer, won the belt, but the roster was so depleted, winning the title isn't exactly seen as a major accomplishment. After the name change, there was the infamous Triplemania incident, where one of the most unprofessional wrestlers in the history of the sport, Sexy Star tried to intentionally injury Rosemary during a match. Along with that Jeff Jarrett, who made headlines previously for appearing to be intoxicated at events, was in a battle royal at the show and seemed intoxicated in the ring. It was later announced that he would take a hiatus from GFW.
Just last week, Jarrett worked a show in Canada and again appeared to be extremely intoxicated at the event. Thankfully, it was announced just a few days later that he's going to rehab to address the personal problems. Hopefully, Double J gets the help he needs and is healthy again soon because his health is certainly more important than anything in professional wrestling. The disturbing video of Jarrett stumbling around the ring prompted Anthem official to announce that they cut ties with Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling. This revelation seemed odds because it was previously announced that Anthem acquired the rights to Global Force Wrestling when they officially changed the name. In reality, Jarrett still owned the GFW trademarks, and Anthem hadn't officially bought the rights to the name or the initials so with Jarrett done with the company, Anthem couldn't legally use the GFW name. Yes, Anthem Entertainment changed the name of their national television show without actually owning the rights to the name. That's amateur hour and and bush league, and it's one of the main reasons that Impact Wrestling won't compete in the wrestling business.
As I wrote previously, the general public identifies professional wrestling with initials and the name "Impact Wrestling" sounds too generic. Anthem can't realistically expect to build an audience when the name of the brand is changed several times, and that specifically affects the possibility of generating new viewers. The revolving door of the roster doesn't help either, because how are competitors supposed to become known as "Impact stars?" There are many talented athletes on the roster and it's disappointing that so many of them aren't getting the chance they deserve because of the circumstances that surround Impact. Spud, Eddie Kingston, and others recently left the promotion. When management doesn't see the value in someone as versatile as Spud, or the believably of a competitor like Eddie Kingston, it's difficult to have an optimistic of the organization. According to PWinsider, James Storm might also leave after his current contract expires, which says a lot about the state of Impact if one of the most tenured on the roster opts to work elsewhere. Although, you can't blame Storm, he has the potential to be a major star, but management fumbled that several times during his TNA career. The amount of new faces on Impact doesn't necessarily help either because these athletes, as talented as some of them are, get introduced to a national audience without any background or direction for their character. In many ways, debuting on Impact isn't seen as an achievement for competitor to make it to the next level, but rather an indication that Anthem is trying to replenish the roster after a series of departures. It's a very unfortunate situation because Anthem's corporate botches have nothing to do with the talented roster that work hard to try to make a living in the wrestling business.
So, how will Anthem sell a pay-per-view?
This weekend, Bound for Glory will air live on pay-per-view and there are talented athletes on the card, but all things considered, it will be a tough sell. The event will be held in Canada and tickets are affordable so a decent live crowd is expected, but it's doubtful the show does a decent buy rate. One of the main bouts on the card is Moose and Stephan Bonnar vs. King Mo and Lashley in a cage match. Obviously, the premise is the MMA aspect, but is Stephan Bonnar really a draw to pro wrestling fans? Don't get me wrong, Forrest Griffin vs. Bonnar from 2005 is one of my favorite fights of all time, but does anyone really want to see Bonnar wrestle in 2017? Furthermore, MMA coach, Dan Lambert was used to set up the angle, but most pro wrestling fans have no idea who he is so is that really a useful way to sell the match? The main event of Eli Drake vs. Johnny Impact for the Impact Heavyweight title is representative of the entire company. Eli vs. Impact just doesn't have the star power to sell as the main event of a pay-per-view, very similar to the way that Bound for Glory just doesn't seem important enough to pay to watch. I'm not trying to bury the company, but is Bound for Glory really worth $40?
The bottom line is, Anthem must give the fans a reason to pay $40 to order Bound for Glory, and there just isn't enough of a selling point. The bush league presentation of segments on Impact does nothing to enhance the perception of the pay-per-view. While showing matches with Impact talent from other countries is something unique, what does it say about Impact Wrestling when the events from other countries have better attendance than the matches at the Impact Zone? Who knows what's next for Impact Wrestling, but it's doubtful that another rebuild will benefit the company.
That isn't news or anything surprising, as it's a pattern that has followed the company for years. Dixie Carter's role as Hulk Hogan's money mark was the start of a rocky road for the promotion, and despite the change in ownership, the stain of TNA is still upon the organization. In many ways, it's truly remarkable that the group is still in business, considering that it was on the brink of collapse multiple times, including when Smashing Pumpkins front man, Billy Corgan had to pick up the tab for production costs on more than one occasion. After that, it became clear that Carter tried to swerve Corgan to pay for her to be a TV star, and the lawsuit that followed exposed TNA wrestling as an entity that owned debts to several companies, as well as a tax lien from the state of Tennessee.
Eventually, The Fight Network bought the promotion and basically paid to clean up Dixie's mess, including a settlement with Corgan. It's extremely ironic that WCW, even with the major losses in 2000, closed despite the theoretically billion dollar funding of Ted Turner, but somehow TNA survived on literally no funding until Anthem Entertainment rescued it. When Ed Nordholm became the president of the wrestling league, it officially ended Dixie's vanity project.
However, the problems that plagued Impact for years persisted and became almost comical recently. During an interview with The Wrestling Observe Live a few months ago, Nordholm essentially admitted that he wasn't familiar enough with the pro wrestling industry and said it was "more complicated" than Anthem expected. Anthem is a TV company and the TNA sale gave them the opportunity to own one of their primary content providers and produce that content relatively cheap, especially with the TNA taping schedule. The unique environment of the wrestling business is what Nordholm seemed unprepared for, and he sounded unaware of the reasons why TNA was in shambles prior to the Fight Network purchase. Lack of brand identity, advertisement, marketing, etc. are all problems that continue under the Anthem ownership. As I mentioned in a previous article, most of what Impact Wrestling is attempting to do now is already done in other promotions with much better results. For example, Ring Of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have an extremely beneficial working agreement that brings foreign talent to the United States on a semi-regular basis. Plus, New Japan Pro Wrestling has expanded their distribution with the NJPW World streaming service and a TV deal on Axs so American fans have access to the best Japanese talent. Lucha Underground covers much of the lucha libre demand in the United States so what unique content does Impact bring to the table? No disrespect intended to the performers because they work well in the ring, but Impact puts the equivalent of mid-card Japanese and Mexican talent on their show as the international portion of the product, as opposed to the top stars used from Japan and Mexico in ROH or LU.
The major problems with Impact Wrestling are much more basic, though. They rightfully got rid of the TNA initials, which limited the marketability and the potential advertisement revenue of the company. They traded the name for Global Force Wrestling, the group that TNA founder Jeff Jarrett started after he left the company. GFW sounds like a major league brand and fit the international aspect of the product. The story of TNA went full circle when Anthem, knowing that they needed a knowledge wrestling mind for their new purchase, brought Jeff Jarrett back to the company to direct the creative team. Jarrett, who is from a wrestling family, originally took Total Nonstop Action from a dingy building in Nashville and secured the organization a cable deal with shows filmed at Universal Studios so his return created a sense of optimism about a legitimate "fresh start" for Impact Wrestling. Jarrett's original GFW concept never got off the ground and amounted to a series of spot shows at minor league baseball parks, and a TV taping that didn't land a network deal. Perhaps that said more about the state of the industry than anything about the potential of the original Global Force product.
However, the Global Force name with the Impact TV show and the Anthem ownership appeared to give the organization a chance for a "clean slate" with the viewing audience. Unfortunately, even after all the shuffling and a new name, the problems that had the group on the brink of collapse under Dixie Carter still existed under Anthem with the only difference that The Fight Network can afford to keep the promotion in business. Nonsensical booking, random arrivals and departures, and controversy are all still continuous topics for Impact Wrestling.
When Alberto El Patron made his debut, he added some legitimate star power and could still go in the ring. He won the Impact Heavyweight title and worked the main event of one of the company's rare live pay-per-views. But, a domestic incident with Paige at an Orlando airport that made TMZ headlines prompted his exit from Impact, and the belt was vacated. Alberto was legally cleared in the incident, but the negative press that it brought to the company that was trying to rebuild itself didn't help the organization. Eli Drake, a very talented and entertaining performer, won the belt, but the roster was so depleted, winning the title isn't exactly seen as a major accomplishment. After the name change, there was the infamous Triplemania incident, where one of the most unprofessional wrestlers in the history of the sport, Sexy Star tried to intentionally injury Rosemary during a match. Along with that Jeff Jarrett, who made headlines previously for appearing to be intoxicated at events, was in a battle royal at the show and seemed intoxicated in the ring. It was later announced that he would take a hiatus from GFW.
Just last week, Jarrett worked a show in Canada and again appeared to be extremely intoxicated at the event. Thankfully, it was announced just a few days later that he's going to rehab to address the personal problems. Hopefully, Double J gets the help he needs and is healthy again soon because his health is certainly more important than anything in professional wrestling. The disturbing video of Jarrett stumbling around the ring prompted Anthem official to announce that they cut ties with Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling. This revelation seemed odds because it was previously announced that Anthem acquired the rights to Global Force Wrestling when they officially changed the name. In reality, Jarrett still owned the GFW trademarks, and Anthem hadn't officially bought the rights to the name or the initials so with Jarrett done with the company, Anthem couldn't legally use the GFW name. Yes, Anthem Entertainment changed the name of their national television show without actually owning the rights to the name. That's amateur hour and and bush league, and it's one of the main reasons that Impact Wrestling won't compete in the wrestling business.
As I wrote previously, the general public identifies professional wrestling with initials and the name "Impact Wrestling" sounds too generic. Anthem can't realistically expect to build an audience when the name of the brand is changed several times, and that specifically affects the possibility of generating new viewers. The revolving door of the roster doesn't help either, because how are competitors supposed to become known as "Impact stars?" There are many talented athletes on the roster and it's disappointing that so many of them aren't getting the chance they deserve because of the circumstances that surround Impact. Spud, Eddie Kingston, and others recently left the promotion. When management doesn't see the value in someone as versatile as Spud, or the believably of a competitor like Eddie Kingston, it's difficult to have an optimistic of the organization. According to PWinsider, James Storm might also leave after his current contract expires, which says a lot about the state of Impact if one of the most tenured on the roster opts to work elsewhere. Although, you can't blame Storm, he has the potential to be a major star, but management fumbled that several times during his TNA career. The amount of new faces on Impact doesn't necessarily help either because these athletes, as talented as some of them are, get introduced to a national audience without any background or direction for their character. In many ways, debuting on Impact isn't seen as an achievement for competitor to make it to the next level, but rather an indication that Anthem is trying to replenish the roster after a series of departures. It's a very unfortunate situation because Anthem's corporate botches have nothing to do with the talented roster that work hard to try to make a living in the wrestling business.
So, how will Anthem sell a pay-per-view?
This weekend, Bound for Glory will air live on pay-per-view and there are talented athletes on the card, but all things considered, it will be a tough sell. The event will be held in Canada and tickets are affordable so a decent live crowd is expected, but it's doubtful the show does a decent buy rate. One of the main bouts on the card is Moose and Stephan Bonnar vs. King Mo and Lashley in a cage match. Obviously, the premise is the MMA aspect, but is Stephan Bonnar really a draw to pro wrestling fans? Don't get me wrong, Forrest Griffin vs. Bonnar from 2005 is one of my favorite fights of all time, but does anyone really want to see Bonnar wrestle in 2017? Furthermore, MMA coach, Dan Lambert was used to set up the angle, but most pro wrestling fans have no idea who he is so is that really a useful way to sell the match? The main event of Eli Drake vs. Johnny Impact for the Impact Heavyweight title is representative of the entire company. Eli vs. Impact just doesn't have the star power to sell as the main event of a pay-per-view, very similar to the way that Bound for Glory just doesn't seem important enough to pay to watch. I'm not trying to bury the company, but is Bound for Glory really worth $40?
The bottom line is, Anthem must give the fans a reason to pay $40 to order Bound for Glory, and there just isn't enough of a selling point. The bush league presentation of segments on Impact does nothing to enhance the perception of the pay-per-view. While showing matches with Impact talent from other countries is something unique, what does it say about Impact Wrestling when the events from other countries have better attendance than the matches at the Impact Zone? Who knows what's next for Impact Wrestling, but it's doubtful that another rebuild will benefit the company.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Will Machida retire?
After an 18-month absence as a result of a steroid suspension and over two years outside of the cage, Lyoto Machida's anticipated return to the UFC took just two and a half minutes to conclusion. Middleweight contender, Derek Brunson landed a left hook that staggered the former Light Heavyweight champion and a series of strikes that followed knocked out the karate fighter, which promoted the referee to stop the contest. In a contrast to the dynamic finished, the stoppage provided what could be an anti-climactic conclusion to a career that was surrounded by a lot of hype just a few years ago.
Of Japanese and Brazilian descent, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida brought a unique image to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, one that management certainly tried to promote to the fullest to generate revenue, and in the process, make a marketable star. Clad in a traditional karate gi and known for his darting style, Machida presented a Bruce Lee type of image. Again, the UFC saw the potential in this persona, and there was a time when many thought he would add his name to the list of dominate 205 LBS champions.
Ironically, Machida's journey into mixed marital arts is actually linked to professional wrestling. The legendary Japanese promoter Antonio Inoki, who famously fought Muhammad Ali in a primitive MMA fight in 1976, ran the event where Lyoto made his MMA debut in 2003. While Inoki's MMA experiment almost led to the collapse of New Japan Pro Wrestling, it launched a successful beginning to Lyoto's career, as he went undefeated in his early bouts, fighting in a variety of organizations at different weight classes.
Eventually, he landed in the UFC in 2007 and racked up four wins that year with three decisions and a submission victory. Despite the success, the decision wins didn't exactly distinguish him from the rest of the division, which at the time had arguably the most depth of any weight class in the history of the company. However, the following year, Lyoto had a stand out performance against former champion Tito Ortiz in a lopsided decision victory. In 2009, he knocked out dangerous striker Thiago Silva in the first round and secured a title shot just a few months later.
"Dragon" Machida became known for his unorthodox style and counter punches that created a unique puzzle for his opponents in the octagon. UFC brass made a wise business decision when they marketed him as the human Rubik's cube, providing the scenario that prompted a narrative about if his opponents could solve the Machida equation. Again, the gi, headband, and karate style added to the mystic of the athlete that dodged punches before he jumped forward to land a counter punch.
In some ways, when Lyoto knocked out Rashad Evans to win the UFC Light Heavyweight championship at UFC 98, he justified the hype around him, but that was relatively short-lived as his first title defense later that same year at UFC 104 was surrounded by controversy. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua challenged for the belt and proceeded to use leg kicks to score points against the champion for the better part of five rounds. In one of the most questionable decisions in the history of the sport, somehow Machida was awarded the decision to retain the title. Many objected to the official score cards so a rematch was scheduled for mid-2010.
This time, "Shogun" Rua left no doubt about the result when he knocked out Machida via brutal strikes in the first round to claim the championship. In retrospect, that KO exposed Lyoto as a much less mythical fighter than he was perceived previously, and it could be considered a turning point in his career. His chin hadn't truly been tested in the UFC prior to that because of his elusive style, but his lack of an ability to take a punch eventually became a theme in his career. The solution to the Machida puzzle was simple, if a punch landed then he didn't handle it well. After he dropped the belt, he lost a decision to Rampage Jackson before he defeated the aging Randy Couture in 2011.
Clearly management wanted to rejuvenate the karate kid persona that helped Lyoto make a name for himself when he was signed for a shot at the 205 LBS title after just one win since he lost the belt. Then-champion Jon Jones followed the formula and it took one clean punch to set up the choke that "Bones" Jones used to retain the championship.
Eventually, Machida moved to middleweight in an attempt to start a new chapter. A pair of wins at 185 LBS garnered him a title opportunity, but the then-champion Chris Weidman won via unanimous decision in 2014. He rebounded with a win against CB Dollaway before he lost two bouts against Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold. He was scheduled to fight Dan Henderson in a rematch from their 2013 contest, but Machida admitted to taking a banned substance, which resulted in the previously mentioned steroid suspension.
At 39, Lyoto Machida is undoubtedly at the latter stages of his career, and the year and a half on the sidelines took away much of his name value. Considering that he is on a three fight skid and he hasn't won a bout in almost three years, is there a realistic place for him in the sport? Very few fighters remain competitive at the age of 40, and retirement might be the next step for him.
While Lyoto Machida had a solid run, the totality of his career is somewhat underwhelming because for a brief period, the "Machida puzzle" seemed as though it would lead to long term success. It would be unfair to say that Lyoto underachieved, but it's certainly disappointing that he spent what could be the final two years of his MMA career outside of the cage because of a steroid suspension instead of a better conclusion to his career.
Of Japanese and Brazilian descent, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida brought a unique image to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, one that management certainly tried to promote to the fullest to generate revenue, and in the process, make a marketable star. Clad in a traditional karate gi and known for his darting style, Machida presented a Bruce Lee type of image. Again, the UFC saw the potential in this persona, and there was a time when many thought he would add his name to the list of dominate 205 LBS champions.
Ironically, Machida's journey into mixed marital arts is actually linked to professional wrestling. The legendary Japanese promoter Antonio Inoki, who famously fought Muhammad Ali in a primitive MMA fight in 1976, ran the event where Lyoto made his MMA debut in 2003. While Inoki's MMA experiment almost led to the collapse of New Japan Pro Wrestling, it launched a successful beginning to Lyoto's career, as he went undefeated in his early bouts, fighting in a variety of organizations at different weight classes.
Eventually, he landed in the UFC in 2007 and racked up four wins that year with three decisions and a submission victory. Despite the success, the decision wins didn't exactly distinguish him from the rest of the division, which at the time had arguably the most depth of any weight class in the history of the company. However, the following year, Lyoto had a stand out performance against former champion Tito Ortiz in a lopsided decision victory. In 2009, he knocked out dangerous striker Thiago Silva in the first round and secured a title shot just a few months later.
"Dragon" Machida became known for his unorthodox style and counter punches that created a unique puzzle for his opponents in the octagon. UFC brass made a wise business decision when they marketed him as the human Rubik's cube, providing the scenario that prompted a narrative about if his opponents could solve the Machida equation. Again, the gi, headband, and karate style added to the mystic of the athlete that dodged punches before he jumped forward to land a counter punch.
In some ways, when Lyoto knocked out Rashad Evans to win the UFC Light Heavyweight championship at UFC 98, he justified the hype around him, but that was relatively short-lived as his first title defense later that same year at UFC 104 was surrounded by controversy. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua challenged for the belt and proceeded to use leg kicks to score points against the champion for the better part of five rounds. In one of the most questionable decisions in the history of the sport, somehow Machida was awarded the decision to retain the title. Many objected to the official score cards so a rematch was scheduled for mid-2010.
This time, "Shogun" Rua left no doubt about the result when he knocked out Machida via brutal strikes in the first round to claim the championship. In retrospect, that KO exposed Lyoto as a much less mythical fighter than he was perceived previously, and it could be considered a turning point in his career. His chin hadn't truly been tested in the UFC prior to that because of his elusive style, but his lack of an ability to take a punch eventually became a theme in his career. The solution to the Machida puzzle was simple, if a punch landed then he didn't handle it well. After he dropped the belt, he lost a decision to Rampage Jackson before he defeated the aging Randy Couture in 2011.
Clearly management wanted to rejuvenate the karate kid persona that helped Lyoto make a name for himself when he was signed for a shot at the 205 LBS title after just one win since he lost the belt. Then-champion Jon Jones followed the formula and it took one clean punch to set up the choke that "Bones" Jones used to retain the championship.
Eventually, Machida moved to middleweight in an attempt to start a new chapter. A pair of wins at 185 LBS garnered him a title opportunity, but the then-champion Chris Weidman won via unanimous decision in 2014. He rebounded with a win against CB Dollaway before he lost two bouts against Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold. He was scheduled to fight Dan Henderson in a rematch from their 2013 contest, but Machida admitted to taking a banned substance, which resulted in the previously mentioned steroid suspension.
At 39, Lyoto Machida is undoubtedly at the latter stages of his career, and the year and a half on the sidelines took away much of his name value. Considering that he is on a three fight skid and he hasn't won a bout in almost three years, is there a realistic place for him in the sport? Very few fighters remain competitive at the age of 40, and retirement might be the next step for him.
While Lyoto Machida had a solid run, the totality of his career is somewhat underwhelming because for a brief period, the "Machida puzzle" seemed as though it would lead to long term success. It would be unfair to say that Lyoto underachieved, but it's certainly disappointing that he spent what could be the final two years of his MMA career outside of the cage because of a steroid suspension instead of a better conclusion to his career.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
The economics of the UFC
In just a few weeks, one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Georges St. Pierre will return to the octagon to challenge Micheal Bisping for the UFC Middleweight championship after a four year hiatus. GSP, one of the most dominating champions in the history of the sport, relinquished the Welterweight championship after he successful defended the belt against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 167. It was later revealed that St. Pierre wanted to take a rest from fighting because the pressure of the fight game affected his mental health. Make no mistake, GSP already reached legendary status and his health is more important than an MMA career.
Since GSP temporarily hung up his gloves, the complexion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, both in terms of sport and the business structure, changed drastically. The Fertittas, the casino executives that rescued the organization from obscurity and helped make it a main stream sport, sold the promotion to the WME-IMG group for $4.2 billion in 2016. One of the reasons for the hefty price tag was the Fox deal that the MMA league signed five years earlier that brought the promotion to broadcast television on the primary Fox network, as well as a variety of events on the subsidiary cable channels, including Fox Sports 1. The deal seemed to be mutually beneficial, as the UFC debut on Fox of the Junior Dos Santos/Cain Velasquez bout for the heavyweight title garnered an estimated 5.7 million viewers.
However, there was a much more complicated flip side to the situation. As apart of the Fox deal, Zuffa was contracted to produce a specific number of events, sometimes on a weekly basis, during a calendar year. This translated to an agreement that demanded content regardless of injuries, rankings, or contract negotiations to sign fights. The result of all this lead to the roster being flooded with fighters to take the spots on the extra cards. With a wave of new competitors all on UFC programming at once, there wasn't a way to properly introduce or build them up through the ranks. The current UFC under cards often showcase athletes that the audience isn't familiar with, and it seems as though most preliminary fighters get lost in the shuffle with the amount of events the organization runs each year. Too many cards to follow and too many new faces to introduce has undoubtedly affected the promotion's ability to make marketable stars.
A look at the history of the company and its surge in popularity in the mid-2000s explains the lack of new marketable stars today. The reason the Ultimate Fighter reality show launched the MMA boom was because it finally gave the audience an opportunity to know who the fighters were and their background. For example, Forrest Griffin's quirky personality and Rocky-type style endeared him to fans. When he fought the equally tough and humble Stephan Bonnar, it produced quite possible the most important fight in the history of the sport. When the new audience saw the brawl that resembled Balboa vs. Apollo on Spike TV in 2005, not only did it spark a new popularity for mixed martial arts, it made both fighters legitimate stars that fans would pay to see fight again. In many ways, the reality show did the same for the coaches of that season, the legendary Randy Couture and Chuck Liddel. The diehard fan base knew the amazing story of Couture's debut in the sport at the age of 33 and his ability to keep winning near the age of 40, but his time as a coach allowed his accomplishments to be highlighted to a main stream audience. For Liddel, most casual fans only knew him from clips of his looping hooks, but again, the Ultimate Fighter gave him a platform that allowed him to become the top fighter in the organization at the time.
The reality show concept continued to produce marketable athletes, including Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Nate Diaz, and others. But, when the concept was watered down and several seasons were produced in a relatively short time, it didn't have the same effect because the winners didn't stand out as unique, but rather became lost in the shuffle of many spin offs of the show. The same could be said for much of UFC programming now, with so many cards in a short span, it's difficult to keep track of most of the results.
In many ways, the Fox deal and the contract that demands a number of events that translates to cards on an almost weekly basis have watered down the UFC as a whole. The events themselves and the fighters on the card don't stand out nearly as much as in years previously because there isn't nearly the same amount of build up for each card. Instead of being "special events," UFC pay-per-views are often scheduled between lesser fight night or Fight Pass cards. Essentially, it's supply and demand, and despite the major popularity that the organization had, is there really a demand for weekly MMA events? Plus, the key is star power because that's what sells tickets and draws ratings. It's very difficult to say that they could be enough star power within any combat sport to run weekly cards. However, the Fox deal was a business decision, not a decision based on the sport. As I've said before, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is as much a business, if not more so as it is a sport.
Further complicating the situation is the change in ownership, as it puts pressure on WME executives to generate revenue. The group that bought the UFC did so because they wanted to make a profit from it, and a $4.2 billion investment makes it a difficult process to see a return. It's still somewhat puzzling how the sale number for determined because while Zuffa was estimated to be worth $1 billion, how exactly did it sell for more than four times that amount? Don't get me wrong, the Fertittas deserve the most that they can get, especially because they risk millions to save the sport, but you have to wonder, can WME really generate $4 billion with the UFC?
The recent UFC 216 pay-per-view would suggest that won't be the case, at least not anytime in the near future. Headlined by Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee, the event garnered a dismal 120,000 buy rate. That followed an Amanda Nunes title defense against Valentina Shevchenko the previous month that had just 100,000 buys. The problem is, none of those athletes, as talented as some of them might be, are necessarily known to the general public. Ferguson, a skilled striker, is an eccentric character that doesn't really identify with the audience. Kevin Lee was more or less trying to copy Conor McGregor's promotional style without the skills to back it up. Nunes is talented, but is still known as the fighter that KO'ed Ronda Rosuey into retirement instead of any of her own accomplishments. Shevchenko is simply unknown to most casual fans.
On the surface, the return of Georges St. Pierre should sell itself, but according to longtime UFC commentator, Joe Rogan mentioned on his podcast that the event at Madison Square Garden is not selling well. There are a few factors that could be the reason behind the lack of sales. GSP is without question one of the best MMA fighters of all time, but his exit from the sports was just prior to Ronda Rousey's meteoric rise, and many of the athletes from his era have now retired so it's possible that the UFC fan base is different now than it was when he was champion. Those that are aware of GSP's greatness might also have some reservations because he walked away from the cage four years ago so there could be questions about if he will return in the same top form. Basically, will GSP be the GSP that people know or is he past his prime? Finally, it could be as simple as the very expensive ticket prices of a UFC event that have prevented a sell out. Still, it must be concerning for UFC brass to have a stacked event with three title fights at MSG that isn't selling tickets.
Michael Bisping's journey through the ranks from a brash challenger to a humble champion is an intriguing story, but he hasn't fought in a year so there's not much hype behind him as the Middleweight champion. Despite the extended absence, it still makes sense that GSP will get a title shot because he vacated the Welterweight belt prior to his hiatus. UFC 217 should be a tremendous event, considering the three title fights that feature some incredible athletes. More specifically, the undefeated Women's Straw weight champion, Joanna Jędrzejczyk will defend the title. Joanna might be the most dominate female fighter in UFC history and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today. Regardless of any ticket sale concerns, I would guess that the pay-per-view numbers will be solid.
Still, with pay-per-view one of the company's top revenue sources, how will UFC brass increase sales?
All of this speaks to the situation that was mentioned earlier, there aren't enough stars in the UFC, and the structure of the Fox deal doesn't lend itself to the process of building stars. There's another year left on the Fox contract, and if WME decides to resign with the network, there should be some major consideration to reduce the number of events each year. As far as what should be done right now, it seems to make sense to make the biggest fights possible while they are still possible. For example, the UFC 216 numbers imply that Tony Ferguson isn't a draw, even if the interim title win puts him in line for a contest against Conor McGregor. Since Rousey was KO'ed in retirement, and Jon Jones wasted his career with multiple failed drug tests, McGregor is the only main stream draw in the UFC. The fact that Conor just fought Floyd Mayweather for a rumored $100 million is a catch-22 is many ways. On one hand, this is probably the peak of his awareness to the general public so it makes sense for management to cash in on that with a major fight in the octagon. On the other hand, the Mayweather payday gives Conor the ability to negation a better MMA deal for himself and the flexibility to retire whenever he wants to quit fighting.
The Nate Diaz trilogy fight is the money fight to sign. Does it go along with the ranks? No, but it will sell better than a Ferguson bout. While the UFC is very stable, it doesn't speak well to the brand when the amount of star power within the company decreased exponentially in comparison to prior years. Diaz/McGregor 3 probably wouldn't be for a belt, but sometimes championships don't automatically sell. The bottom line is, the fight that the general public is willing to pay to see is what sells and that's the best business move. When there aren't enough marketable stars, ranks shouldn't necessarily dictate business. For example, Demetrius Johnson set a record for the most title defense in the history of the UFC, but he defeated mostly unknown competitor in a division that lacks depth. The charismatic Dublin native against the brash Diaz in a third fight would draw over a million PPV buys.
More than anything, it will be interesting to see if these scenarios dictate the future of the UFC and the contract negotiations for the organization. Even with the ups and downs of the Zuffa era, the combination of the Fertittas and Dana White provided a sense of direction for the promotion. The WME acquisition has casts a level of uncertainty that hasn't been seen since the original Zuffa purchase of the company.
Since GSP temporarily hung up his gloves, the complexion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, both in terms of sport and the business structure, changed drastically. The Fertittas, the casino executives that rescued the organization from obscurity and helped make it a main stream sport, sold the promotion to the WME-IMG group for $4.2 billion in 2016. One of the reasons for the hefty price tag was the Fox deal that the MMA league signed five years earlier that brought the promotion to broadcast television on the primary Fox network, as well as a variety of events on the subsidiary cable channels, including Fox Sports 1. The deal seemed to be mutually beneficial, as the UFC debut on Fox of the Junior Dos Santos/Cain Velasquez bout for the heavyweight title garnered an estimated 5.7 million viewers.
However, there was a much more complicated flip side to the situation. As apart of the Fox deal, Zuffa was contracted to produce a specific number of events, sometimes on a weekly basis, during a calendar year. This translated to an agreement that demanded content regardless of injuries, rankings, or contract negotiations to sign fights. The result of all this lead to the roster being flooded with fighters to take the spots on the extra cards. With a wave of new competitors all on UFC programming at once, there wasn't a way to properly introduce or build them up through the ranks. The current UFC under cards often showcase athletes that the audience isn't familiar with, and it seems as though most preliminary fighters get lost in the shuffle with the amount of events the organization runs each year. Too many cards to follow and too many new faces to introduce has undoubtedly affected the promotion's ability to make marketable stars.
A look at the history of the company and its surge in popularity in the mid-2000s explains the lack of new marketable stars today. The reason the Ultimate Fighter reality show launched the MMA boom was because it finally gave the audience an opportunity to know who the fighters were and their background. For example, Forrest Griffin's quirky personality and Rocky-type style endeared him to fans. When he fought the equally tough and humble Stephan Bonnar, it produced quite possible the most important fight in the history of the sport. When the new audience saw the brawl that resembled Balboa vs. Apollo on Spike TV in 2005, not only did it spark a new popularity for mixed martial arts, it made both fighters legitimate stars that fans would pay to see fight again. In many ways, the reality show did the same for the coaches of that season, the legendary Randy Couture and Chuck Liddel. The diehard fan base knew the amazing story of Couture's debut in the sport at the age of 33 and his ability to keep winning near the age of 40, but his time as a coach allowed his accomplishments to be highlighted to a main stream audience. For Liddel, most casual fans only knew him from clips of his looping hooks, but again, the Ultimate Fighter gave him a platform that allowed him to become the top fighter in the organization at the time.
The reality show concept continued to produce marketable athletes, including Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Nate Diaz, and others. But, when the concept was watered down and several seasons were produced in a relatively short time, it didn't have the same effect because the winners didn't stand out as unique, but rather became lost in the shuffle of many spin offs of the show. The same could be said for much of UFC programming now, with so many cards in a short span, it's difficult to keep track of most of the results.
In many ways, the Fox deal and the contract that demands a number of events that translates to cards on an almost weekly basis have watered down the UFC as a whole. The events themselves and the fighters on the card don't stand out nearly as much as in years previously because there isn't nearly the same amount of build up for each card. Instead of being "special events," UFC pay-per-views are often scheduled between lesser fight night or Fight Pass cards. Essentially, it's supply and demand, and despite the major popularity that the organization had, is there really a demand for weekly MMA events? Plus, the key is star power because that's what sells tickets and draws ratings. It's very difficult to say that they could be enough star power within any combat sport to run weekly cards. However, the Fox deal was a business decision, not a decision based on the sport. As I've said before, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is as much a business, if not more so as it is a sport.
Further complicating the situation is the change in ownership, as it puts pressure on WME executives to generate revenue. The group that bought the UFC did so because they wanted to make a profit from it, and a $4.2 billion investment makes it a difficult process to see a return. It's still somewhat puzzling how the sale number for determined because while Zuffa was estimated to be worth $1 billion, how exactly did it sell for more than four times that amount? Don't get me wrong, the Fertittas deserve the most that they can get, especially because they risk millions to save the sport, but you have to wonder, can WME really generate $4 billion with the UFC?
The recent UFC 216 pay-per-view would suggest that won't be the case, at least not anytime in the near future. Headlined by Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee, the event garnered a dismal 120,000 buy rate. That followed an Amanda Nunes title defense against Valentina Shevchenko the previous month that had just 100,000 buys. The problem is, none of those athletes, as talented as some of them might be, are necessarily known to the general public. Ferguson, a skilled striker, is an eccentric character that doesn't really identify with the audience. Kevin Lee was more or less trying to copy Conor McGregor's promotional style without the skills to back it up. Nunes is talented, but is still known as the fighter that KO'ed Ronda Rosuey into retirement instead of any of her own accomplishments. Shevchenko is simply unknown to most casual fans.
On the surface, the return of Georges St. Pierre should sell itself, but according to longtime UFC commentator, Joe Rogan mentioned on his podcast that the event at Madison Square Garden is not selling well. There are a few factors that could be the reason behind the lack of sales. GSP is without question one of the best MMA fighters of all time, but his exit from the sports was just prior to Ronda Rousey's meteoric rise, and many of the athletes from his era have now retired so it's possible that the UFC fan base is different now than it was when he was champion. Those that are aware of GSP's greatness might also have some reservations because he walked away from the cage four years ago so there could be questions about if he will return in the same top form. Basically, will GSP be the GSP that people know or is he past his prime? Finally, it could be as simple as the very expensive ticket prices of a UFC event that have prevented a sell out. Still, it must be concerning for UFC brass to have a stacked event with three title fights at MSG that isn't selling tickets.
Michael Bisping's journey through the ranks from a brash challenger to a humble champion is an intriguing story, but he hasn't fought in a year so there's not much hype behind him as the Middleweight champion. Despite the extended absence, it still makes sense that GSP will get a title shot because he vacated the Welterweight belt prior to his hiatus. UFC 217 should be a tremendous event, considering the three title fights that feature some incredible athletes. More specifically, the undefeated Women's Straw weight champion, Joanna Jędrzejczyk will defend the title. Joanna might be the most dominate female fighter in UFC history and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today. Regardless of any ticket sale concerns, I would guess that the pay-per-view numbers will be solid.
Still, with pay-per-view one of the company's top revenue sources, how will UFC brass increase sales?
All of this speaks to the situation that was mentioned earlier, there aren't enough stars in the UFC, and the structure of the Fox deal doesn't lend itself to the process of building stars. There's another year left on the Fox contract, and if WME decides to resign with the network, there should be some major consideration to reduce the number of events each year. As far as what should be done right now, it seems to make sense to make the biggest fights possible while they are still possible. For example, the UFC 216 numbers imply that Tony Ferguson isn't a draw, even if the interim title win puts him in line for a contest against Conor McGregor. Since Rousey was KO'ed in retirement, and Jon Jones wasted his career with multiple failed drug tests, McGregor is the only main stream draw in the UFC. The fact that Conor just fought Floyd Mayweather for a rumored $100 million is a catch-22 is many ways. On one hand, this is probably the peak of his awareness to the general public so it makes sense for management to cash in on that with a major fight in the octagon. On the other hand, the Mayweather payday gives Conor the ability to negation a better MMA deal for himself and the flexibility to retire whenever he wants to quit fighting.
The Nate Diaz trilogy fight is the money fight to sign. Does it go along with the ranks? No, but it will sell better than a Ferguson bout. While the UFC is very stable, it doesn't speak well to the brand when the amount of star power within the company decreased exponentially in comparison to prior years. Diaz/McGregor 3 probably wouldn't be for a belt, but sometimes championships don't automatically sell. The bottom line is, the fight that the general public is willing to pay to see is what sells and that's the best business move. When there aren't enough marketable stars, ranks shouldn't necessarily dictate business. For example, Demetrius Johnson set a record for the most title defense in the history of the UFC, but he defeated mostly unknown competitor in a division that lacks depth. The charismatic Dublin native against the brash Diaz in a third fight would draw over a million PPV buys.
More than anything, it will be interesting to see if these scenarios dictate the future of the UFC and the contract negotiations for the organization. Even with the ups and downs of the Zuffa era, the combination of the Fertittas and Dana White provided a sense of direction for the promotion. The WME acquisition has casts a level of uncertainty that hasn't been seen since the original Zuffa purchase of the company.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Neville quits WWE
It was said many times before, but it should be repeated, competition is a critical part of the professional wrestling industry. That competition brings options, both for fans and performers. According to multiple reports, former WWE Cruiserweight champion, Neville quit the company prior to Raw last week. As of this writing, the WWE hasn't officially acknowledged his status.
Neville, formerly known as Pac prior to his WWE arrival, signed a contract in 2012 before he debuted in NXT early the following year. After he began wrestling in 2004 in his native country of England, Pac quickly made a name for himself as one of the best aerial wrestlers in the world, which prompted an offer from Dragon Gate in Japan in 2007. He worked almost a full-time schedule in Japan, as well as around the global on the independent scene until he signed a WWE contract.
At the time, I was surprised that Pac inked a WWE deal, because his style didn't seem to fit the playbook often seen on Raw or Smackdown. As we now know, he was one of the first hybrid athletes that was used to usher in the "new era" style that is now common place. Despite his international success previously, "the man that gravity forgot" earned his stripes in NXT, working the developmental league for two and a half years before he debuted on the main roster.
After the novelty of a new face on TV wore off, Neville was mostly lost in the shuffle of the "new era" agenda on television. Without a substantial storyline or any noticeable character development to help him progress, the Neville persona was relegated to mediocrity. It certainly didn't help his momentum when he broke his ankle in 2016 during a match with Chris Jericho and was sidelined for a few months. Midway through the year, he returned to TV, but wasn't booked for anything worthwhile. It's still puzzling that management seemed to bring him to the main roster simply to have a surprise debut on the post-WM Raw when it appears that they had no plan for him after that. However, make no mistake, Neville is one of the most talented performers in the industry today.
In late-2016, a heel turn provided him with an angle with some substance that could be used to get his character over. Unfortunately, it was linked to the 205 division, which continues to be a disaster. Nobody was surprised when the Cruiserweight division was underutilized, but the best chance the division had to be relevant was based around the "King of the Cruiserweights" heel turn. The push was minimal at best and neither the championship or the division as a whole were emphasized. In fact, the CW title was defended on the WM 33 kick off show and it was the first match of a seven hour event, making it mostly forgettable at the conclusion of the show. A few months ago, Neville briefly dropped the title to Akira Tozawa before he won it back again, a series of title changes that were illogical and did nothing to help the credibility of the championship.
Fast forward to the past several weeks on Raw and it's easy to see why Neville decided to walk away. Enzo, the former partner of Cass, made headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Enzo was kicked off of a WWE bus prior to Summer Slam, and the incident was acknowledged on the network's "Bring it to the table" series. Essentially, Enzo was reprimand for disrespecting the industry and treating it like a joke. Considering that athletes much more skilled than him risk their health to make a living in the business, it's understandable why he was kicked off the bus.
Listen, there's a clear line in the sand, the point of the wrestling business is to make as much money as possible to be able to retire as healthy and as financially secure as possible. Nobody can blame someone for taking the money on the table and the opportunity to move up the card to make more money. Dedication to the business alone doesn't pay the bills, but that dedication to the industry is the recognition that performers have a responsibility to the audience to try to entertain the best that they can for those that buy tickets. The understanding of that responsibility sets a standard for what is acceptable effort to give the audience their money's worth, and that thus allows performers to make a living in the industry. For Enzo to disrespect the business or see it as just a way to become famous disrespects the paying fans and other athletes that are trying to make a living in the industry.
So, Enzo was buried on television, smashed by Cass on a weekly basis until an ACL injury sidelined the big man. Amore continued with the same repetitive rhetoric on WWE programming until the crowd reaction began to dwindle. Those that did chant along with his catchphrases seemed to do so more out of habit than anything else. The announcers rightfully pointed out Enzo's annoying presence and eluded to his unpopularity behind the scenes.
However, the popularity of the original Enzo/Cass team made the duo one of the company's better merchandise sellers, which meant management had to find something for Amore to do. The previously mentioned 205 division was a show with nearly no real consequence, and it was directly said on TV that Enzo was there because no other brand wanted him on its show. Basically, this told the audience that 205 live didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. And because 205 was seem as a B-show, Enzo, one of the least coordinated on the roster, won the championship. The promos that followed consisted of Amore highlighting the perceived lack of marketability of the rest of the division. I have to say, where does the rest of the CWs go from here? How can the division or any of the competitors be taken seriously again?
As I said earlier, Neville is one of the most gifted aerial wrestlers in the world, why should he lower himself to work with an uncoordinated goof? Clearly, Enzo sees WWE as his way to become famous, but he obviously doesn't realize that his star power fall would off as cliff without if management released him.
This is where competition is extremely important, and in this case, it gives Neville the option to walk away from a dismal situation to seek a better opportunity elsewhere. New Japan Pro Wrestling is in the midst of a banner year and has more exposure in the United States today than any other time in the history of the promotion. A combination of the New Japan World streaming service and a working agreement with Ring of Honor give more accessibility to the Japanese product. No longer is Japanese pro wrestling a fringe concept to the American audience that only a collection of diehard fans know about, but rather a product that is viewed as a fast-paced, edgy alternative. The WWE has its brand of entertaining competitors that draw its target audience, and that's a very profitable formula. The New Japan product is different by design and ultimately, it gives fans more options. The traditional position of WWE is what creates the platform for a group like New Japan to gain momentum, and the bottom line is, it allows for more great wrestling from both companies to be seen by more fans.
For Neville, his style seems to lend itself to either Ring Of Honor or New Japan. The WWE TV exposure will give him steam to start the next chapter of his career, and he will undoubtedly have the chance to work with major names on a much bigger stage than 205 Live depending on where he decides to sign. Again, competition is what gives Neville the chance to earn a good living outside of the WWE, and it's another example of how important options are in the industry.
Neville, formerly known as Pac prior to his WWE arrival, signed a contract in 2012 before he debuted in NXT early the following year. After he began wrestling in 2004 in his native country of England, Pac quickly made a name for himself as one of the best aerial wrestlers in the world, which prompted an offer from Dragon Gate in Japan in 2007. He worked almost a full-time schedule in Japan, as well as around the global on the independent scene until he signed a WWE contract.
At the time, I was surprised that Pac inked a WWE deal, because his style didn't seem to fit the playbook often seen on Raw or Smackdown. As we now know, he was one of the first hybrid athletes that was used to usher in the "new era" style that is now common place. Despite his international success previously, "the man that gravity forgot" earned his stripes in NXT, working the developmental league for two and a half years before he debuted on the main roster.
After the novelty of a new face on TV wore off, Neville was mostly lost in the shuffle of the "new era" agenda on television. Without a substantial storyline or any noticeable character development to help him progress, the Neville persona was relegated to mediocrity. It certainly didn't help his momentum when he broke his ankle in 2016 during a match with Chris Jericho and was sidelined for a few months. Midway through the year, he returned to TV, but wasn't booked for anything worthwhile. It's still puzzling that management seemed to bring him to the main roster simply to have a surprise debut on the post-WM Raw when it appears that they had no plan for him after that. However, make no mistake, Neville is one of the most talented performers in the industry today.
In late-2016, a heel turn provided him with an angle with some substance that could be used to get his character over. Unfortunately, it was linked to the 205 division, which continues to be a disaster. Nobody was surprised when the Cruiserweight division was underutilized, but the best chance the division had to be relevant was based around the "King of the Cruiserweights" heel turn. The push was minimal at best and neither the championship or the division as a whole were emphasized. In fact, the CW title was defended on the WM 33 kick off show and it was the first match of a seven hour event, making it mostly forgettable at the conclusion of the show. A few months ago, Neville briefly dropped the title to Akira Tozawa before he won it back again, a series of title changes that were illogical and did nothing to help the credibility of the championship.
Fast forward to the past several weeks on Raw and it's easy to see why Neville decided to walk away. Enzo, the former partner of Cass, made headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Enzo was kicked off of a WWE bus prior to Summer Slam, and the incident was acknowledged on the network's "Bring it to the table" series. Essentially, Enzo was reprimand for disrespecting the industry and treating it like a joke. Considering that athletes much more skilled than him risk their health to make a living in the business, it's understandable why he was kicked off the bus.
Listen, there's a clear line in the sand, the point of the wrestling business is to make as much money as possible to be able to retire as healthy and as financially secure as possible. Nobody can blame someone for taking the money on the table and the opportunity to move up the card to make more money. Dedication to the business alone doesn't pay the bills, but that dedication to the industry is the recognition that performers have a responsibility to the audience to try to entertain the best that they can for those that buy tickets. The understanding of that responsibility sets a standard for what is acceptable effort to give the audience their money's worth, and that thus allows performers to make a living in the industry. For Enzo to disrespect the business or see it as just a way to become famous disrespects the paying fans and other athletes that are trying to make a living in the industry.
So, Enzo was buried on television, smashed by Cass on a weekly basis until an ACL injury sidelined the big man. Amore continued with the same repetitive rhetoric on WWE programming until the crowd reaction began to dwindle. Those that did chant along with his catchphrases seemed to do so more out of habit than anything else. The announcers rightfully pointed out Enzo's annoying presence and eluded to his unpopularity behind the scenes.
However, the popularity of the original Enzo/Cass team made the duo one of the company's better merchandise sellers, which meant management had to find something for Amore to do. The previously mentioned 205 division was a show with nearly no real consequence, and it was directly said on TV that Enzo was there because no other brand wanted him on its show. Basically, this told the audience that 205 live didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. And because 205 was seem as a B-show, Enzo, one of the least coordinated on the roster, won the championship. The promos that followed consisted of Amore highlighting the perceived lack of marketability of the rest of the division. I have to say, where does the rest of the CWs go from here? How can the division or any of the competitors be taken seriously again?
As I said earlier, Neville is one of the most gifted aerial wrestlers in the world, why should he lower himself to work with an uncoordinated goof? Clearly, Enzo sees WWE as his way to become famous, but he obviously doesn't realize that his star power fall would off as cliff without if management released him.
This is where competition is extremely important, and in this case, it gives Neville the option to walk away from a dismal situation to seek a better opportunity elsewhere. New Japan Pro Wrestling is in the midst of a banner year and has more exposure in the United States today than any other time in the history of the promotion. A combination of the New Japan World streaming service and a working agreement with Ring of Honor give more accessibility to the Japanese product. No longer is Japanese pro wrestling a fringe concept to the American audience that only a collection of diehard fans know about, but rather a product that is viewed as a fast-paced, edgy alternative. The WWE has its brand of entertaining competitors that draw its target audience, and that's a very profitable formula. The New Japan product is different by design and ultimately, it gives fans more options. The traditional position of WWE is what creates the platform for a group like New Japan to gain momentum, and the bottom line is, it allows for more great wrestling from both companies to be seen by more fans.
For Neville, his style seems to lend itself to either Ring Of Honor or New Japan. The WWE TV exposure will give him steam to start the next chapter of his career, and he will undoubtedly have the chance to work with major names on a much bigger stage than 205 Live depending on where he decides to sign. Again, competition is what gives Neville the chance to earn a good living outside of the WWE, and it's another example of how important options are in the industry.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
The career of Danny Doring
The boom period of the late 90s for the wrestling business was a very unique and memorable time, both for fans that were thrilled by it and the performers that became household names from it. Record-setting TV ratings, substantial pay-per-view buy rates, and mainstream popularity were common during this time. While Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation went head-to-head with the Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling, it was the renegade promotion based in South Philadelphia that provided the blue print for a presentation that eventually revolutionized the industry in the United States.
A mixture of over-the-top violence, fast-paced athleticism, and intriguing stories made Extreme Championship Wrestling reach mythical levels as fans still reminisce about the wild group more than 15 years after it folded. With Paul Heyman, the cutting-edge mind behind the hardcore vision, as its inspirational leader, ECW ran the majority of its events from dingy buildings on a shoestring budget, but the product was so influential that the multi-million dollar titans of the sport had to take notice. It wasn't long before McMahon and Turner began to showcase their own type of hardcore action.
However, there was a very serious downside to the dangerous stunts that got ECW noticed. A combination of personal choices or injuries left some originals damaged individuals after the spotlight faded. The genre has more than its share of cautionary tales, but there are also several success stories as well.
Long before "Dastardly" Danny Doring posed with a scantily clad valet on pay-per-view, Daniel Morrison lived a very normal childhood. As a youth of the 80s and a native of the north east, Morrison discovered professional wrestling the way most did, finding the large-than-life personas beamed through his television screen.
"My great aunt used to watch it with me on Saturday mornings, it was her favorite. Seeing Savage the first time hooked me for good," he explained.
With the WWF as the primary territory where he lived, the future "Dastardly one" followed all the stars of the "Rock N' Wrestling" era, and eagerly read magazine publications to see other stars as well. Similar to how he discovered the sport, Morrison found Extreme Championship Wrestling in a very common way. By the mid-90s, the spectacle of the 80s was replaced with a series of cartoonish characters and tacky stories. Mantaur, one of the most infamous gimmicks, clumsily wore a giant bull-type mask to the ring on WWF TV. Around the same time, a huge mummy named, "Yeti" debuted on Turner television after he smashed through a block of ice.
Morrison, like many others, skimmed through the channels late at night when he found the Hardcore TV show that looked completely different than anything else in pro wrestling in 1996. He dreamed of stepping into the ring ropes one day and was always athletic in sports so when he saw an ad for the House of Hardcore training academy, he jumped at the chance to learn the craft of the stars he idolized.
The New York-based training center was very similar to ECW itself, a no glamour, physically-demanding experience. Many naive hopefuls stepped into the academy ran by Taz and Perry Saturn, but only a dedicated few completed the course. Daniel Morrison was among those that made it through the House of Hardcore.
"Training was intense and hard. I'd dare say that type of training is extinct and no longer 'accepted.' The biggest take away for me was our trainers never lied. Never said it would be easy, forewarned of sacrifices, but never urged us to quit or give up."
In mid-1997, Morrison debuted at a small house show against his trainer, Taz, and soon became a regular competitor on the road for ECW, often working preliminary matches as he polished his skills through the experience of working in front of a live audience. In early 1998, now known as Danny Doring, he found his niche as a character with a sleaze-type persona. Along with brightly colored attire and a series of innuendos as nicknames for his move set, Doring also had another addition to his career. Road Kill, the Amish-inspired grappler, was another graduate of the House of Hardcore, and he was paired with Doring to form unique team. In contrast to Doring's smooth style, Road Kill sported a lengthy beard and plain clothes to the ring. Still, the entertaining duo became cult favorites among the diehard ECW audience.
"We were classmates so we had that bond, we were also polar opposites in character and out, which made on screen chemistry authentic and entertaining," Doring said.
The tag team worked the under card for about a year until they began to compete on pay-per-view regularly in 1999, the same year that saw the promotion attempt to expand. Heyman, who talked his way into Madison Square Garden as a photographer at the age of 14, ran events traditionally in the north east, but began to expand to other markets as the company gained more exposure. A national TV deal with TNN was seen as the next step for the organization, especially after the pressure to compete with the multi-million dollar competition of the industry. A national deal allowed Extreme Championship Wrestling to secure the contracts for action figures and video games, two traditional revenue streams of the professional wrestling business. Still, rumors swirled at the time about the stability of the ECW brand, and there were questions about if it could keep pace with the competition. But, most of the roster stayed focused on the opportunity to make a name for themselves in front of an expanded national audience.
"We worked 'extremely' hard to get to that point, but in reality the uncertainty of the company wasn't really acknowledged as we had heard that for years but the company always found a way," he said.
Eventually, Extreme Championship Wrestling filed for bankruptcy in April of 2001, which closed the promotion after several years of a product that influenced an entire genre. Post-ECW, Doring continued to wrestle a semi-regular schedule, working the independent scene, and even signed a WWE contract for a brief stint for the short-lived ECW on Sci-Fi project. While many fans hoped for a better conclusion to the original ECW than its abrupt shut down, Doring still appreciates his time to be able to entertain the diehard fan base, considering it a highlight of his career.
"Easily, winning the titles in NYC being we had most of anyone we cared about in that building and the amount of work we put in to get there. You always have things you would've changed, but at the end of the day ECW was the greatest time of my young life and I did things people couldn't do in five life times and met friends I consider family to this very day," he explained.
Today, Daniel Morrison lives a very regular life with his wife and their three children. As one half of the last ECW tag team champions, he has an array of memories from his time traveling the road. From the grueling training sessions under the direction of Taz to driving a ring truck during late-night travels to winning the championships on pay-per-view, he experienced many different aspects of the industry. More than a decade and a half after ECW closed, he has fond memories, but also recognizes the nice family life he enjoys now. However, he still finds time for his passion, working as an announcer for Tommy Dreamer's stellar House of Hardcore promotion.
"I don't even compare the two.The guy in ECW is such a stretch from who I am now they feel like different entities and complete strangers. I absolutely love my role in HOH and am truly blessed to still have a platform to be in this great business and thank Tommy Dreamer for that."
In many respects, the story of Daniel Morrison is very refreshing because he played a part in one of the most wild and controversial eras of professional wrestling, but didn't fall victims to some of the pitfalls that some others sadly struggled with from that same era. Daniel Morrison certainly has much to reflect on with the accomplishments as Danny Doring. More than anything, it's a success story of someone that chased the dream of professional wrestling stardom an emerged with a successful family life from his time in the industry.
A mixture of over-the-top violence, fast-paced athleticism, and intriguing stories made Extreme Championship Wrestling reach mythical levels as fans still reminisce about the wild group more than 15 years after it folded. With Paul Heyman, the cutting-edge mind behind the hardcore vision, as its inspirational leader, ECW ran the majority of its events from dingy buildings on a shoestring budget, but the product was so influential that the multi-million dollar titans of the sport had to take notice. It wasn't long before McMahon and Turner began to showcase their own type of hardcore action.
However, there was a very serious downside to the dangerous stunts that got ECW noticed. A combination of personal choices or injuries left some originals damaged individuals after the spotlight faded. The genre has more than its share of cautionary tales, but there are also several success stories as well.
Long before "Dastardly" Danny Doring posed with a scantily clad valet on pay-per-view, Daniel Morrison lived a very normal childhood. As a youth of the 80s and a native of the north east, Morrison discovered professional wrestling the way most did, finding the large-than-life personas beamed through his television screen.
"My great aunt used to watch it with me on Saturday mornings, it was her favorite. Seeing Savage the first time hooked me for good," he explained.
With the WWF as the primary territory where he lived, the future "Dastardly one" followed all the stars of the "Rock N' Wrestling" era, and eagerly read magazine publications to see other stars as well. Similar to how he discovered the sport, Morrison found Extreme Championship Wrestling in a very common way. By the mid-90s, the spectacle of the 80s was replaced with a series of cartoonish characters and tacky stories. Mantaur, one of the most infamous gimmicks, clumsily wore a giant bull-type mask to the ring on WWF TV. Around the same time, a huge mummy named, "Yeti" debuted on Turner television after he smashed through a block of ice.
Morrison, like many others, skimmed through the channels late at night when he found the Hardcore TV show that looked completely different than anything else in pro wrestling in 1996. He dreamed of stepping into the ring ropes one day and was always athletic in sports so when he saw an ad for the House of Hardcore training academy, he jumped at the chance to learn the craft of the stars he idolized.
The New York-based training center was very similar to ECW itself, a no glamour, physically-demanding experience. Many naive hopefuls stepped into the academy ran by Taz and Perry Saturn, but only a dedicated few completed the course. Daniel Morrison was among those that made it through the House of Hardcore.
"Training was intense and hard. I'd dare say that type of training is extinct and no longer 'accepted.' The biggest take away for me was our trainers never lied. Never said it would be easy, forewarned of sacrifices, but never urged us to quit or give up."
In mid-1997, Morrison debuted at a small house show against his trainer, Taz, and soon became a regular competitor on the road for ECW, often working preliminary matches as he polished his skills through the experience of working in front of a live audience. In early 1998, now known as Danny Doring, he found his niche as a character with a sleaze-type persona. Along with brightly colored attire and a series of innuendos as nicknames for his move set, Doring also had another addition to his career. Road Kill, the Amish-inspired grappler, was another graduate of the House of Hardcore, and he was paired with Doring to form unique team. In contrast to Doring's smooth style, Road Kill sported a lengthy beard and plain clothes to the ring. Still, the entertaining duo became cult favorites among the diehard ECW audience.
"We were classmates so we had that bond, we were also polar opposites in character and out, which made on screen chemistry authentic and entertaining," Doring said.
The tag team worked the under card for about a year until they began to compete on pay-per-view regularly in 1999, the same year that saw the promotion attempt to expand. Heyman, who talked his way into Madison Square Garden as a photographer at the age of 14, ran events traditionally in the north east, but began to expand to other markets as the company gained more exposure. A national TV deal with TNN was seen as the next step for the organization, especially after the pressure to compete with the multi-million dollar competition of the industry. A national deal allowed Extreme Championship Wrestling to secure the contracts for action figures and video games, two traditional revenue streams of the professional wrestling business. Still, rumors swirled at the time about the stability of the ECW brand, and there were questions about if it could keep pace with the competition. But, most of the roster stayed focused on the opportunity to make a name for themselves in front of an expanded national audience.
"We worked 'extremely' hard to get to that point, but in reality the uncertainty of the company wasn't really acknowledged as we had heard that for years but the company always found a way," he said.
Eventually, Extreme Championship Wrestling filed for bankruptcy in April of 2001, which closed the promotion after several years of a product that influenced an entire genre. Post-ECW, Doring continued to wrestle a semi-regular schedule, working the independent scene, and even signed a WWE contract for a brief stint for the short-lived ECW on Sci-Fi project. While many fans hoped for a better conclusion to the original ECW than its abrupt shut down, Doring still appreciates his time to be able to entertain the diehard fan base, considering it a highlight of his career.
"Easily, winning the titles in NYC being we had most of anyone we cared about in that building and the amount of work we put in to get there. You always have things you would've changed, but at the end of the day ECW was the greatest time of my young life and I did things people couldn't do in five life times and met friends I consider family to this very day," he explained.
Today, Daniel Morrison lives a very regular life with his wife and their three children. As one half of the last ECW tag team champions, he has an array of memories from his time traveling the road. From the grueling training sessions under the direction of Taz to driving a ring truck during late-night travels to winning the championships on pay-per-view, he experienced many different aspects of the industry. More than a decade and a half after ECW closed, he has fond memories, but also recognizes the nice family life he enjoys now. However, he still finds time for his passion, working as an announcer for Tommy Dreamer's stellar House of Hardcore promotion.
"I don't even compare the two.The guy in ECW is such a stretch from who I am now they feel like different entities and complete strangers. I absolutely love my role in HOH and am truly blessed to still have a platform to be in this great business and thank Tommy Dreamer for that."
In many respects, the story of Daniel Morrison is very refreshing because he played a part in one of the most wild and controversial eras of professional wrestling, but didn't fall victims to some of the pitfalls that some others sadly struggled with from that same era. Daniel Morrison certainly has much to reflect on with the accomplishments as Danny Doring. More than anything, it's a success story of someone that chased the dream of professional wrestling stardom an emerged with a successful family life from his time in the industry.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
The Young Bucks vs. WWE
The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, are widely considered the best tag team in the world today. Members of the Bullet Club, the stable launched by Finn Balor in 2013, Matt and Nick became wildly popular for their over-the-top personas and amazing aerial ability.
The past five years of New Japan Pro Wrestling are quite the story. The promotion that the legendary Antonio Inoki founded in 1972 was responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport. Inoki, the Japanese grappler that famously fought the iconic Muhammad Ali in a primitive type of MMA fight in 1976, was a student of Rikidozan, one of the pioneers of Japanese professional wrestling. After Inoki worked for JWP, the first national organization in the country, he founded the previously mentioned New Japan, and began a respectful rivalry with Rikidozan's other star student, Giant Baba, who went on to start All Japan.
After the boom period of the 1980s and success in the 1990s, the Japanese market fell off a cliff. The death of Baba in 1999 led to the late Misawa forming Pro Wrestling Noah the following year. Many top stars opted to launch their own projects instead of working for the established organization, which led to a flood of alphabet soup groups that completely over saturated the landscape. In the early 2000s, Inoki attempted to capitalize on the popularity of Pride FC and booked a new philosophy that included mixed martial arts fighters within the pro wrestling environment, a decision that led to disastrous results. Perhaps the most obvious example of this was when former NFL player Bob Sapp won the IWGP Heavyweight title after a series of clumsy matches. The belt was illogically vacated after Sapp lost a K-1 fight to Fujita, who eventually won the championship.
By 2005, Inoki's wrestling empire was on the brink of collapse, and he was forced to sell a majority of the promotion to Yuke's, a division of the THQ video game company. In 2012, THQ sold to Bushiroad before the video game company went bankrupt. Bushiroad, the parent company of a popular trading card franchise, looked to modernize the New Japan product, both from a booking and marketing prospective.
Ironically, when Eric Bischoff borrowed the concept of the UWFI invasion of New Japan as the basis for the New World Order in WCW, it launched the Turner organization to a new level. In a throwback to that same NWO angle, it was New Japan that borrowed the angle as the foundation of the Bullet Club, a group of foreigners that stormed onto the scene to challenge the native heroes. Jado and Gedo, wrestling veterans that became bookers for NJPW after the Bushiroad purchase, did remarkably well in their role, and built compelling angles using a mixture of stars. Along with AJ Styles, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Marty Scrull are all among the gaijin talent that played a role in the extremely popular stable over the past four years. At the same time, native talent like Okada, Nakamura, Tahanshi, Shibata, Suzuki, and others have delivered stellar in-ring performances.
Aside from the basis of the angle, the Bullet Club borrowed the "too sweet" sign from the NWO and the DX chop as a retro tribute to two of the most popular acts of the attitude era. In many ways, what was old became new again, and Bullet Club put a renewed spotlight on the Kliq era the industry. However, the group's popularity wasn't just a result of hand gestures or catchphrases, but rather their incredible in-ring ability.
Last week, after the Ring Of Honor pay-per-view in Las Vegas, members of the Bullet Club were in California near the venue that hosted Raw. On their Youtube series, "Being The Elite," the stable often spoofed "cease and desist" scenarios from WWE, including Cody Rhodes prohibited from using his last name post-WWE. In another retro moment, the Bullet Club "invaded" Raw, similar to DX's infamous invasion of Nitro nearly two decades ago.
It was no coincidence that the next day the WWE sent the Young Bucks a legitimate cease and desist letter about the use of the "too sweet" hand sign. While under contract to New Japan and Ring Of Honor, Matt and Nick Jackson are still independent contractors that hustle to sell merchandise as well as take other indy bookings when their schedule allows. The bottom line is, The Young Bucks are two real-life brothers that wrestle to make a living and support their families.
Reportedly, the WWE filed for a trademark of the hand gesture in 2015, but it remains unclear if it was secured. The Young Bucks, along with the other members of BC were using the hand sign before that, but establishing a prerequisite for that would involve an expensive legal process. In fact, any legal proceedings against the WWE is an expensive process, which is why the Bucks announced earlier this week that they will discontinue the "too sweet" pose. Considering that WWE may or may not actually own the rights, doesn't it seem a little petty to threaten to sue? Is World Wrestling Entertainment really going to lose any revenue from their global, publicly traded company if a tag team uses a hand gesture in Japan? Don't get me wrong, if WWE owns the rights, they have the ability to send the cease and desist letter, but it seems unnecessary, especially when The Bucks make a living because of their ability in the ring, not a retro gesture.
After numerous independent stars, many former BC members were signed to WWE deals, rumors began about if the Bucks would join them. I would guess it's still possible at some point in the future, but threatening to sue doesn't exactly seem like the best way to entice The Bucks to sign a contract. So, The Young Bucks won't use the "too sweet" pose, but as I said earlier, that won't do anything to hinder their status. Matt and Nick Jackson will continue to be a draw within ROH, New Japan, etc. because of their incredible athlete ability. The same could be said for Cody Rhodes, who bet on himself and it paid off, after he requested his release from the WWE. Maybe it's sour grapes, but management claimed they had the rights to the Rhodes last name, a name that his father Dusty used decades ago. Cody, the current Ring Of Honor champion, has been on a tremendous run, wrestling literally around the world since his release. Cody gets those opportunities because of his ability, not his last name. Aside from the possible lawsuit, a cease and desist letter more or less recognizes that an alternative product was established within the industry.
The past five years of New Japan Pro Wrestling are quite the story. The promotion that the legendary Antonio Inoki founded in 1972 was responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport. Inoki, the Japanese grappler that famously fought the iconic Muhammad Ali in a primitive type of MMA fight in 1976, was a student of Rikidozan, one of the pioneers of Japanese professional wrestling. After Inoki worked for JWP, the first national organization in the country, he founded the previously mentioned New Japan, and began a respectful rivalry with Rikidozan's other star student, Giant Baba, who went on to start All Japan.
After the boom period of the 1980s and success in the 1990s, the Japanese market fell off a cliff. The death of Baba in 1999 led to the late Misawa forming Pro Wrestling Noah the following year. Many top stars opted to launch their own projects instead of working for the established organization, which led to a flood of alphabet soup groups that completely over saturated the landscape. In the early 2000s, Inoki attempted to capitalize on the popularity of Pride FC and booked a new philosophy that included mixed martial arts fighters within the pro wrestling environment, a decision that led to disastrous results. Perhaps the most obvious example of this was when former NFL player Bob Sapp won the IWGP Heavyweight title after a series of clumsy matches. The belt was illogically vacated after Sapp lost a K-1 fight to Fujita, who eventually won the championship.
By 2005, Inoki's wrestling empire was on the brink of collapse, and he was forced to sell a majority of the promotion to Yuke's, a division of the THQ video game company. In 2012, THQ sold to Bushiroad before the video game company went bankrupt. Bushiroad, the parent company of a popular trading card franchise, looked to modernize the New Japan product, both from a booking and marketing prospective.
Ironically, when Eric Bischoff borrowed the concept of the UWFI invasion of New Japan as the basis for the New World Order in WCW, it launched the Turner organization to a new level. In a throwback to that same NWO angle, it was New Japan that borrowed the angle as the foundation of the Bullet Club, a group of foreigners that stormed onto the scene to challenge the native heroes. Jado and Gedo, wrestling veterans that became bookers for NJPW after the Bushiroad purchase, did remarkably well in their role, and built compelling angles using a mixture of stars. Along with AJ Styles, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Marty Scrull are all among the gaijin talent that played a role in the extremely popular stable over the past four years. At the same time, native talent like Okada, Nakamura, Tahanshi, Shibata, Suzuki, and others have delivered stellar in-ring performances.
Aside from the basis of the angle, the Bullet Club borrowed the "too sweet" sign from the NWO and the DX chop as a retro tribute to two of the most popular acts of the attitude era. In many ways, what was old became new again, and Bullet Club put a renewed spotlight on the Kliq era the industry. However, the group's popularity wasn't just a result of hand gestures or catchphrases, but rather their incredible in-ring ability.
Last week, after the Ring Of Honor pay-per-view in Las Vegas, members of the Bullet Club were in California near the venue that hosted Raw. On their Youtube series, "Being The Elite," the stable often spoofed "cease and desist" scenarios from WWE, including Cody Rhodes prohibited from using his last name post-WWE. In another retro moment, the Bullet Club "invaded" Raw, similar to DX's infamous invasion of Nitro nearly two decades ago.
It was no coincidence that the next day the WWE sent the Young Bucks a legitimate cease and desist letter about the use of the "too sweet" hand sign. While under contract to New Japan and Ring Of Honor, Matt and Nick Jackson are still independent contractors that hustle to sell merchandise as well as take other indy bookings when their schedule allows. The bottom line is, The Young Bucks are two real-life brothers that wrestle to make a living and support their families.
Reportedly, the WWE filed for a trademark of the hand gesture in 2015, but it remains unclear if it was secured. The Young Bucks, along with the other members of BC were using the hand sign before that, but establishing a prerequisite for that would involve an expensive legal process. In fact, any legal proceedings against the WWE is an expensive process, which is why the Bucks announced earlier this week that they will discontinue the "too sweet" pose. Considering that WWE may or may not actually own the rights, doesn't it seem a little petty to threaten to sue? Is World Wrestling Entertainment really going to lose any revenue from their global, publicly traded company if a tag team uses a hand gesture in Japan? Don't get me wrong, if WWE owns the rights, they have the ability to send the cease and desist letter, but it seems unnecessary, especially when The Bucks make a living because of their ability in the ring, not a retro gesture.
After numerous independent stars, many former BC members were signed to WWE deals, rumors began about if the Bucks would join them. I would guess it's still possible at some point in the future, but threatening to sue doesn't exactly seem like the best way to entice The Bucks to sign a contract. So, The Young Bucks won't use the "too sweet" pose, but as I said earlier, that won't do anything to hinder their status. Matt and Nick Jackson will continue to be a draw within ROH, New Japan, etc. because of their incredible athlete ability. The same could be said for Cody Rhodes, who bet on himself and it paid off, after he requested his release from the WWE. Maybe it's sour grapes, but management claimed they had the rights to the Rhodes last name, a name that his father Dusty used decades ago. Cody, the current Ring Of Honor champion, has been on a tremendous run, wrestling literally around the world since his release. Cody gets those opportunities because of his ability, not his last name. Aside from the possible lawsuit, a cease and desist letter more or less recognizes that an alternative product was established within the industry.
Monday, September 25, 2017
No Mercy review
As usual, the post-WWE pay-per-view social media reaction garnered mixed results. Part-time champion Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman, one of the most performers on the roster, so somehow that ruined the entire three hour events, which isn't realistic at all.
But, what did No Mercy indicate for the direction of the WWE product?
Jason Jordan had a solid showing against The Miz, something that theoretically would go toward establishing him on his own since he departed from the tag team scene on Smackdown. However, the reaction to him recently has generated boos from the crowd. It must be made clear, these boos have nothing to do with his ability in the ring, but rather the lackluster reveal as Kurt Angle's son a few months ago on Raw. The reason being, the writing team built up a major angle for weeks, only to have the reveal be an illogical storyline that had zero impact on the direction of the brand. At the time of the reveal, Jordan wasn't featured or had a major standing on the Smackdown brand. He went from relative obscurity to a major reveal.
In retrospect, it almost seems like the writing team set up a surprise in an attempt to boost ratings for the short term without any clear resolution. Maybe Jordan was a last-minute decision because management didn't have any other options. Plus, his sudden push on Raw after the previously mentioned obscurity on SD gives the impression that Jordan is getting an entitled push, and we all know how well that worked for Roman Reigns.
There's no doubt that Jordan has the talent bell-to-bell, and if anything, is lacking from a character prospective. That said, the best way to get the most from the lackluster reveal would be to set up for a heel turn where Jordan explains that he swerved Angle in an attempt to further his career. That would actually take the illogical reveal and use it as a way to progress his character.
Bray Wyatt/Finn Balor was a solid match-up, but it repeated a pattern often seen with Wyatt's angles. His mic skills are used to build up a contest and then he does the job. That's not to say that Finn doesn't deserve the push or the victory, but what does it say for Wyatt after losing two pay-per-view matches in a row? The feud is essentially concluded and it did nothing for Wyatt. Bray is a performer that stays over because of his mic work, not the way he's booked.
The problem is, that's essentially the only thing Bray was used for during the majority of his WWE career, he gets others over. Even his WWE title run was brief and relatively uneventful before he dropped the title to Randy Orton. The argument could be made that Wyatt hasn't looked strong since he was paired with Harper and Rowan. Consider the other two aren't doing anything, perhaps the trio should be reunited again.
Bray Wyatt is a dynamic performer that connects with the audience, but if he doesn't get an angle that actually elevates his status, his effectiveness going forward will be diminished. It's disappointing to say, but Wyatt is almost used as a glorified jobber.
The tag team title match delivered a quality bout and was possibly the best match on the show. While the writing team certainly earns most of the criticism it receives, No Mercy proved that tag team wrestling is reaching a high point again, which hasn't been the case for more than a decade. Cesaro and Sheamus have done extremely well as a pair and are arguably the best tag team in the WWE. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are two of the best in-ring workers in the company, and their skills have translated to the tag team scene. Plus, the New Day and The Usos had a great series of bouts on SD so it's good to see an emphasis on tag teams again.
The women's title match was great. However, it exposed that the flaw of the division is with the writing, not the wrestling. The 50/50 booking and title switches for an extended period of time diminished the importance of the belt. Instead of the "women's revolution" being a long-term plan, it was used simply as a marketing tag line. Somehow, the writing team managed to book Bayley's character into the ground, while Sasha's star quality was minimized. Nia's in-ring work continues to improve, but her persona remains indifferent. Emma remains irrelevant. Alexa Bliss has done well establishing herself as a believable villain, but without well-booked babyfaces to challenge her, it becomes a moot point. All the said, the competitors did very well in the match, which proves the problem is not their in-ring ability.
Enzo defeated Neville to win the Cruiserweight title, which shows how much WWE brass values the status of the belt. Enzo spent the last several months complaining and getting smashed on Raw. But, he goes to 205 Live and wins the title almost immediately. What statement does that make about the rest of the Cruiserweight division? After Cass turned heel, Enzo was exposed as one dimensional in almost every aspect. Without Cass to do the in-ring work, Enzo does the same promo every week and then a sloppy match. You have to wonder if he will remain popular after his standard promo becomes stale?
The Roman Reigns/John Cena match and the main event appear to be linked, at least in my view. Roman Reigns was booed at No Mercy, but as usually done at pay-per-views, the audio level of the crowd was lowered in an attempt to quiet the hostile reaction. "Big Dawg" kicked out of four AA finishers to defeated John Cena. It was no surprise that post-match, Cena raised Roman's hand and offered an endorsement. In theory, Reigns earned the respect of his "harshest critic," as was set up with the worked-shoot promos in the previous weeks.
It's almost unbelievable that WWE brass continues these "superman" type comebacks when those fuel the resentment toward Roman Reigns. Does anyone in the office really think that Roman kicking out of four finishers will change the fan reaction to him? One of the many reasons the audience rejects Roman is that management tries to insult their intelligence. The whole "hey, look Roman must be really good because he keeps kicking out" might've worked in 1993, but not today when it's commonly acknowledged that the product is a scripted show.
Braun Strowman has done extremely well and he's amazingly agile for someone of his size. In a complete contrast to Reigns, Braun got over spontaneously with the crowd. His presentation and performances made him one of the most over stars on WWE TV on a weekly basis. The dominating push that Braun was given created an anticipated bout with Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion that was pushed as a monster almost continuously since he returned to the WWE over five years ago. Lesnar "conquered" Braun after one F-5 so basically the dominating push to set up the match was used to eventually further cement Brock as the unstoppable monster.
So, where's the link between the two matches?
The reason Roman kicked out of four finishers, and Braun wad pinned with one F-5 is simple. This is all being used for an eventual Reigns vs. Lesnar rematch at Wrestlemania 34, where Roman will win the title again. The anointed champion will be the one to slay the unstoppable monster to further shoehorn his push at the top guy in the company.
As I wrote last week, the WWE owns 95% of the market for sports entertainment in the United States, and if Vince McMahon wants fans to watch Roman Reigns as the top guy then they will watch him. Unless it effects revenue, and it won't, why should WWE brass change their plan? They want Roman Reigns to be the next guy to attend all the corporate events, and no amount of boos is going to change that. Revenue is the bottom line and WWE brass recently touted record-setting profits. Vince McMahon doesn't care if people pay to boo or pay to cheer Roman Reigns, as long as they keep buying tickets and network subscriptions.
It's almost comical that the amount of fans that complain after pay-per-views still continue to subscribe to the network. At this point, the WWE plan is clear, Roman Reigns is going to main event Wrestlemania for several years. Everyone that follows the product can see that so how it is surprising when he beats John Cena?
Don't get me wrong, the cringe-worthy Roman Reigns push isn't exactly the best TV, but everyone knows what to expect when they watch Raw. There's no competition to challenge WWE and if the general public wants to watch professional wrestling then they will watch Raw. Are there best choices for the next top guy in the WWE? Probably, but does it matter? No, because until it effects revenue, there's no reason for management to change their plans.
But, what did No Mercy indicate for the direction of the WWE product?
Jason Jordan had a solid showing against The Miz, something that theoretically would go toward establishing him on his own since he departed from the tag team scene on Smackdown. However, the reaction to him recently has generated boos from the crowd. It must be made clear, these boos have nothing to do with his ability in the ring, but rather the lackluster reveal as Kurt Angle's son a few months ago on Raw. The reason being, the writing team built up a major angle for weeks, only to have the reveal be an illogical storyline that had zero impact on the direction of the brand. At the time of the reveal, Jordan wasn't featured or had a major standing on the Smackdown brand. He went from relative obscurity to a major reveal.
In retrospect, it almost seems like the writing team set up a surprise in an attempt to boost ratings for the short term without any clear resolution. Maybe Jordan was a last-minute decision because management didn't have any other options. Plus, his sudden push on Raw after the previously mentioned obscurity on SD gives the impression that Jordan is getting an entitled push, and we all know how well that worked for Roman Reigns.
There's no doubt that Jordan has the talent bell-to-bell, and if anything, is lacking from a character prospective. That said, the best way to get the most from the lackluster reveal would be to set up for a heel turn where Jordan explains that he swerved Angle in an attempt to further his career. That would actually take the illogical reveal and use it as a way to progress his character.
Bray Wyatt/Finn Balor was a solid match-up, but it repeated a pattern often seen with Wyatt's angles. His mic skills are used to build up a contest and then he does the job. That's not to say that Finn doesn't deserve the push or the victory, but what does it say for Wyatt after losing two pay-per-view matches in a row? The feud is essentially concluded and it did nothing for Wyatt. Bray is a performer that stays over because of his mic work, not the way he's booked.
The problem is, that's essentially the only thing Bray was used for during the majority of his WWE career, he gets others over. Even his WWE title run was brief and relatively uneventful before he dropped the title to Randy Orton. The argument could be made that Wyatt hasn't looked strong since he was paired with Harper and Rowan. Consider the other two aren't doing anything, perhaps the trio should be reunited again.
Bray Wyatt is a dynamic performer that connects with the audience, but if he doesn't get an angle that actually elevates his status, his effectiveness going forward will be diminished. It's disappointing to say, but Wyatt is almost used as a glorified jobber.
The tag team title match delivered a quality bout and was possibly the best match on the show. While the writing team certainly earns most of the criticism it receives, No Mercy proved that tag team wrestling is reaching a high point again, which hasn't been the case for more than a decade. Cesaro and Sheamus have done extremely well as a pair and are arguably the best tag team in the WWE. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose are two of the best in-ring workers in the company, and their skills have translated to the tag team scene. Plus, the New Day and The Usos had a great series of bouts on SD so it's good to see an emphasis on tag teams again.
The women's title match was great. However, it exposed that the flaw of the division is with the writing, not the wrestling. The 50/50 booking and title switches for an extended period of time diminished the importance of the belt. Instead of the "women's revolution" being a long-term plan, it was used simply as a marketing tag line. Somehow, the writing team managed to book Bayley's character into the ground, while Sasha's star quality was minimized. Nia's in-ring work continues to improve, but her persona remains indifferent. Emma remains irrelevant. Alexa Bliss has done well establishing herself as a believable villain, but without well-booked babyfaces to challenge her, it becomes a moot point. All the said, the competitors did very well in the match, which proves the problem is not their in-ring ability.
Enzo defeated Neville to win the Cruiserweight title, which shows how much WWE brass values the status of the belt. Enzo spent the last several months complaining and getting smashed on Raw. But, he goes to 205 Live and wins the title almost immediately. What statement does that make about the rest of the Cruiserweight division? After Cass turned heel, Enzo was exposed as one dimensional in almost every aspect. Without Cass to do the in-ring work, Enzo does the same promo every week and then a sloppy match. You have to wonder if he will remain popular after his standard promo becomes stale?
The Roman Reigns/John Cena match and the main event appear to be linked, at least in my view. Roman Reigns was booed at No Mercy, but as usually done at pay-per-views, the audio level of the crowd was lowered in an attempt to quiet the hostile reaction. "Big Dawg" kicked out of four AA finishers to defeated John Cena. It was no surprise that post-match, Cena raised Roman's hand and offered an endorsement. In theory, Reigns earned the respect of his "harshest critic," as was set up with the worked-shoot promos in the previous weeks.
It's almost unbelievable that WWE brass continues these "superman" type comebacks when those fuel the resentment toward Roman Reigns. Does anyone in the office really think that Roman kicking out of four finishers will change the fan reaction to him? One of the many reasons the audience rejects Roman is that management tries to insult their intelligence. The whole "hey, look Roman must be really good because he keeps kicking out" might've worked in 1993, but not today when it's commonly acknowledged that the product is a scripted show.
Braun Strowman has done extremely well and he's amazingly agile for someone of his size. In a complete contrast to Reigns, Braun got over spontaneously with the crowd. His presentation and performances made him one of the most over stars on WWE TV on a weekly basis. The dominating push that Braun was given created an anticipated bout with Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion that was pushed as a monster almost continuously since he returned to the WWE over five years ago. Lesnar "conquered" Braun after one F-5 so basically the dominating push to set up the match was used to eventually further cement Brock as the unstoppable monster.
So, where's the link between the two matches?
The reason Roman kicked out of four finishers, and Braun wad pinned with one F-5 is simple. This is all being used for an eventual Reigns vs. Lesnar rematch at Wrestlemania 34, where Roman will win the title again. The anointed champion will be the one to slay the unstoppable monster to further shoehorn his push at the top guy in the company.
As I wrote last week, the WWE owns 95% of the market for sports entertainment in the United States, and if Vince McMahon wants fans to watch Roman Reigns as the top guy then they will watch him. Unless it effects revenue, and it won't, why should WWE brass change their plan? They want Roman Reigns to be the next guy to attend all the corporate events, and no amount of boos is going to change that. Revenue is the bottom line and WWE brass recently touted record-setting profits. Vince McMahon doesn't care if people pay to boo or pay to cheer Roman Reigns, as long as they keep buying tickets and network subscriptions.
It's almost comical that the amount of fans that complain after pay-per-views still continue to subscribe to the network. At this point, the WWE plan is clear, Roman Reigns is going to main event Wrestlemania for several years. Everyone that follows the product can see that so how it is surprising when he beats John Cena?
Don't get me wrong, the cringe-worthy Roman Reigns push isn't exactly the best TV, but everyone knows what to expect when they watch Raw. There's no competition to challenge WWE and if the general public wants to watch professional wrestling then they will watch Raw. Are there best choices for the next top guy in the WWE? Probably, but does it matter? No, because until it effects revenue, there's no reason for management to change their plans.
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