Conor McGregor, the mixed martial arts fighter that got the biggest promotional push in the history of the sport from the UFC marketing machine, was charged with multiple counts of misdemeanor assault and a felony charge of criminal mischief after one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of the sport.
The Dublin native responded to an altercation between his teammate, Artem Lobov and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was scheduled to fight at UFC 223 for the Light Heavyweight championship that Conor was stripped off just two days previously. McGregor flew to New York, where the event will be held this weekend, with a group of his friends to confront Khabib. Following a media event yesterday to promote the pay-per-view at the Barclays Center, the former UFC champion showed up uninvited and found the bus that the fighters boarded after the press conference. His group threw trash at the bus, but the major damage was done by McGregor himself. He threw a moving dolly at the bus, shattering the window. Glass showered inside the bus, cutting Micheal Chiesa in several places on his face and head. Flyweight contender, Ray Borg sustained a very serious eye injury from the shards of glass. As a result, both fighters had to cancel their scheduled bouts at the event. Lobov was canceled from the event because of his initial involvement in the incident.
There are many rumors about how the situation will be resolved, but it was reported that Chiesa filed charges against McGregor. However, a civil lawsuit might be the least of Conor's problems at this point. As mentioned, the New York City police filed multiple charges against him and he turned himself in early Friday. His bail was set at $50,000 and his next court date is set for June 14, according to the Washington Post. He will be allowed to leave the country to return to his home in Ireland.
I wrote a few months ago that the UFC might've pushed Conor too much and shoehorned him into the record books as a double champion without the consideration of the potential downside. They made McGregor the face of the organization, gave him several opportunities that he might not have earned, and then he took that stardom to boxing to fight Floyd Mayweather for a rumored $100 million. Quite simply, the UFC marketed McGregor to become too big of a star in his own mind and it came back to bite them.
At this point, the fact that Conor hasn't defended either belt he won or fought in the octagon at all for over a year and a half is a secondary situation. The WME group that bought the Ultimate Fighting Championship for over $4 billion a few years ago saw nearly every major network air the clip of the UFC's most main stream star being led away in handcuffs. It's ironic that this entire incident took place in New York, where it took the UFC several years to get sanctioned to hold events. It took Zuffa years to show that mixed martial arts is a showcase of athletes, not a blood sport. The insane antics of Conor McGregor could do major damage to the perception of the sport. The actions of McGregor were criminal, not fight hype.
Some very narrowed-minded journalists attempted to claim this might be a staged stunt. Besides the fact that the notion is completely ridiculous, this incident didn't happen in front of an audience, and the charges that were filed against McGregor prove the authenticity of the assault that took place after the press conference.
Already, questions have surfaced, what will the future be for Conor McGregor?
Let's keep in mind, the former champion could be a convicted felon depending on the outcome of the court case. What he did was reckless, dangerous, and shouldn't be taken lightly by anyone. Does Conor McGregor really believe his own hype? Does he think that because he got signed to a Burger King sponsorship that he can cause injuries to other people without any consequence? Does he believe in the "gangster" person that he uses to sell pay-per-view?
This entire situation makes the sport look terrible and anything but professional. In my opinion, Conor McGregor crossed the line and doesn't deserve a spot in the UFC. This was a planned assault, and fighters that had nothing to do with the Khabib confrontation were injured. If management keeps McGregor on the roster, what message does that send about the company? Make no mistake about it, the 29-year-old fighter is skilled and dynamic inside the octagon, but there must be a standard of professionalism in mixed martial arts.
Even if Dana White allows Conor to return to the cage, would he actually sign for a fight? He didn't defend either title that he won prior to this incident and didn't have plans to fight again. Plus, would fans still want to pay $65 to see Conor McGregor fight again? The draw to Conor was his brash over-the-top persona that created an entertaining presentation, but he hurt innocent people in a planned assault.
Will Conor McGregor get cut from the UFC roster?
I doubt it, but again, what message does that send about the promotion? If nothing else, it speaks volumes to how far the standard was lowered in the past decade. Would legends like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddel, or Georges St. Pierre ever do something this outrageous? Keep in mind, Paul Daley was exiled from the UFC for his sucker punch against Josh Koscheck after the bell, and Roy Nelson was fired because he pushed a referee so how exactly will management justify McGregor's invitation back to the octagon?
Ultimately, Conor will probably be back at some point because there's still money to be made. That being said, I couldn't care less to watch him fight again because his antics are an insult to the fighters that helped build the sport into a commodity that could be distributed to the main stream audience. Aside from all the insanity, the actual fight card for UFC 223 is still undecided, as Max Holloway, who replaced an injured Tony Ferguson on less than a week notice, couldn't make weight. As of this writing, there isn't an opponent for Khabib in the main event. It will be interesting to see if the hassle and the possible negative effect of Conor McGregor's antics will ultimately be worth the revenue that he generated as champion in the company.
Friday, April 6, 2018
The rocky road to Wrestlemania
This Sunday, Wrestlemania will take place at The Super Dome in New
Orleans, and the biggest event of the year has nearly a week of
festivities planned around it, including the Hall of Fame induction
ceremony. With fans from all over the globe that make the trip to see
the WWE spectacular, many independent groups run events in the area as
well as a part of the Wrestle Con event. The entire scenario brings fans
several shows in the span of just a few days and the sum total of
everything presents what truly is the biggest weekend of the year in the
sport. All that is only possible because of the foundation that
Wrestlemania provides that draws fans from around the world.
However, the build up toward “the showcase of the immortals” has been rocky, to say the least.
There are over a dozen matches scheduled, with ten of those bouts to take place during the main five-hour show. I’ve written it many times, but a longer event doesn’t necessarily translate to a better show. In fact, booking what will ultimately be a seven-hour show when the kickoff event is counted, is a very tough task regardless of the line-up. As anticipated as a WM might be, is there a realistic demand for almost seven hours of wrestling? It appears that the show will drag on at some point, simply because it could be an unavoidable situation with such a lengthy pay-per-view.
The under card is mostly fine. Maybe there are too many multi-person matches, but that’s to be expected so that more athletes can get a spot on the card. But, many of the contests at the top of the card haven’t generated much buzz or anticipation thus far. The WM brand is what sells tickets because there’s a standard and sometimes the bar is set too high or there are unfair expectations. Still, the top-tier matches just don’t have that “must see” atmosphere ahead of show time.
Ronda Rousey is an incredible athlete, but her transition into the world of sports entertainment from the octagon hasn’t been smooth. Granted, her name value puts her under a microscope, but that goes along with the territory because that same name value was what allowed her to get a spot in the WWE. At the same time, the writing team did her no favors in recent weeks and she hasn’t been put into situations that cover for her lack of inexperience. She doesn’t sound comfortable on the mic and her promos are sometimes cringe worthy with forced cliches and awkward pauses. Her popularity will allow her a certain period of time to adjust to professional wrestling, but if she’s is going to have more than a brief stint in the genre, she must fully transition to the entertainment business. If her selling after the table spot on Raw is any indication of her sports entertainment skills, it will be a rough transition for her. I get the point of the Olympic tag team, and it’s a scenario that can camouflage her inexperience, but the involvement of Stephanie McMahon was cringe worthy. It’s almost as if Stephanie gets to work with Ronda as a way to allow her to get press as well. Don’t get me wrong, Stephanie is a solid villain on television, but she’s not nearly as effective as Vince was. At this point, Stephanie and Triple H have been overexposed on TV and the whole “heel authority figure” has become extremely stale. Maybe I’m too jaded, but I couldn’t care less to watch Stephanie get offense against Ronda just so that it can be a photo-op for ESPN. Stephanie, a non-wrestler, putting a former MMA champion through a table is ridiculous even within pro wrestling. If anything, the more logical story of the entire scenario should be that Stephanie escapes Ronda for weeks until Rousey finally gets her hands on McMahon for an arm bar. Ronda finished twelve opponents and never went to the scorecards during her mixed martial arts career, how is it logical that Stephanie could put her in jeopardy? Why is it even a priority for McMahon to look like she could put Rousey in jeopardy? Stephanie isn’t starting a full-time career, why does she need to “look strong” against a former UFC champion? Again, it makes more sense that the story of the match is the question of if or when Rousey finally gets her hands on Stephanie. Personal agendas seemed to dictate the way this storyline was presented to the audience. If McMahon gets offense against Ronda at WM, how does that maintain Rousey’s credibility for matches against full-time wrestlers?
The Undertaker/John Cena match is “technically” not scheduled, but rumors persist that it will take place at the show. If it happens, the set up for this one was confusing and bizarre. The whole premise of the angle is that The Undertaker won’t show up despite the demand of the fans. Doesn’t this make Undertaker look like he just doesn’t care enough to appear? Isn’t that an odd sell considering that he’s one of the most respected figures in the history of the industry. Is the angle supposed to get the Undertaker heat for not showing up or are the fans supposed to resent Cena for insulting the legend?
If the contest is designed to be a “surprise” bout, it’s doubtful that will be the perception at WM. Without any build up at all, what exactly is the basis for the match? Why did Cena decide to challenge The Undertaker? Despite a month of promos, there’s still no clear answer as to why this match is important to Cena. He could’ve claimed it was one of the few things he hasn’t accomplished in his stellar career. The writing team didn’t help this angle and if there’s a Cena/Undertaker match at WM 34, it will basically be a random bout, not the epic confrontation it could’ve been if it was built up as a major match. I just don’t understand how the way to sell a potential match is, “hey, there is no match.” If The Undertaker doesn’t wrestle at WM then why waste the TV time? Either way, the conclusion of this storyline could fall flat.
Another point is, if The Undertaker should work another match at all. While I wasn’t thrilled with Undertaker being used as a part of the Roman Reigns super push last year, at least it allowed him to possibly retire after a main event at Wrestlemania, which is the stage he earned for everything he contributed to the sport. But, the Undertaker showed his age last year, and nobody wants to see an underwhelming performance from such a legendary athlete so the retirement might be a better decision than another match. Either way, the entire storyline hasn’t done much to create any anticipation for the possible match.
The main event is perhaps the match with the least amount of buzz around it, simply because the result is predictable. Even with Roman defenseless last week, the beat down from Lesnar garnered, “you deserve it” chants. Reigns isn’t exactly the sympathetic baby face. As I’ve written several times before, Roman is the anointed champion and the fans resent it. The perception of the industry is much different in 2018 and the audience knows when a competitor is getting a forced push. But, WWE brass has too much invested in Roman Reigns to change course. Roman was built up from scratch within the WWE system so if he fails, what does that say about the performance center or the WWE philosophy of how to discover a “superstar?” In some ways, if management admits that Reigns failed to get over, the company itself admits failure. Nothing about the Reigns super push is organic and spontaneous, which is counterproductive to anything that decided the top star in prior eras. As I said in previous articles, most of that is a moot point. The WWE owns professional wrestling in the United States and there’s not competition to push them to present the best product possible. Corporate agenda, not fan demand, dictates the direction of the product. As a result a level of complacency happens, but even that doesn’t matter. Management touted record revenue for last year so why should they change their plans? Until it affects revenue, and it won’t, there’s no reason for WWE to change the plan.
Although, maybe the entire lack of a build up or anticipation for these matches is a moot point when you consider that a free month is offered for new subscribers in an attempt to boost network numbers. Instead of Wrestlemania subscriptions being a revenue source, improving the stock price seems to be more important. The stock price might be more valuable than the potential extra revenue from new subscribers, but it almost indirectly lowers the standard for the show. Shouldn’t the biggest event of the year be something that fans are willing to pay to watch?
However, the build up toward “the showcase of the immortals” has been rocky, to say the least.
There are over a dozen matches scheduled, with ten of those bouts to take place during the main five-hour show. I’ve written it many times, but a longer event doesn’t necessarily translate to a better show. In fact, booking what will ultimately be a seven-hour show when the kickoff event is counted, is a very tough task regardless of the line-up. As anticipated as a WM might be, is there a realistic demand for almost seven hours of wrestling? It appears that the show will drag on at some point, simply because it could be an unavoidable situation with such a lengthy pay-per-view.
The under card is mostly fine. Maybe there are too many multi-person matches, but that’s to be expected so that more athletes can get a spot on the card. But, many of the contests at the top of the card haven’t generated much buzz or anticipation thus far. The WM brand is what sells tickets because there’s a standard and sometimes the bar is set too high or there are unfair expectations. Still, the top-tier matches just don’t have that “must see” atmosphere ahead of show time.
Ronda Rousey is an incredible athlete, but her transition into the world of sports entertainment from the octagon hasn’t been smooth. Granted, her name value puts her under a microscope, but that goes along with the territory because that same name value was what allowed her to get a spot in the WWE. At the same time, the writing team did her no favors in recent weeks and she hasn’t been put into situations that cover for her lack of inexperience. She doesn’t sound comfortable on the mic and her promos are sometimes cringe worthy with forced cliches and awkward pauses. Her popularity will allow her a certain period of time to adjust to professional wrestling, but if she’s is going to have more than a brief stint in the genre, she must fully transition to the entertainment business. If her selling after the table spot on Raw is any indication of her sports entertainment skills, it will be a rough transition for her. I get the point of the Olympic tag team, and it’s a scenario that can camouflage her inexperience, but the involvement of Stephanie McMahon was cringe worthy. It’s almost as if Stephanie gets to work with Ronda as a way to allow her to get press as well. Don’t get me wrong, Stephanie is a solid villain on television, but she’s not nearly as effective as Vince was. At this point, Stephanie and Triple H have been overexposed on TV and the whole “heel authority figure” has become extremely stale. Maybe I’m too jaded, but I couldn’t care less to watch Stephanie get offense against Ronda just so that it can be a photo-op for ESPN. Stephanie, a non-wrestler, putting a former MMA champion through a table is ridiculous even within pro wrestling. If anything, the more logical story of the entire scenario should be that Stephanie escapes Ronda for weeks until Rousey finally gets her hands on McMahon for an arm bar. Ronda finished twelve opponents and never went to the scorecards during her mixed martial arts career, how is it logical that Stephanie could put her in jeopardy? Why is it even a priority for McMahon to look like she could put Rousey in jeopardy? Stephanie isn’t starting a full-time career, why does she need to “look strong” against a former UFC champion? Again, it makes more sense that the story of the match is the question of if or when Rousey finally gets her hands on Stephanie. Personal agendas seemed to dictate the way this storyline was presented to the audience. If McMahon gets offense against Ronda at WM, how does that maintain Rousey’s credibility for matches against full-time wrestlers?
The Undertaker/John Cena match is “technically” not scheduled, but rumors persist that it will take place at the show. If it happens, the set up for this one was confusing and bizarre. The whole premise of the angle is that The Undertaker won’t show up despite the demand of the fans. Doesn’t this make Undertaker look like he just doesn’t care enough to appear? Isn’t that an odd sell considering that he’s one of the most respected figures in the history of the industry. Is the angle supposed to get the Undertaker heat for not showing up or are the fans supposed to resent Cena for insulting the legend?
If the contest is designed to be a “surprise” bout, it’s doubtful that will be the perception at WM. Without any build up at all, what exactly is the basis for the match? Why did Cena decide to challenge The Undertaker? Despite a month of promos, there’s still no clear answer as to why this match is important to Cena. He could’ve claimed it was one of the few things he hasn’t accomplished in his stellar career. The writing team didn’t help this angle and if there’s a Cena/Undertaker match at WM 34, it will basically be a random bout, not the epic confrontation it could’ve been if it was built up as a major match. I just don’t understand how the way to sell a potential match is, “hey, there is no match.” If The Undertaker doesn’t wrestle at WM then why waste the TV time? Either way, the conclusion of this storyline could fall flat.
Another point is, if The Undertaker should work another match at all. While I wasn’t thrilled with Undertaker being used as a part of the Roman Reigns super push last year, at least it allowed him to possibly retire after a main event at Wrestlemania, which is the stage he earned for everything he contributed to the sport. But, the Undertaker showed his age last year, and nobody wants to see an underwhelming performance from such a legendary athlete so the retirement might be a better decision than another match. Either way, the entire storyline hasn’t done much to create any anticipation for the possible match.
The main event is perhaps the match with the least amount of buzz around it, simply because the result is predictable. Even with Roman defenseless last week, the beat down from Lesnar garnered, “you deserve it” chants. Reigns isn’t exactly the sympathetic baby face. As I’ve written several times before, Roman is the anointed champion and the fans resent it. The perception of the industry is much different in 2018 and the audience knows when a competitor is getting a forced push. But, WWE brass has too much invested in Roman Reigns to change course. Roman was built up from scratch within the WWE system so if he fails, what does that say about the performance center or the WWE philosophy of how to discover a “superstar?” In some ways, if management admits that Reigns failed to get over, the company itself admits failure. Nothing about the Reigns super push is organic and spontaneous, which is counterproductive to anything that decided the top star in prior eras. As I said in previous articles, most of that is a moot point. The WWE owns professional wrestling in the United States and there’s not competition to push them to present the best product possible. Corporate agenda, not fan demand, dictates the direction of the product. As a result a level of complacency happens, but even that doesn’t matter. Management touted record revenue for last year so why should they change their plans? Until it affects revenue, and it won’t, there’s no reason for WWE to change the plan.
Although, maybe the entire lack of a build up or anticipation for these matches is a moot point when you consider that a free month is offered for new subscribers in an attempt to boost network numbers. Instead of Wrestlemania subscriptions being a revenue source, improving the stock price seems to be more important. The stock price might be more valuable than the potential extra revenue from new subscribers, but it almost indirectly lowers the standard for the show. Shouldn’t the biggest event of the year be something that fans are willing to pay to watch?
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Wilder vs. Joshua
Last weekend, nearly 80,000 fans gathered at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales to watch Anthony Joshua's unanimous decision victory over the previously undefeated Joseph Parker. The win improved Joshua's record to 21-0 with all but the Parker contest ending in a knockout. The 28-year-old added another belt to his alphabet soup collection of championships, but more importantly, the stage appears to be set for a super fight with the other heavyweight champion in the division, the undefeated Deontay Wilder.
However, will the politics of the boxing business halt the road to a unified champion?
Arguably, the 1970s were the heyday of the heavyweight division. Ali artfully danced around the ring, landing jabs and hooks in a display that was as graceful as it was devastating. The iron-chinned Joe Frazier pounded opponents with hands of stone. The global presence of heavyweight legends was such a main stream draw that talented athletes like Larry Holmes were sometimes overshadowed by it. The 90s saw the controversial Mike Tyson maintain a spot for the heavyweight division among the general public. When "Iron" Mike walked to the ring, people watched. Ironically, the last major heavyweight boxing pay-per-view was Tyson/Lewis, generating nearly two million buys in 2002. Lennox Lewis sent Tyson crashing to the canvas in the eighth round for what ultimately was the beginning of the end of "Iron" Mike's career. Lewis' run was near an end as well, more specifically when he fought Vitali Klitschko the following year. A nasty cut on Vitali's eyelid stopped a bout that he was winning. The tough test prompted Lewis to retire before a rematch was signed.
Vitali and his brother Wladimir dominated the division throughout the early 2000s. The pair of Ukrainian fighters each held heavyweight titles. Vitali retired in 2012, vacating the WBC belt to pursue politics full-time in his native country. Wladimir continued to fight as the heavyweight champion until he lost the belt in 2015 to the eccentric Tyson Fury, who was eventually stripped of the title when he failed drug tests. Wladimir returned to the ring last year for a fight of the year match-up against Joshua. The younger challenger won via TKO and made a name for himself with the victory against the well known champion.
The Klitschko era was known for dominance, but also a lack of buzz as well. Partially, the reason was the sub par competition available for the brothers to fight, which isn't their fault. Both Klitschkos fought the contenders that were in the sport during their era. At the same time, Wladimir's European-based, almost robotic style didn't lend itself to entertaining fights. Wladimir used a jab so well that during some of his contests, he rarely threw the right hand. It's not to take away from his greatness, but mediocre opponents and some lackluster bouts kept him from gaining major popularity in the United States. In fact, the lack of notoriety in America, but major popularity around Europe led to most of his fight being held outside of the United States, further isolating him from that market and keeping the division out of the conversation among boxing fans in this country. It's a very unique scenario that Klitschko was a dominate champion for over a decade, but not featured on pay-per-view in the US. The Klitschkos have done a tremendous amount of humanitarian work for the citizens in the Ukraine and it's disappointing that most American sports fans are unfamiliar with their lengthy accomplishments in the ring.
Despite the dominate run the Klitschkos had, that era basically stalled the division in America. As mentioned, Joshua put himself on the map when he defeated the legendary Wladimir, and his recent bouts have packed stadiums in his home country. At the same time, Wilder continues to knockout opponents, with 39 of his 40 wins via KO. Wilder's wins on the Premier Boxing Champions series allowed more exposure and introduced him to more casual sports fans.
Basically, for the first time in nearly two decades a major heavyweight super fight can be presented on pay-per-view. There are two undefeated heavyweights that have KO'ed all their opponents except one respectively. The story writes itself, but the logistics are much more complex than that.
During the post-fight interview last weekend, Joshua claimed that he wants the fight to be hosted in England, which makes sense. When a fighter can draw 80,000 fans to a stadium, it's difficult to argue where the bout should take place. At the same time, because of the time difference, if the match-up is hosted in the UK then that might eliminate the possibility of a pay-per-view and its revenue in the United States. Maybe a compromise can be reached that puts the fight in the ring earlier than usual so that it can still be featured live on pay-per-view in the United States? Anthony Joshua is a much bigger star in the UK than Wilder is in the United States so maybe that gives the British fighter leverage during negotiations.
The much bigger hurdle is that outside of Klitchsko, Joshua hasn't fought anyone with major name value, and Wilder fought nobody of note with the exception of Luis Ortiz in his last bout. If Wilder KOs another ham sandwich-level opponent, it does nothing to elevate his status. It's possible that Joshua could get another opponent to draw a big crowd in Europe, but eventually, the draw of glorified exhibition bouts will decline. Quite simply, both fighters need each other to make the most money and fight on the biggest stage possible. The Canelo/Triple G thriller was proof of what a top-tier prize fight can do at the box office so hopefully the Wilder/Joshua bout is signed.
If the fight actually happens, Joshua will have the definitive technical advantage, as Wilder's sometimes sloppy style could allow the British competitor to land counter punches. On the flip side, Wilder only has to land one punch to end a fight. That contrast is the intriguing aspect and one of the selling points of the fight. To resolve the location of the fight, why not sign a contest for the UK and then a rematch in the United States? Make no mistake about it, if it takes years for this contest to materialize, the demand for it will decrease significantly. Joshua and Wilder aren't famous enough to go the Mayweather/Pacquiao path of negotiations. Plus, if either fighter loses before they sign to fighter each other, much of the intrigue around the bout decreases as well. With Wilder the top American, and Joshua the top British heavyweight, their individual promoters don't want to risk their biggest draw so it wouldn't be surprising if negotiations stall the deal. The bottom line is, there are two undefeated heavyweights that could fight for the unified title, if this bout doesn't get signed within a reasonable time frame, the sport could decline from some of the progress it made in recent years so let's hope politics don't hinder the sport again.
However, will the politics of the boxing business halt the road to a unified champion?
Arguably, the 1970s were the heyday of the heavyweight division. Ali artfully danced around the ring, landing jabs and hooks in a display that was as graceful as it was devastating. The iron-chinned Joe Frazier pounded opponents with hands of stone. The global presence of heavyweight legends was such a main stream draw that talented athletes like Larry Holmes were sometimes overshadowed by it. The 90s saw the controversial Mike Tyson maintain a spot for the heavyweight division among the general public. When "Iron" Mike walked to the ring, people watched. Ironically, the last major heavyweight boxing pay-per-view was Tyson/Lewis, generating nearly two million buys in 2002. Lennox Lewis sent Tyson crashing to the canvas in the eighth round for what ultimately was the beginning of the end of "Iron" Mike's career. Lewis' run was near an end as well, more specifically when he fought Vitali Klitschko the following year. A nasty cut on Vitali's eyelid stopped a bout that he was winning. The tough test prompted Lewis to retire before a rematch was signed.
Vitali and his brother Wladimir dominated the division throughout the early 2000s. The pair of Ukrainian fighters each held heavyweight titles. Vitali retired in 2012, vacating the WBC belt to pursue politics full-time in his native country. Wladimir continued to fight as the heavyweight champion until he lost the belt in 2015 to the eccentric Tyson Fury, who was eventually stripped of the title when he failed drug tests. Wladimir returned to the ring last year for a fight of the year match-up against Joshua. The younger challenger won via TKO and made a name for himself with the victory against the well known champion.
The Klitschko era was known for dominance, but also a lack of buzz as well. Partially, the reason was the sub par competition available for the brothers to fight, which isn't their fault. Both Klitschkos fought the contenders that were in the sport during their era. At the same time, Wladimir's European-based, almost robotic style didn't lend itself to entertaining fights. Wladimir used a jab so well that during some of his contests, he rarely threw the right hand. It's not to take away from his greatness, but mediocre opponents and some lackluster bouts kept him from gaining major popularity in the United States. In fact, the lack of notoriety in America, but major popularity around Europe led to most of his fight being held outside of the United States, further isolating him from that market and keeping the division out of the conversation among boxing fans in this country. It's a very unique scenario that Klitschko was a dominate champion for over a decade, but not featured on pay-per-view in the US. The Klitschkos have done a tremendous amount of humanitarian work for the citizens in the Ukraine and it's disappointing that most American sports fans are unfamiliar with their lengthy accomplishments in the ring.
Despite the dominate run the Klitschkos had, that era basically stalled the division in America. As mentioned, Joshua put himself on the map when he defeated the legendary Wladimir, and his recent bouts have packed stadiums in his home country. At the same time, Wilder continues to knockout opponents, with 39 of his 40 wins via KO. Wilder's wins on the Premier Boxing Champions series allowed more exposure and introduced him to more casual sports fans.
Basically, for the first time in nearly two decades a major heavyweight super fight can be presented on pay-per-view. There are two undefeated heavyweights that have KO'ed all their opponents except one respectively. The story writes itself, but the logistics are much more complex than that.
During the post-fight interview last weekend, Joshua claimed that he wants the fight to be hosted in England, which makes sense. When a fighter can draw 80,000 fans to a stadium, it's difficult to argue where the bout should take place. At the same time, because of the time difference, if the match-up is hosted in the UK then that might eliminate the possibility of a pay-per-view and its revenue in the United States. Maybe a compromise can be reached that puts the fight in the ring earlier than usual so that it can still be featured live on pay-per-view in the United States? Anthony Joshua is a much bigger star in the UK than Wilder is in the United States so maybe that gives the British fighter leverage during negotiations.
The much bigger hurdle is that outside of Klitchsko, Joshua hasn't fought anyone with major name value, and Wilder fought nobody of note with the exception of Luis Ortiz in his last bout. If Wilder KOs another ham sandwich-level opponent, it does nothing to elevate his status. It's possible that Joshua could get another opponent to draw a big crowd in Europe, but eventually, the draw of glorified exhibition bouts will decline. Quite simply, both fighters need each other to make the most money and fight on the biggest stage possible. The Canelo/Triple G thriller was proof of what a top-tier prize fight can do at the box office so hopefully the Wilder/Joshua bout is signed.
If the fight actually happens, Joshua will have the definitive technical advantage, as Wilder's sometimes sloppy style could allow the British competitor to land counter punches. On the flip side, Wilder only has to land one punch to end a fight. That contrast is the intriguing aspect and one of the selling points of the fight. To resolve the location of the fight, why not sign a contest for the UK and then a rematch in the United States? Make no mistake about it, if it takes years for this contest to materialize, the demand for it will decrease significantly. Joshua and Wilder aren't famous enough to go the Mayweather/Pacquiao path of negotiations. Plus, if either fighter loses before they sign to fighter each other, much of the intrigue around the bout decreases as well. With Wilder the top American, and Joshua the top British heavyweight, their individual promoters don't want to risk their biggest draw so it wouldn't be surprising if negotiations stall the deal. The bottom line is, there are two undefeated heavyweights that could fight for the unified title, if this bout doesn't get signed within a reasonable time frame, the sport could decline from some of the progress it made in recent years so let's hope politics don't hinder the sport again.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Vince McMahon buys WCW
On March 26, 2001, Vince McMahon began that week's episode of Monday Night Raw with the announcement that he bought Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. The announcement came after a rivalry the previous five years for weekly ratings in the "Monday Night War." The head-to-head competition fueled the biggest boom in the history of the industry with record-setting ratings and pay-per-view buys.
The war was five years in the making, but that night in March of 2001 changed the business forever.
The closure of World Championship Wrestling saw the conclusion of a history that extended as far back as the lengthy accolades of the National Wrestling Alliance. When Jim Crockett Promotions spent itself too far in debt in an attempt to keep pace with Vince McMahon's national expansion, Ted Turner, the owner of the TBS network that aired NWA programming, bought the organization to keep wrestling on his channel. Pro wrestling was a staple of Turner's media umbrella and a cornerstone of TBS when cable television became a national entity. Turner actually provided the genre with its first national TV platform when Georgia Championship Wrestling was broadcast on the network in the mid-70s.
Professional wrestling was good to Turner and he kept it on his network when Crockett was near bankruptcy in 1988. The Turner purchase that year led to the creation of World Championship Wrestling as an organization that replaced the letters NWA. The post-Crockett era was rather lean for both WCW and the business as a whole. The early 90s saw a lack of direction with a revolving door of authority figures, including Bill Watts and Jim Herd for brief stints in the office. Watts was too far behind the times to realize his 80s style of booking wouldn't get over with the audience or the roster in the 90s. Herd was so clueless that he should've stayed at Pizza Hut to sell bread sticks. The WWF steroid scandal of that era that caused a slump for the entire sport didn't help either.
In the first five years that Ted Turner owned the wrestling league, it didn't make a profit and was kept on the air simply because Turner wanted to keep the sport on his channel. By 1994, there was an initiative for the group to make money and it led to a new direction. Eric Bischoff, a former AWA announcer that became a third-tier WCW interviewer, was named the new executive vice president of World Championship Wrestling. Bischoff was smart enough to realize he needed legitimate stars to draw viewers to his product and a plan to garner a piece of the market from McMahon.
Hulk Hogan, the former top star for McMahon, left the WWF in 1993 following the steroid scandal to pursue an unsuccessful acting career. When "Pastamania" and a "Thunder blender" didn't take off either, Hogan listened when Bischoff approached him in 1994 about another stint in the ring. Randy Savage was phrased from the squared circle in favor of the broadcast desk in the WWF, but still wanted to wrestle so opted to sign a Turner deal as well. Other WWF mainstays like Bobby Hennan and Gene Okerlund decided the lighter WCW schedule suited them better in their latter career. Eventually, when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, a pair of WWF stars in the prime, were lured away for more money with less required appearances in 1996, the sports entertainment tide shifted for the first time in history.
The perception of the "Outsiders" invading WCW territory for a hostile takeover created intriguing TV. In many ways, it was a refreshing change in comparison to the cartoonish era previously. The Yeti and Mantaur made people shake their heads and change the channel. Hall and Nash were cutting edge and made viewers tune in to see what happened next. Hogan turned heel to form the New World Order at Bash of the Beach that year and rejuvenated his career for a fresh run. The concept of wrestling's all-time hero as a heel made the general public take notice. The cool heels of The Outsiders kept them watching Nitro. At the same time, the WWF was on the ropes, finishing in the red for 1996 and the future of the company was very much in doubt in 1997. Basically, Nitro was current and much more contemporary than Raw at the time.
Vince McMahon knew he needed a drastic change if he wanted to maintain his sports entertainment empire and that ushered in the Attitude Era. As I've written before, you can't plan or book a boom period in the industry. The right opportunities have to present themselves at the right place at the right time. Steve Austin was set to become the biggest star in the industry around the same time that Vince McMahon became the top villain in the business after the Montreal incident. You couldn't plan that or the situation around it. While WCW was cutting edge for a period of time, McMahon knew that Nitro had strict guidelines because it was a Turner product. Essentially, the WWF became more shocking and pushed the envelope further than Nitro could with its Turner group limitations. In retrospect, some of the Attitude Era content was probably too lewd for sports entertainment, but it suited much of the pop culture of the late-90s. Howard Stern was arguably at his peak with millions of listeners on a national radio show while music and TV were also more edgy at the time. Quite simply, the WWF became current and relevant again.
The combination of the popularity of the WWF and WCW created the previously mentioned weekly ratings competition. That competition, similar to most business, generated the best product possible from both companies. Every week, each organization tried to produce compelling television to keep viewers from changing the channel to the other show. Extreme Championship Wrestling provided more variety for fans, and more booking concepts for the bigger promotions. Let's not forget that the rosters had depth. Each group had a cast of popular mid-carders as well. The lucha libre and cruiser weight stars gave Nitro something unique to promote and in many ways provided substances to go along with the sizzle that the older stars gave the product.
The story about the shift of the wrestling war is well-documented. Vince McMahon was smart enough to create a new group of stars and allowed business, not a political agenda to dictate the direction of his product. Mick Foley was everything that a typical "superstar" wasn't, but he connected with the audience so he was elevated to a main event level. On the flip side, WCW tanked because politics, not fan demand, determined the product that was booked. The New World Order had a good two year run before it became a stale act. Fans already watched the stable do everything from 1996-1998. Bill Goldberg was a lucrative commodity, but was booked terribly and it led to another stale act. The biggest star for the Turner group in 1998 was a repetitive segment by 1999. Again, politics and inflated contracts decided the direction of WCW, which ultimately led to the down slide. Plus, those talented mid-carders on Nitro were stuck at that level and not booked further up the card to evolve the organization as the new millennium approached.
While the WWF rode the momentum of 1998 through a rather lackluster 1999 until the fresh tag division became tremendously popular in 2000, the Turner organization took a much different path. When Vince Russo, the former magazine writer that eventually wrote WCW into bankruptcy, jumped ship to the Turner group in late-1999, the wave of popularity that Nitro had previously declined exponentially. There are many theories about what caused the demise of WCW, but it was undoubtedly a combination of several things. Some claimed the AOL/Time Warner merger was the deciding factor, but the bottom line is, if the company made a profit in the year 2000 then it wouldn't have been sold. The fact that the promotion lost $60 million that year is why it closed.
Ultimately, the night of March 26, 2001 saw the end of an era as well as the consolidation of the industry, similar to the conclusion of the previous boom in business.
Eric Bischoff, the same executive that put McMahon on the ropes, attempted to buy the WCW franchise with plans to relaunch the brand in May of that year. But, the TBS suits were soured on sports entertainment from the dive that Nitro took in the final year of the organization and they didn't want to air pro wrestling again. Without the TV time slot, the Bischoff group cancelled the deal. As a result, Vince McMahon bought the promotion, including the video library and trademarks for pennies on the dollar. For around just $2 million, Vince owned the competition that was the biggest threat to his business just a few years earlier. With many of WCW's biggest stars under contract to the Turner organization, not the wrestling company, most of them opted to stay home to collect the money of their guaranteed deals. Without the top stars, the invasion flopped, and when WCW closed, much of its audience simply stopped watching professional wrestling. After the "super bowl of professional wrestling" fell so flat, sports entertainment wasn't must see TV. Similar to the post-boom period of previous eras, there was a decline in business in the mid-2000s.
A monopoly developed in the years that followed, a monopoly that still affects the industry today. The WCW purchase was the start of the collection of the video libraries of nearly every major promotion that existed in the history of the genre in the United States. It's a harsh reality, but WWE paid the owners of the territory footage much more than they could've made trying to distribute themselves so it was a smart move to take the deal. The acquisition of historic footage was the foundation of the network that distributes pay-per-views today. But, the monopoly of the WWE as the example of the sport in America extends beyond just the assets they bought after the Monday night war.
As cliche as it sounds, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Remember the scenario where corporate agenda, not fan demand, dictated the direction of Nitro? It sounds very similar to the forced push often used in WWE today. How about those underutilized mid-carders that weren't elevated to the main event in WCW? How many great talents flounder on the roster in WWE now? Is that to say that WWE will implode? Absolutely not, but without the competition to push management to put the best product on TV, a certain level of complacency has developed with the current product.
So, the ripple effect of the events around March of 2001 set the stage for the consolidation of the industry and the expansion of the WWE as the only major main stream sports entertainment company. This was further proven when TNA failed to become any legitimate competition during its original run. Today, the WWE uses its reach as the only major sports entertainment option in America as a way to continuously expand, both with distribution and new demographics. The fact that World Wrestling Entertainment is so far ahead of any other option has allowed them to sign almost all of the top talent of the current generation. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, Adam Cole, Chris Hero, War Machine, Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and many others signed WWE deals after they made a name for themselves elsewhere. Quite simply, when the WWE offers a deal, most decide its the right move for their careers. On the flip side, that same monopoly is why its extremely important that New Japan provide an alternative for wrestlers and fans so that there are options. In many ways, New Japan isn't necessarily competition to the WWE, but rather compliments the sports entertainment genre with a different style.
Still, the industry arrived to where it is now because of the events of March 2001. If WCW didn't close, CM Punk could've walked out of Raw and onto Nitro, the audience wouldn't have to revolt to get Daniel Bryan a main event spot, and maybe an anointed champion wouldn't get a forced pushed four years in a row at the biggest event of the year.
The war was five years in the making, but that night in March of 2001 changed the business forever.
The closure of World Championship Wrestling saw the conclusion of a history that extended as far back as the lengthy accolades of the National Wrestling Alliance. When Jim Crockett Promotions spent itself too far in debt in an attempt to keep pace with Vince McMahon's national expansion, Ted Turner, the owner of the TBS network that aired NWA programming, bought the organization to keep wrestling on his channel. Pro wrestling was a staple of Turner's media umbrella and a cornerstone of TBS when cable television became a national entity. Turner actually provided the genre with its first national TV platform when Georgia Championship Wrestling was broadcast on the network in the mid-70s.
Professional wrestling was good to Turner and he kept it on his network when Crockett was near bankruptcy in 1988. The Turner purchase that year led to the creation of World Championship Wrestling as an organization that replaced the letters NWA. The post-Crockett era was rather lean for both WCW and the business as a whole. The early 90s saw a lack of direction with a revolving door of authority figures, including Bill Watts and Jim Herd for brief stints in the office. Watts was too far behind the times to realize his 80s style of booking wouldn't get over with the audience or the roster in the 90s. Herd was so clueless that he should've stayed at Pizza Hut to sell bread sticks. The WWF steroid scandal of that era that caused a slump for the entire sport didn't help either.
In the first five years that Ted Turner owned the wrestling league, it didn't make a profit and was kept on the air simply because Turner wanted to keep the sport on his channel. By 1994, there was an initiative for the group to make money and it led to a new direction. Eric Bischoff, a former AWA announcer that became a third-tier WCW interviewer, was named the new executive vice president of World Championship Wrestling. Bischoff was smart enough to realize he needed legitimate stars to draw viewers to his product and a plan to garner a piece of the market from McMahon.
Hulk Hogan, the former top star for McMahon, left the WWF in 1993 following the steroid scandal to pursue an unsuccessful acting career. When "Pastamania" and a "Thunder blender" didn't take off either, Hogan listened when Bischoff approached him in 1994 about another stint in the ring. Randy Savage was phrased from the squared circle in favor of the broadcast desk in the WWF, but still wanted to wrestle so opted to sign a Turner deal as well. Other WWF mainstays like Bobby Hennan and Gene Okerlund decided the lighter WCW schedule suited them better in their latter career. Eventually, when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, a pair of WWF stars in the prime, were lured away for more money with less required appearances in 1996, the sports entertainment tide shifted for the first time in history.
The perception of the "Outsiders" invading WCW territory for a hostile takeover created intriguing TV. In many ways, it was a refreshing change in comparison to the cartoonish era previously. The Yeti and Mantaur made people shake their heads and change the channel. Hall and Nash were cutting edge and made viewers tune in to see what happened next. Hogan turned heel to form the New World Order at Bash of the Beach that year and rejuvenated his career for a fresh run. The concept of wrestling's all-time hero as a heel made the general public take notice. The cool heels of The Outsiders kept them watching Nitro. At the same time, the WWF was on the ropes, finishing in the red for 1996 and the future of the company was very much in doubt in 1997. Basically, Nitro was current and much more contemporary than Raw at the time.
Vince McMahon knew he needed a drastic change if he wanted to maintain his sports entertainment empire and that ushered in the Attitude Era. As I've written before, you can't plan or book a boom period in the industry. The right opportunities have to present themselves at the right place at the right time. Steve Austin was set to become the biggest star in the industry around the same time that Vince McMahon became the top villain in the business after the Montreal incident. You couldn't plan that or the situation around it. While WCW was cutting edge for a period of time, McMahon knew that Nitro had strict guidelines because it was a Turner product. Essentially, the WWF became more shocking and pushed the envelope further than Nitro could with its Turner group limitations. In retrospect, some of the Attitude Era content was probably too lewd for sports entertainment, but it suited much of the pop culture of the late-90s. Howard Stern was arguably at his peak with millions of listeners on a national radio show while music and TV were also more edgy at the time. Quite simply, the WWF became current and relevant again.
The combination of the popularity of the WWF and WCW created the previously mentioned weekly ratings competition. That competition, similar to most business, generated the best product possible from both companies. Every week, each organization tried to produce compelling television to keep viewers from changing the channel to the other show. Extreme Championship Wrestling provided more variety for fans, and more booking concepts for the bigger promotions. Let's not forget that the rosters had depth. Each group had a cast of popular mid-carders as well. The lucha libre and cruiser weight stars gave Nitro something unique to promote and in many ways provided substances to go along with the sizzle that the older stars gave the product.
The story about the shift of the wrestling war is well-documented. Vince McMahon was smart enough to create a new group of stars and allowed business, not a political agenda to dictate the direction of his product. Mick Foley was everything that a typical "superstar" wasn't, but he connected with the audience so he was elevated to a main event level. On the flip side, WCW tanked because politics, not fan demand, determined the product that was booked. The New World Order had a good two year run before it became a stale act. Fans already watched the stable do everything from 1996-1998. Bill Goldberg was a lucrative commodity, but was booked terribly and it led to another stale act. The biggest star for the Turner group in 1998 was a repetitive segment by 1999. Again, politics and inflated contracts decided the direction of WCW, which ultimately led to the down slide. Plus, those talented mid-carders on Nitro were stuck at that level and not booked further up the card to evolve the organization as the new millennium approached.
While the WWF rode the momentum of 1998 through a rather lackluster 1999 until the fresh tag division became tremendously popular in 2000, the Turner organization took a much different path. When Vince Russo, the former magazine writer that eventually wrote WCW into bankruptcy, jumped ship to the Turner group in late-1999, the wave of popularity that Nitro had previously declined exponentially. There are many theories about what caused the demise of WCW, but it was undoubtedly a combination of several things. Some claimed the AOL/Time Warner merger was the deciding factor, but the bottom line is, if the company made a profit in the year 2000 then it wouldn't have been sold. The fact that the promotion lost $60 million that year is why it closed.
Ultimately, the night of March 26, 2001 saw the end of an era as well as the consolidation of the industry, similar to the conclusion of the previous boom in business.
Eric Bischoff, the same executive that put McMahon on the ropes, attempted to buy the WCW franchise with plans to relaunch the brand in May of that year. But, the TBS suits were soured on sports entertainment from the dive that Nitro took in the final year of the organization and they didn't want to air pro wrestling again. Without the TV time slot, the Bischoff group cancelled the deal. As a result, Vince McMahon bought the promotion, including the video library and trademarks for pennies on the dollar. For around just $2 million, Vince owned the competition that was the biggest threat to his business just a few years earlier. With many of WCW's biggest stars under contract to the Turner organization, not the wrestling company, most of them opted to stay home to collect the money of their guaranteed deals. Without the top stars, the invasion flopped, and when WCW closed, much of its audience simply stopped watching professional wrestling. After the "super bowl of professional wrestling" fell so flat, sports entertainment wasn't must see TV. Similar to the post-boom period of previous eras, there was a decline in business in the mid-2000s.
A monopoly developed in the years that followed, a monopoly that still affects the industry today. The WCW purchase was the start of the collection of the video libraries of nearly every major promotion that existed in the history of the genre in the United States. It's a harsh reality, but WWE paid the owners of the territory footage much more than they could've made trying to distribute themselves so it was a smart move to take the deal. The acquisition of historic footage was the foundation of the network that distributes pay-per-views today. But, the monopoly of the WWE as the example of the sport in America extends beyond just the assets they bought after the Monday night war.
As cliche as it sounds, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Remember the scenario where corporate agenda, not fan demand, dictated the direction of Nitro? It sounds very similar to the forced push often used in WWE today. How about those underutilized mid-carders that weren't elevated to the main event in WCW? How many great talents flounder on the roster in WWE now? Is that to say that WWE will implode? Absolutely not, but without the competition to push management to put the best product on TV, a certain level of complacency has developed with the current product.
So, the ripple effect of the events around March of 2001 set the stage for the consolidation of the industry and the expansion of the WWE as the only major main stream sports entertainment company. This was further proven when TNA failed to become any legitimate competition during its original run. Today, the WWE uses its reach as the only major sports entertainment option in America as a way to continuously expand, both with distribution and new demographics. The fact that World Wrestling Entertainment is so far ahead of any other option has allowed them to sign almost all of the top talent of the current generation. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, Adam Cole, Chris Hero, War Machine, Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and many others signed WWE deals after they made a name for themselves elsewhere. Quite simply, when the WWE offers a deal, most decide its the right move for their careers. On the flip side, that same monopoly is why its extremely important that New Japan provide an alternative for wrestlers and fans so that there are options. In many ways, New Japan isn't necessarily competition to the WWE, but rather compliments the sports entertainment genre with a different style.
Still, the industry arrived to where it is now because of the events of March 2001. If WCW didn't close, CM Punk could've walked out of Raw and onto Nitro, the audience wouldn't have to revolt to get Daniel Bryan a main event spot, and maybe an anointed champion wouldn't get a forced pushed four years in a row at the biggest event of the year.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan
This past weekend marked 16 years since Wrestlemania 18 took place at the Sky Dome in Toronto with nearly 70,000 fans in attendance. In retrospect, the event and aftermath had a major effect on the industry in the years that followed. At the top of the card, Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the Undisputed title, a victory that ultimately cemented him as the top star in the next era, especially without Steve Austin or The Rock full-time in the mid-2000s. Speaking of Austin, his lackluster match with Scott Hall contributed to the walk out a few months later that eventually culminated with his retirement the following year after several injuries forced him to hang up the boots.
However, perhaps the most well-known development from that night at the Sky Dome was the reclamation of Hulkamania. By 2002, WCW folded the previous year and the Invasion angle squashed any momentum that remained from the record-setting Monday night wars. Many of World Championship Wrestling's biggest stars were contracted to the Ted Turner media group, not WCW so when Vince McMahon bought the wrestling organization, many opted to collect their Turner paychecks at home for the duration of the deal. It was no coincidence that Flair, Nash, Hall, and others showed up on WWF TV around the same time, as it was when their Turner contracts finally expired. Hulk, one of the biggest and most political stars in the history of the industry, saw his profile minimized post-WCW. A dispute over his creative control clause led to the infamous Bash At The Beach incident that saw Jeff Jarrett go to the mat for a three count and Hogan got the win he insisted on. Vince Russo, the former WWF writer that wrote WCW into bankruptcy, cut a "shoot promo" and fired Hulk, who later filed a lawsuit. It was Hogan's final WCW appearance, and after Jimmy Hart's XWF didn't secure a TV deal in 2001, the WWF was the Hulkster's only option in the United States.
Much like his WCW run, Hulk had a rocky past with the WWF. He abruptly left the company after the steroid scandal of the early 90s and refused to put Bret Hart over before his exit. Hogan thought if he did the job to a wrestler that wasn't a monster, it would hurt his drawing power for the classics like Thunder in Paradise and Mr. Nanny that he starred in after his departure. With all that happened at Bash At The Beach, Hulk's profile was probably at its lowest before he reemerged on WWF TV in 2002.
While the New World Order revival was mostly doomed to from the start, it provided an introduction for Hulk and set the stage for his return to Wrestlemania, where he hadn't competed for nine years. Hulk worked the main event of WM several times, including the first WM in 1985 that secured the WWF's national expansion in the "Rock 'N Wrestling" era. As mentioned, Steve Austin was dissatisfied with the creative direction of the promotion at the time, which probably wasn't helped when his heel turn the previous year fell flat. So, the dream match of Austin vs. Hogan wasn't a realistic option from a political stand point. Therefore, The Rock was the opponent for Hulk's return to WM.
In the lead up to Toronto, the NWO attacked Rock in the most devious ways possible, including hitting him in the head with a hammer and ramming an ambulance with a semi truck in a rather outlandish scene. But, none of that mattered to the 70,000 in attendance when the "People's Champ" squared off with "The Immortal" Hogan.
The crowd wanted to see Hulk back at the event he helped build and in some ways, it was nice to see him presented as a legend after he faded away from WCW in rather disappointing fashion. It was years since the classic red and yellow Hogan "Hulked" his way around a WWF ring and the nostalgia of it all created a memorable scene at Wrestlemania 18. The fans accepted Hulk back into the WWF and went wild for anything the supposed heel did. Being the pros that they are, The Rock and Hulk flipped the script and performed an impromptu match that suited the fan reaction. The audience in the building and at home wanted the hero persona of Hulk Hogan and that's exactly what the two in the ring presented that night. The Rock was smart enough to resent the reaction the crowd gave Hogan, and it only added to the drama as Hulk rallied toward the end of the match. The audience turned Hulk baby face again and that tremendous reaction led to one last title run a few months later. Was the match a five-star contest? No, the 48-year-old Hogan was at least five years past his prime at that point, but it didn't matter. The Rock/Hogan bout was a sports entertainment classic that generated a legitimate reaction from the audience.
However, don't make any mistake, Hogan did the job to The Rock at Wrestlemania 18 because he had no leverage otherwise. At that point, Hulk needed the WWF much more than the company needed him. But, it was great to see the organic and spontaneous reaction that reclaimed Hulkamania that night.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Hogan would be typical Hogan again. He left WWE in 2003 because of creative disputes, insisted on beating Shawn Michaels at Summer Slam in 2005, ironically had a knee injury in 2006 when he was supposed to lose to Randy Orton before the finish was changed, and became a tabloid circus in the years that followed. Plus, the disgusting racist comments Hulk Hogan made that surfaced a few years ago led to him being removed from the hall of fame.
Still, Wrestlemania 18 was a memorable event and a prime example of the moments that can be created by an organic and spontaneous crowd reaction.
However, perhaps the most well-known development from that night at the Sky Dome was the reclamation of Hulkamania. By 2002, WCW folded the previous year and the Invasion angle squashed any momentum that remained from the record-setting Monday night wars. Many of World Championship Wrestling's biggest stars were contracted to the Ted Turner media group, not WCW so when Vince McMahon bought the wrestling organization, many opted to collect their Turner paychecks at home for the duration of the deal. It was no coincidence that Flair, Nash, Hall, and others showed up on WWF TV around the same time, as it was when their Turner contracts finally expired. Hulk, one of the biggest and most political stars in the history of the industry, saw his profile minimized post-WCW. A dispute over his creative control clause led to the infamous Bash At The Beach incident that saw Jeff Jarrett go to the mat for a three count and Hogan got the win he insisted on. Vince Russo, the former WWF writer that wrote WCW into bankruptcy, cut a "shoot promo" and fired Hulk, who later filed a lawsuit. It was Hogan's final WCW appearance, and after Jimmy Hart's XWF didn't secure a TV deal in 2001, the WWF was the Hulkster's only option in the United States.
Much like his WCW run, Hulk had a rocky past with the WWF. He abruptly left the company after the steroid scandal of the early 90s and refused to put Bret Hart over before his exit. Hogan thought if he did the job to a wrestler that wasn't a monster, it would hurt his drawing power for the classics like Thunder in Paradise and Mr. Nanny that he starred in after his departure. With all that happened at Bash At The Beach, Hulk's profile was probably at its lowest before he reemerged on WWF TV in 2002.
While the New World Order revival was mostly doomed to from the start, it provided an introduction for Hulk and set the stage for his return to Wrestlemania, where he hadn't competed for nine years. Hulk worked the main event of WM several times, including the first WM in 1985 that secured the WWF's national expansion in the "Rock 'N Wrestling" era. As mentioned, Steve Austin was dissatisfied with the creative direction of the promotion at the time, which probably wasn't helped when his heel turn the previous year fell flat. So, the dream match of Austin vs. Hogan wasn't a realistic option from a political stand point. Therefore, The Rock was the opponent for Hulk's return to WM.
In the lead up to Toronto, the NWO attacked Rock in the most devious ways possible, including hitting him in the head with a hammer and ramming an ambulance with a semi truck in a rather outlandish scene. But, none of that mattered to the 70,000 in attendance when the "People's Champ" squared off with "The Immortal" Hogan.
The crowd wanted to see Hulk back at the event he helped build and in some ways, it was nice to see him presented as a legend after he faded away from WCW in rather disappointing fashion. It was years since the classic red and yellow Hogan "Hulked" his way around a WWF ring and the nostalgia of it all created a memorable scene at Wrestlemania 18. The fans accepted Hulk back into the WWF and went wild for anything the supposed heel did. Being the pros that they are, The Rock and Hulk flipped the script and performed an impromptu match that suited the fan reaction. The audience in the building and at home wanted the hero persona of Hulk Hogan and that's exactly what the two in the ring presented that night. The Rock was smart enough to resent the reaction the crowd gave Hogan, and it only added to the drama as Hulk rallied toward the end of the match. The audience turned Hulk baby face again and that tremendous reaction led to one last title run a few months later. Was the match a five-star contest? No, the 48-year-old Hogan was at least five years past his prime at that point, but it didn't matter. The Rock/Hogan bout was a sports entertainment classic that generated a legitimate reaction from the audience.
However, don't make any mistake, Hogan did the job to The Rock at Wrestlemania 18 because he had no leverage otherwise. At that point, Hulk needed the WWF much more than the company needed him. But, it was great to see the organic and spontaneous reaction that reclaimed Hulkamania that night.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Hogan would be typical Hogan again. He left WWE in 2003 because of creative disputes, insisted on beating Shawn Michaels at Summer Slam in 2005, ironically had a knee injury in 2006 when he was supposed to lose to Randy Orton before the finish was changed, and became a tabloid circus in the years that followed. Plus, the disgusting racist comments Hulk Hogan made that surfaced a few years ago led to him being removed from the hall of fame.
Still, Wrestlemania 18 was a memorable event and a prime example of the moments that can be created by an organic and spontaneous crowd reaction.
Monday, March 12, 2018
The Career of Magnum CK
By 2009, Chris Parsons found himself on a friend's couch, ill and unemployed. The aspiring grappler spent a few years prior to that driving a beat up Bonneville around the mid west to chase the professional wrestling glory that he saw as a child. Growing up in extreme poverty, resources and family support were limited. In his mid-20s, Chris was virtually homeless and struggled to find direction in his life. Once he recovered, he worked night shifts and enrolled in his local community college, determined to get himself out of the slump.
After he picked himself up, he found a local theatre troupe and joined, drawing from the experience he had on stage from his time in the genre in high school.
"Theatre came to me in my senior year of high school. A theatre teacher needed males in her shows and she saw my natural timing and ability. I did a few shows senior year and then I did a few plays in college as well. I had a really great community theatre in my home town and I got in there around 2009. After a few plays, they announced auditions for The Rocky Horror Show. I remember that 7-11 had a promotion at the time where you could get WWE plastic cups and on my way to the audition, I grabbed a Roddy Piper cup. My knees were literally knocking as I sang my song. I glanced down at Piper and sang even louder. That weekend I was cast in the lead role as Frank N. Furter," Chris said.
The "Rowdy" Roddy-inspired audition provided a sense of accomplishment and stability for Parsons, and his teachers thought enough of his skills to recommend that he pursue the stage further. About a year after he began his venture into the small local stage, he invested himself fully into the art form, moving to Chicago, a city known for its ability to provide hopefuls with a chance to be discovered. Once he arrived in the Windy City, Chris studied at the famed Second City comedy company. Alumni of the group read like an all-star team. Names like Farley, Belushi, Candy, Colbert, and many others that went on to impact show business honed their craft under the Second City banner.
"I lived in Chicago for a few years and studied improv at Second City. That opened me up to working with other performers so much. Also, if you can stand up in front of hundreds of comedy fans with no script and make them laugh, you can do anything. After leaving wrestling, doing tons of theatre, and then stepping back into the ring, it all clicked. I remember standing in the ring on my first match back in 2016 and it was like wrestling is theatre. This ring is a stage. After that, it all seemed so much easier."
After dozens of roles for stage productions, including Young Frankenstein, Hair Spray, and All Shook Up, Parsons decided to move back to his hometown in Ohio, but another production soon played a major role in his path back to the ring. His friend and filmmaker, Mike Rhodes planned a feature about professional wrestling and requested his help with the project.
"He heard I was moving back to Ohio and he hit me up for a 45 minute film he was interested in making. We made a few fun film projects and then decided that a short, 10-minute documentary about a local wrestling group would be fun. The night we had the idea, it snowballed into a multi-city, full-length documentary that ended up including Stan Hansen, Ric Flair, Ruby Riott, EC3, and many more. We chronicled wrestling fans and wanted people to tell their stories. What we ended up with was a fun, full-length, one of a kind doc," he explained.
The documentary titled, "Marking Out" reignited a passion for the ring, a place Parsons spent nearly seven years away from before he took the leap to pursue it again. However, this time, a much healthier, stable, and confident performer laced up the boots in 2016.
"My wife, Alexis, saw the passion in my eyes when I talked about wrestling. As we started making Marking Out, she saw the the passion for wrestling that I had held down for so many years. She started asking me about why I left wrestling originally and then she pointed out that my life situation had changed drastically for the better, I was still young, and there was no reason why I couldn't make a run for it. I ordered new boots and tights, contacted Adam Johnson from Remix Pro wrestling, and within 20 minutes, I had set up my return to the ring for my 30th birthday. Alexis has supported me every step of the way and I can not believe how far the last two years have taken me," Chris recalled.
A dedicated fan of the NWA as a youth, Chris idolized many larger-than-life personas of the 80s. In fact, one of his first wrestling VHS tapes, a grainy collection of Ric Flair bouts, eventually unraveled after it was viewed hundreds of times. Blending his passion for throwback professional wrestling and his skills of the stage, Chris formulated a new character for his return to the ring. Magnum CK was a flashy, over-the-top villain that was so devious that even the legendary Andy Kaufman would be proud of his underhanded tactics in the squared circle.
Most importantly, Magnum CK was entertaining to the audience and not long after he emerged back into sports entertainment, fans and peers took notice of his ability on his new stage. Soon, he began to get offers to compete around the tri-state area and spent the remainder of 2016 building his new persona as a performer to watch evolve with a renewed sense of purpose in the ring. His success continued the following year and he had the chance to expanse his resume to another country when he debuted in Canada. He also made progress on his home turf, debuting in a role almost custom made for him. Absolute Intense Wrestling, Ohio's most well known independent promotion, put together "The Production," a stable of villains that used classic theatre as their inspiration in the ring. Along with Derek Direction, Frankie Flynn, and Eddie Only, Magnum CK brings a unique brand of entertainment to the diehard AIW fan base.
"I was so nervous that the AIW audience may be skeptical but they immediately took to me and they have become my favorite crowd on earth! We have done nothing but evolve since. AIW has become my home and I could not be more proud to represent their brand. Absolutely my favorite place of all time."
Despite the rave reviews from the ring to the stage, Magnum CK remains humble and appreciative of the opportunities a stable life brings him. Aspirations of work in Dave Marquez's Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, and even as far away as Japan keep him motivated to make ever performance memorable.
"I absolutely love pro wrestling, but it is not my right; wrestling is a privilege and I treat it as such. I was raised to respect wrestling and all of the people in it and all of its fans. I will spread my positivity, hard work, and unique brand of wrestling as far and wide as I can until I can't do it anymore. I positively adore wrestling and don't know what I'd do without it. But I am sure I will figure out something when my time comes to an end," he said.
From the time he began in wrestling as a young dreamer in 2004 to his performances on the stages of Chicago, Chris Parsons took a rocky, but enlightening personal journey toward the persona of Magnum CK. More than anything, the entertainment of CK is a representation of a determination to grow as a performer and a person. It's quite ironic that the hallowed halls of the Second City Company led Magnum CK to the stage of the squared circle for a performance on the canvas.
After he picked himself up, he found a local theatre troupe and joined, drawing from the experience he had on stage from his time in the genre in high school.
"Theatre came to me in my senior year of high school. A theatre teacher needed males in her shows and she saw my natural timing and ability. I did a few shows senior year and then I did a few plays in college as well. I had a really great community theatre in my home town and I got in there around 2009. After a few plays, they announced auditions for The Rocky Horror Show. I remember that 7-11 had a promotion at the time where you could get WWE plastic cups and on my way to the audition, I grabbed a Roddy Piper cup. My knees were literally knocking as I sang my song. I glanced down at Piper and sang even louder. That weekend I was cast in the lead role as Frank N. Furter," Chris said.
The "Rowdy" Roddy-inspired audition provided a sense of accomplishment and stability for Parsons, and his teachers thought enough of his skills to recommend that he pursue the stage further. About a year after he began his venture into the small local stage, he invested himself fully into the art form, moving to Chicago, a city known for its ability to provide hopefuls with a chance to be discovered. Once he arrived in the Windy City, Chris studied at the famed Second City comedy company. Alumni of the group read like an all-star team. Names like Farley, Belushi, Candy, Colbert, and many others that went on to impact show business honed their craft under the Second City banner.
"I lived in Chicago for a few years and studied improv at Second City. That opened me up to working with other performers so much. Also, if you can stand up in front of hundreds of comedy fans with no script and make them laugh, you can do anything. After leaving wrestling, doing tons of theatre, and then stepping back into the ring, it all clicked. I remember standing in the ring on my first match back in 2016 and it was like wrestling is theatre. This ring is a stage. After that, it all seemed so much easier."
After dozens of roles for stage productions, including Young Frankenstein, Hair Spray, and All Shook Up, Parsons decided to move back to his hometown in Ohio, but another production soon played a major role in his path back to the ring. His friend and filmmaker, Mike Rhodes planned a feature about professional wrestling and requested his help with the project.
"He heard I was moving back to Ohio and he hit me up for a 45 minute film he was interested in making. We made a few fun film projects and then decided that a short, 10-minute documentary about a local wrestling group would be fun. The night we had the idea, it snowballed into a multi-city, full-length documentary that ended up including Stan Hansen, Ric Flair, Ruby Riott, EC3, and many more. We chronicled wrestling fans and wanted people to tell their stories. What we ended up with was a fun, full-length, one of a kind doc," he explained.
The documentary titled, "Marking Out" reignited a passion for the ring, a place Parsons spent nearly seven years away from before he took the leap to pursue it again. However, this time, a much healthier, stable, and confident performer laced up the boots in 2016.
"My wife, Alexis, saw the passion in my eyes when I talked about wrestling. As we started making Marking Out, she saw the the passion for wrestling that I had held down for so many years. She started asking me about why I left wrestling originally and then she pointed out that my life situation had changed drastically for the better, I was still young, and there was no reason why I couldn't make a run for it. I ordered new boots and tights, contacted Adam Johnson from Remix Pro wrestling, and within 20 minutes, I had set up my return to the ring for my 30th birthday. Alexis has supported me every step of the way and I can not believe how far the last two years have taken me," Chris recalled.
A dedicated fan of the NWA as a youth, Chris idolized many larger-than-life personas of the 80s. In fact, one of his first wrestling VHS tapes, a grainy collection of Ric Flair bouts, eventually unraveled after it was viewed hundreds of times. Blending his passion for throwback professional wrestling and his skills of the stage, Chris formulated a new character for his return to the ring. Magnum CK was a flashy, over-the-top villain that was so devious that even the legendary Andy Kaufman would be proud of his underhanded tactics in the squared circle.
Most importantly, Magnum CK was entertaining to the audience and not long after he emerged back into sports entertainment, fans and peers took notice of his ability on his new stage. Soon, he began to get offers to compete around the tri-state area and spent the remainder of 2016 building his new persona as a performer to watch evolve with a renewed sense of purpose in the ring. His success continued the following year and he had the chance to expanse his resume to another country when he debuted in Canada. He also made progress on his home turf, debuting in a role almost custom made for him. Absolute Intense Wrestling, Ohio's most well known independent promotion, put together "The Production," a stable of villains that used classic theatre as their inspiration in the ring. Along with Derek Direction, Frankie Flynn, and Eddie Only, Magnum CK brings a unique brand of entertainment to the diehard AIW fan base.
"I was so nervous that the AIW audience may be skeptical but they immediately took to me and they have become my favorite crowd on earth! We have done nothing but evolve since. AIW has become my home and I could not be more proud to represent their brand. Absolutely my favorite place of all time."
Despite the rave reviews from the ring to the stage, Magnum CK remains humble and appreciative of the opportunities a stable life brings him. Aspirations of work in Dave Marquez's Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, and even as far away as Japan keep him motivated to make ever performance memorable.
"I absolutely love pro wrestling, but it is not my right; wrestling is a privilege and I treat it as such. I was raised to respect wrestling and all of the people in it and all of its fans. I will spread my positivity, hard work, and unique brand of wrestling as far and wide as I can until I can't do it anymore. I positively adore wrestling and don't know what I'd do without it. But I am sure I will figure out something when my time comes to an end," he said.
From the time he began in wrestling as a young dreamer in 2004 to his performances on the stages of Chicago, Chris Parsons took a rocky, but enlightening personal journey toward the persona of Magnum CK. More than anything, the entertainment of CK is a representation of a determination to grow as a performer and a person. It's quite ironic that the hallowed halls of the Second City Company led Magnum CK to the stage of the squared circle for a performance on the canvas.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Paul Heyman sells Wrestlemania
Paul Heyman is the best talker of the modern era and undoubtedly cuts the best promos of anyone in the WWE today.
Weather that is an indication of the lack of money-drawing talkers on the roster or simply reaffirms Heyman's ability depends on perspective.
Ahead of Wrestlemania 34, very little feels special or organic and that creates the possibility for a rather disappointing five-hour event next month. Granted, management has roughly five weeks to build anticipation so maybe the perception will shift before the event goes live on the WWE network.
Aside from a concrete card, the biggest show of the year seems to lack the spark that generates that "big event" atmosphere. The Roman Reigns superman push was so predictable that the graphic displayed on television to advertise the bout is met with a shake of the head, not eager anticipation. If you already know the ending of the movie, are you going to be invested in the journey of the film? We know how this story ends, Roman Reigns poses with the championship while pyro lights up the background, and the entire scene will be met with a lukewarm reaction. The anointed corporate champion is an angle that is so manufactured and artificial that it doesn't draw the audience to the match.
However, Paul Heyman brought the spark this past week on Raw, and in the process, evaluated the perceived importance of the contest. Heyman, the photographer that talked his way backstage in Madison Square Garden at the age of just 14, emphasized the importance of the Universal championship. That theoretical importance is sometimes lost in the shuffle of Brock's very limited schedule and WWE's marketing strategy that promotes the brand as a whole rather than any specific aspect of the product.
The former leader of Extreme Championship Wrestling also enhanced the rivalry of the main event of Wrestlemania, making it a personal dispute between Lesnar and Reigns, not just a "passing of the torch" scenario. Keep in mind, the Reigns push is artificial, but Heyman presented this match-up as a direct clash between two athletes, which gives depth to the angle. The concept that Lesnar wants to keep the title because he wants to use it to make the most money possible contrasted with the theory that Reigns wants to prove himself on the big stage against the biggest opponent is much more intriguing than "Roman wins because that was the plan all along."
Up until this point, management hasn't given the fans anything to invest into other than the story of another Roman title win, which hasn't worked thus far. Emphasizing the personal aspects of the confrontation adds another layer to the storyline. The presentation could consist of, "If Roman wants the keys to the castle, he has to earn the spot" and that creates the platform for a physical, hard-hitting contest that showcases Roman in a different light.
If someone takes a dozen suplexes from the former UFC Heavyweight champion, who can argue that they didn't earn their stripes? That being said, much of the perception of the main event of WM 34 depends on the structure of the contest itself. If Roman throws 38 superman punches and uses five spears, it more or less puts him in the same spot that the audience views him already.
The mad scientist of hardcore also went as far as to speculate about the future, which at the very least, gives the audience some "possibilities" of potential results. Obviously, everyone knows the plan is Roman wins, but just for fun, what if it isn't? Heyman mentioned the UFC so what if Brock legitimately fought in the octagon while he was still the WWE champion? The cross-promotion and potential money to be made would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Could that be enough of an opportunity to delay the Roman plans for a few more months? Probably not, but creating and selling those questions to the audience is a much more intriguing way to promote the match. Plus when Paul Heyman makes the sells pitch, it at least sounds like a possibility.
The bottom line is, Paul Heyman was the perfect hype man for the job because he enhanced the perception, potential, and importance of the main event. That being said, you have to wonder why WWE brass doesn't see the value in managers, but that's another discussion for another time. Let's hope that Heyman's soliloquy to sell WM 34 puts a focus on the event that can build for several weeks. Right now, most of the roster doesn't have a clear direction and that doesn't help with momentum going toward the event. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, two stellar performers that played a major role on Smackdown in the past year, don't have an angle to lead to Wrestlemania yet. Rusev, one of the most over performers in the company, doesn't have a plan for the event either.
But, the top of the card is the biggest piece of the puzzle for the biggest event of the year and Heyman sold Reigns/Lesnar as just that. If the in-ring contest translates or not is a different matter, but as far as the hype, he was tremendous in the role. There's speculation that Heyman might exit the organization if Brock doesn't sign a new deal after WM, but hopefully, he can stay around regardless of Lesnar's status because there are very few in the industry today that can sell a match at that level.
Weather that is an indication of the lack of money-drawing talkers on the roster or simply reaffirms Heyman's ability depends on perspective.
Ahead of Wrestlemania 34, very little feels special or organic and that creates the possibility for a rather disappointing five-hour event next month. Granted, management has roughly five weeks to build anticipation so maybe the perception will shift before the event goes live on the WWE network.
Aside from a concrete card, the biggest show of the year seems to lack the spark that generates that "big event" atmosphere. The Roman Reigns superman push was so predictable that the graphic displayed on television to advertise the bout is met with a shake of the head, not eager anticipation. If you already know the ending of the movie, are you going to be invested in the journey of the film? We know how this story ends, Roman Reigns poses with the championship while pyro lights up the background, and the entire scene will be met with a lukewarm reaction. The anointed corporate champion is an angle that is so manufactured and artificial that it doesn't draw the audience to the match.
However, Paul Heyman brought the spark this past week on Raw, and in the process, evaluated the perceived importance of the contest. Heyman, the photographer that talked his way backstage in Madison Square Garden at the age of just 14, emphasized the importance of the Universal championship. That theoretical importance is sometimes lost in the shuffle of Brock's very limited schedule and WWE's marketing strategy that promotes the brand as a whole rather than any specific aspect of the product.
The former leader of Extreme Championship Wrestling also enhanced the rivalry of the main event of Wrestlemania, making it a personal dispute between Lesnar and Reigns, not just a "passing of the torch" scenario. Keep in mind, the Reigns push is artificial, but Heyman presented this match-up as a direct clash between two athletes, which gives depth to the angle. The concept that Lesnar wants to keep the title because he wants to use it to make the most money possible contrasted with the theory that Reigns wants to prove himself on the big stage against the biggest opponent is much more intriguing than "Roman wins because that was the plan all along."
Up until this point, management hasn't given the fans anything to invest into other than the story of another Roman title win, which hasn't worked thus far. Emphasizing the personal aspects of the confrontation adds another layer to the storyline. The presentation could consist of, "If Roman wants the keys to the castle, he has to earn the spot" and that creates the platform for a physical, hard-hitting contest that showcases Roman in a different light.
If someone takes a dozen suplexes from the former UFC Heavyweight champion, who can argue that they didn't earn their stripes? That being said, much of the perception of the main event of WM 34 depends on the structure of the contest itself. If Roman throws 38 superman punches and uses five spears, it more or less puts him in the same spot that the audience views him already.
The mad scientist of hardcore also went as far as to speculate about the future, which at the very least, gives the audience some "possibilities" of potential results. Obviously, everyone knows the plan is Roman wins, but just for fun, what if it isn't? Heyman mentioned the UFC so what if Brock legitimately fought in the octagon while he was still the WWE champion? The cross-promotion and potential money to be made would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Could that be enough of an opportunity to delay the Roman plans for a few more months? Probably not, but creating and selling those questions to the audience is a much more intriguing way to promote the match. Plus when Paul Heyman makes the sells pitch, it at least sounds like a possibility.
The bottom line is, Paul Heyman was the perfect hype man for the job because he enhanced the perception, potential, and importance of the main event. That being said, you have to wonder why WWE brass doesn't see the value in managers, but that's another discussion for another time. Let's hope that Heyman's soliloquy to sell WM 34 puts a focus on the event that can build for several weeks. Right now, most of the roster doesn't have a clear direction and that doesn't help with momentum going toward the event. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, two stellar performers that played a major role on Smackdown in the past year, don't have an angle to lead to Wrestlemania yet. Rusev, one of the most over performers in the company, doesn't have a plan for the event either.
But, the top of the card is the biggest piece of the puzzle for the biggest event of the year and Heyman sold Reigns/Lesnar as just that. If the in-ring contest translates or not is a different matter, but as far as the hype, he was tremendous in the role. There's speculation that Heyman might exit the organization if Brock doesn't sign a new deal after WM, but hopefully, he can stay around regardless of Lesnar's status because there are very few in the industry today that can sell a match at that level.
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