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.

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.

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.

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.

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.