When the legendary Antonio Inoki sold his share of New Japan Pro Wrestling to Yukes, a division of THQ in 2005, the promotion that he founded over thirty years earlier was on the brink of collapse. The pro wrestling landscape in the country became over saturated, and the rise of Pride MMA saw a decline in the wrestling business in the early 2000s. Inoki's failed MMA experiment that included the clumsy Bob Sapp as IWGP heavyweight champion completely flopped, putting the future of one of Japan's most established companies in serious jeopardy. Prior to THQ's bankruptcy in 2013, New Japan was sold to Bushiroad, the parent company of a trading card game, the previous year.
Bushiroad modernized the NJPW product, and Jado and Gedo as bookers brought some of the best foreign talent in the world to compliment the solid base of native athletes. In many ways, the resurgence of New Japan worked very similar to the way business boosted during other eras in the history of the industry. The pieces of the puzzle had spontaneously and organically fit in place to present shows that sparked business. The Bullet Club was started by Prince Devitt with a group of gaijin as a throwback to the New World Order, which was a spinoff of the New Japan/UWFI angle before that. Within the past five years, Okada, one of the greatest in the history of Japanese pro wrestling, entered the prime of his career at the same time that the company had its most foreign exposure of all time. Tanahashi, who carried the company when its future was in doubt, remained a big match performer despite several injuries. Tremendous athletes like Ricochet, Ospreay, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and many others offered a stacked roster during the past few years.
At the same time, New Japan formed a working agreement with Ring Of Honor, a move that allowed ROH to provide a boost to their shows and was also a way for NJPW to expand its reach into the North American market. This American partnership provided the foundation for the NJPW World streaming service that became an important part of the Japanese league's global expansion. Bushiroad improved the merchandising of the product and knew the importance of increased distribution. The popularity of the Bullet Club surged to become the most popular stable in the world, and the use of social media made many of the New Japan roster stars to the American market, a rare achievement for sports entertainment without the WWE machine behind it. Names like The Young Bucks, Cody, Kenny Omega, Okada etc. are legitimate money drawing stars, which was proven with the success of the All In event just a few months ago.
In fact, that success was the launching pad for All Elite Wrestling, the promotion owned by the Khan family, but produced by Cody and the Bucks. As I wrote in an article last week, the hype and funding behind AEW has the potential to really change the landscape. All Elite could provide an alternative to the WWE for the first time since WCW closed. However, for AEW to make an impact, there could be several changes within the wrestling business this year and some of those could have a direct effect on New Japan.
Toward the end of this year, the WWE will begin its mega TV deal, contracts that will bring the company a combined $2.4 billion during the next five years. In some ways, the company is completely secure as it will make more money during that time than any other point in history, but to maintain its stock value, there will always be the pressure to deliver ratings. Make no mistake about it, Vince McMahon maintained his sports entertainment empire against Ted Turner, the federal government, and other competition for the entertainment dollar because he always looks for ways to defend his turf. Vince will never casually relinquish any of the market share that WWE dominates in the United States. So, the WWE will undoubtedly sign the talent that they can in an effort to keep AEW or elsewhere from adding depth to the roster.
For example, stellar jr. heavyweight, Kushida announced that he will leave NJPW when his contract expires at the end of the month, an indication that he will sign a WWE deal. As much as some fans don't want to see some New Japan talent make the jump because of how a competitor might be hindered within the system, it actually makes sense for Kushida to ink a WWE contract in 2019. He's already a multiple-time champion and has done basically everything he can done in NJPW, especially considering that it didn't seem like he would be booked to move up to the heavyweight division. Despite the physical Japanese style, Kushida hasn't sustained many injuries, and a WWE run gives him the chance to make the most money in his career. Theoretically, the 35-year old could have a solid run in the WWE and retire early or decide to return to Japan for a fresh run after his time in the United States.
As reported by Tokyo Sports, Kenny Omega, who had an incredible IWGP title match at the Tokyo Dome last week, has said that he will depart New Japan. This further fuels the rumors about where he could end up next, All Elite or WWE? This is also where the situation gets more complex and could have a major effect on the direction of New Japan. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, NJPW decided to continue its working agreement with ROH, which was expected since the two groups are scheduled to co-promote the Madison Square Garden card in April, but for now, New Japan isn't scheduled to work with AEW. If Kenny Omega signs with WWE then the speculation is moot, but if he signs with AEW, does that close the door on an Omega-Tanahashi rematch at MSG since ROH and All Elite are technically competition? Furthermore, much of the draw of the All In event that provided the basis for AEW used some of the New Japan talent so without the access to New Japan competitors, does that hinder the group's progress to get off the ground?
Assuming that Omega will exit NJPW, that must be considered a major departure for them, as he was arguably the most popularly foreigner on the roster and one of the key athletes of the North American expansion. Again, assuming that the ROH agreement prevents New Japan from working with All Elite, that will also translate to the exit of Cody and The Young Bucks, a trio that played a major role for the Japanese group, both in its native country and America. For Omega, at this point in his career, it makes sense for him to take the best money he can get because he already cemented his legacy with his incredible New Japan run, but he suffered a lot of injuries in the past year so it would be wise for him to cash-in for the most money he can get to provide financial security as well as options for an eventual retirement.
Still, New Japan has ambitious plans for 2019, including the start of the G1 in July at the 20,000 seat American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Don't get me wrong, it's great to see this type of expansion that can make NJPW a truly global product and despite the exits, there's still a stacked roster, but I'm skeptical that the company can sell thousands of tickets in the United States after the departure of some of the key North American talent. As mentioned, the New Japan roster is solid so the organization isn't in danger, but the general pattern for a boom period is roughly five years so will this momentum continue for the Japanese league? As I wrote last week, I think the best scenario would be for each promotion to work together because its possible that the crowded market in the United States could spread the talent too thin and thus prevent any particular company from reaching the level of a true alternative to WWE in the next few years.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
All Elite Wrestling
As 2019 started, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, members of arguably the most popular stable in sports entertainment today, announced plans for All Elite Wrestling. This new company was rumored after the success of the All In event that sold out 10,000 seats in Chicago just a few months ago. While details haven't been revealed yet, a press conference is scheduled for next week, which might include more information about the foundation of the company. Tony Khan, the son of Jacksonville Jaguars' owner, Shaq Khan, will be the president of the All Elite promotion. Since the Khan family purchase of the Jaguars in 2011, Tony Khan has worked extensively with the NFL franchise and also worked with the Fullham FC team that their family purchased in 2013. According to Forbes, the Khan family is worth an estimated $6.3 billion. In recent years, Tony Khan launched TruMedia Networks, a sports-based media organization.
While the popularity and hype of the Elite group might lead some to overestimate the possibilities of this project, even the most cautious view of this scenario allows for the potential for a situation that could change the professional wrestling landscape. Granted, a lot of what this group is capable of will depend on several variables, but for the first time since WCW closed, it appears that there might be a legitimate alternative to WWE if AEW can get off the ground. However, it should be noted that everything is speculation based on potential, as there aren't any results yet to give any indication what the impact of All Elite might be within the sports entertainment market.
As is the case with any product, (and the point that I emphasized about Impact's TV deal in an article last week) distribution is the key to reach the more possible viewers. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, there are multiple television offers on the table, but nothing is official yet. Considering that they could be more than one offer from cable networks, it's safe to say that AEW will have a TV deal somewhere, but what station could determine a lot about the potential of the organization. As I detailed in the column last week, Impact Wrestling's TV clearance will drop by 40% when they start on the Pursuit Channel this year, and none of the three largest cable systems will carry the channel. If All Elite is going to be a major force within the business, they will need a channel with wide clearance, which might determine the entire business model.
The press conference next week will include details for "Double or Nothing," the follow-up to the All In event. The original pay-per-view in September saw Ring Of Honor offer its production staff for the PPV, and the show featured talent from ROH, New Japan, and Impact. Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks are extremely talented athletes and some of the best of their generation so they are undoubtedly competitors that a promotion can be built around. However, if the success of All In is what led to this launch of All Elite then it must be considered that part of the draw of All In was the fact that it put talent from multiple organizations on the show. That being said, it would be wise if AEW continued the working agreements that were used for All In if that's possible. It's somewhat of a murky situation because Cody and The Bucks finished up with ROH at Final Battle just a few weeks ago, but are still scheduled for this week's Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome so their New Japan status remains unknown. If All Elite runs TV tapings that cover multiple episodes and then produce an occasional live pay-per-view that would theoretically give the trio a schedule that would allow them to continue to work for New Japan. Another aspect would be that type of schedule could give AEW talent the opportunity to work elsewhere as well. Ring Of Honor and New Japan have worked together successful for the past several years and are scheduled to co-promote the G1 Super Card at Madison Square Garden in April.
That ensures the ROH/NJPW working agreement will be in place until at least the MSG event, but will there be a point when New Japan has to choose what promotion to work with? That scenario would become more complicated if Cody and The Bucks remain on the NJPW roster. An American partnership is really what allowed for the North American expansion of the Japanese product over the past few years and it was an important piece of the puzzle for the increased distribution of the product through the TV deal on AXS and the launch of the NJPW World streaming service. Obviously, a United States working agreement is important for New Japan to continue its expansion so it will be interesting to see if they can continue to work with each group.
All things considered, in my opinion, it would make the most sense for All Elite to work with every promotion possible similar to the way the All In event brought different talent to the same card. Plus, the WWE owns 95% of the market in the United States so it doesn't make sense for smaller promotions to attempt to divide pieces of the pie instead of trying to expand accessibility to an alternative.
That being said, All Elite and Ring Of Honor will be focused on the same demographic, which is why the Elite stable played such a major role in the renewed popularity of ROH in recent years. Even with the appreciation that Cody and The Bucks genuinely expressed prior to their ROH exit, it seems like it would be very difficult for the two promotions to trade talent because of the same audience they are attempting to draw with the similar style. At the same time, Kenny Omega is one of the members of The Elite stable in Japan, but as of this writing, his status hasn't been confirmed. It's doubtful the IWGP champion would leave New Japan for an upstart project in America so does he work Japan and All Elite? How would that affect the previously mentioned NJPW/ROH agreement?
As mentioned, I think the best scenario would be that AEW works with other organizations because there's not much of an upside to attempting to divide the audience. At the same time, with as much stellar talent that is around, the wrestling landscape has become crowded in recent years, and some leagues, such as the struggling Impact might be pushed out when more main stream options are available. Names like Pentagon, Sami Callihan, and others could get a bigger platform under the All Elite banner. Chris Jericho and Jim Ross are also names rumored for the project, which would provided some well known figures to the casual fan that might not be aware of The Elite.
More than anything, this project brings the potential to change the landscape of the sports entertainment industry and provide a buzz that hasn't existed since WCW closed. AEW has the funding to really make an impact within the business and the importance of that can't be understated. If a product looks minor league, it will be perceived as minor league, which is something that TNA proved under the Dixie Carter regime. Tony Khan provides the funding and the business resources to present a top level product and the money to sign some of the best talent in the world. How many times has ROH had their top talent leave because the money WWE offered was too good to decline? Now, All Elite has the resources to offer comparative or better money than the WWE, an aspect that could completely change the paradigm of the industry. Granted, an organization being put on the map can't be planned, but the pieces of the puzzle were organically put into place over the past several months so it at least appears that All Elite Wrestling has the best chance to offer a true alternative to the WWE since the wrestling boom of the late 90s.
While the popularity and hype of the Elite group might lead some to overestimate the possibilities of this project, even the most cautious view of this scenario allows for the potential for a situation that could change the professional wrestling landscape. Granted, a lot of what this group is capable of will depend on several variables, but for the first time since WCW closed, it appears that there might be a legitimate alternative to WWE if AEW can get off the ground. However, it should be noted that everything is speculation based on potential, as there aren't any results yet to give any indication what the impact of All Elite might be within the sports entertainment market.
As is the case with any product, (and the point that I emphasized about Impact's TV deal in an article last week) distribution is the key to reach the more possible viewers. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, there are multiple television offers on the table, but nothing is official yet. Considering that they could be more than one offer from cable networks, it's safe to say that AEW will have a TV deal somewhere, but what station could determine a lot about the potential of the organization. As I detailed in the column last week, Impact Wrestling's TV clearance will drop by 40% when they start on the Pursuit Channel this year, and none of the three largest cable systems will carry the channel. If All Elite is going to be a major force within the business, they will need a channel with wide clearance, which might determine the entire business model.
The press conference next week will include details for "Double or Nothing," the follow-up to the All In event. The original pay-per-view in September saw Ring Of Honor offer its production staff for the PPV, and the show featured talent from ROH, New Japan, and Impact. Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks are extremely talented athletes and some of the best of their generation so they are undoubtedly competitors that a promotion can be built around. However, if the success of All In is what led to this launch of All Elite then it must be considered that part of the draw of All In was the fact that it put talent from multiple organizations on the show. That being said, it would be wise if AEW continued the working agreements that were used for All In if that's possible. It's somewhat of a murky situation because Cody and The Bucks finished up with ROH at Final Battle just a few weeks ago, but are still scheduled for this week's Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome so their New Japan status remains unknown. If All Elite runs TV tapings that cover multiple episodes and then produce an occasional live pay-per-view that would theoretically give the trio a schedule that would allow them to continue to work for New Japan. Another aspect would be that type of schedule could give AEW talent the opportunity to work elsewhere as well. Ring Of Honor and New Japan have worked together successful for the past several years and are scheduled to co-promote the G1 Super Card at Madison Square Garden in April.
That ensures the ROH/NJPW working agreement will be in place until at least the MSG event, but will there be a point when New Japan has to choose what promotion to work with? That scenario would become more complicated if Cody and The Bucks remain on the NJPW roster. An American partnership is really what allowed for the North American expansion of the Japanese product over the past few years and it was an important piece of the puzzle for the increased distribution of the product through the TV deal on AXS and the launch of the NJPW World streaming service. Obviously, a United States working agreement is important for New Japan to continue its expansion so it will be interesting to see if they can continue to work with each group.
All things considered, in my opinion, it would make the most sense for All Elite to work with every promotion possible similar to the way the All In event brought different talent to the same card. Plus, the WWE owns 95% of the market in the United States so it doesn't make sense for smaller promotions to attempt to divide pieces of the pie instead of trying to expand accessibility to an alternative.
That being said, All Elite and Ring Of Honor will be focused on the same demographic, which is why the Elite stable played such a major role in the renewed popularity of ROH in recent years. Even with the appreciation that Cody and The Bucks genuinely expressed prior to their ROH exit, it seems like it would be very difficult for the two promotions to trade talent because of the same audience they are attempting to draw with the similar style. At the same time, Kenny Omega is one of the members of The Elite stable in Japan, but as of this writing, his status hasn't been confirmed. It's doubtful the IWGP champion would leave New Japan for an upstart project in America so does he work Japan and All Elite? How would that affect the previously mentioned NJPW/ROH agreement?
As mentioned, I think the best scenario would be that AEW works with other organizations because there's not much of an upside to attempting to divide the audience. At the same time, with as much stellar talent that is around, the wrestling landscape has become crowded in recent years, and some leagues, such as the struggling Impact might be pushed out when more main stream options are available. Names like Pentagon, Sami Callihan, and others could get a bigger platform under the All Elite banner. Chris Jericho and Jim Ross are also names rumored for the project, which would provided some well known figures to the casual fan that might not be aware of The Elite.
More than anything, this project brings the potential to change the landscape of the sports entertainment industry and provide a buzz that hasn't existed since WCW closed. AEW has the funding to really make an impact within the business and the importance of that can't be understated. If a product looks minor league, it will be perceived as minor league, which is something that TNA proved under the Dixie Carter regime. Tony Khan provides the funding and the business resources to present a top level product and the money to sign some of the best talent in the world. How many times has ROH had their top talent leave because the money WWE offered was too good to decline? Now, All Elite has the resources to offer comparative or better money than the WWE, an aspect that could completely change the paradigm of the industry. Granted, an organization being put on the map can't be planned, but the pieces of the puzzle were organically put into place over the past several months so it at least appears that All Elite Wrestling has the best chance to offer a true alternative to the WWE since the wrestling boom of the late 90s.
Friday, December 28, 2018
The Impact TV deal
Last week, it was announced that Anthem Sports' Impact Wresting television show will be moving to a new network at the start of 2019, leaving Pop TV after a two year run on that station. The fledgling brand will find itself on the Pursuit Channel, a subsidiary of the Anthem umbrella that focuses on hunting and other outdoor sports. As is the case anytime a show switches networks, there's a risk that a portion of the audience could be lost in the transition, specifically if that particular channel simply isn't available to the same amount of viewers.
What will this move actually translate to for the Impact brand?
First of all, as much as I'd like to see Don Callis and Scott D'Amore be successful in this venture to resurrect a brand that was undoubtedly going under until Anthem paid to purchase the rights, it must be said that this move to a relatively unknown network in a terrible time slot on Friday at 10 PM does nothing for the future of the organization. Perhaps, as I speculated when the Callis/D'Amore duo took over nearly a year ago, it's possible that nothing could turn the Impact brand around after how tarnished it was under the Dixie Carter regime. Regardless of what happens from here, it was certainly a noble effort from the pair of executive vice presidents, and it makes you wonder what they could've done if given the chance before the TNA brand collapsed?
As simplistic as it might seem, distribution is more or less the key to a successful television program. Basically, you can have the best wrestling show on TV, but if fans don't have access to it or don't know where to find it, what difference does that make for revenue or profitability? For example, if fans don't have access to the Impact show, how exactly does the promotion market or sell their next pay-per-view? A look at the numbers might put into perspective how much of a negative move this could be for the company. Obviously, Pop didn't want to renew their deal with Impact so Anthem had to shop the show around, and essentially the show was put on an Anthem-owned network because there wasn't an outside network with better distribution that offered a TV deal. It appears that Anthem chose to distribute their own product, which limits the potential advertising revenue as a way to keep the show on the air. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Anthem's Fight Network will no longer have the rights to UFC programming after that company begins its new TV deal with ESPN so basically Anthem has a vested interest to continue to produce Impact programming as a way to provide content for their flagship Fight Network, which might be more of a priority for Anthem than the US television distribution.
As far as the numbers go, TNA's best chance to truly get off the ground was during their run on Spike TV, a network that has an 80% TV clearance, which translates to roughly 93.4 million homes. When the show was canceled from Spike at the end of 2014, the following year, the show ran on Destination America with availability for 57 million homes or a 49% clearance. Their two-year run on Pop was had access to 74 million homes. The Pursuit Channel can be seen in 45 million homes, making it the lowest in terms of TV clearance in the history of the company's run on a cable network. Considering that this move to Pursuit will be a 40% drop in availability to Impact, there's really no upside to this entire situation. Again, it's possible that Anthem wants to keep the show on the air as a way to draw a crowd for TV tapings in the United States with the greater goal of the focus of the Fight Network. With the lack of traction that Impact has in America, it would actually make sense if Anthem made the Fight Network the priority in terms of how Impact is utilized as a television product.
Unfortunately, the bottom line is, Impact will move to a channel that will yield the least amount of possible viewers in its history. That is not a scenario that will allow for the continued rebuilding process of the organization. The totality of Impact Wrestling might be a commodity for Anthem to use on the Fight Network more than any type of major entity within the sports entertainment industry. Granted, Anthem had to do a lot to clean up Dixie's mess before they could try to progress the product, but even with a slight buzz at the beginning of the year, Impact just wasn't able to keep pace with some of the other promotions. New Japan, PWG, Progress, and a few other groups had fans talking about fresh and innovate products. Impact didn't really garner that type of hype, and there might've been a few key points that soured some of the audience.
Early within the Callis/D'Amore regime, Alberto Patron was used as the heavyweight champion, but was stripped after he no-showed an event. It was a questionable decision to put Patron in that spot because he was suspended previously for a domestic incident with Paige, and his star power diminished a lot after he left WWE so what he brought to the table wasn't worth the risks. The whole situation didn't help with the direction of the company and there was doubt about its progress just months into the new management. Austin Aries eventually had a run with the world title, and as is the case throughout his career, he left on less than great terms just a few months later. Aries was a decent choice in theory, but again, he didn't have much star power after his time on WWE TV and his abrupt exit didn't allow for any type of follow up after he dropped the title. It almost seems like Aries didn't want to work for Impact unless he was the champion, but who knows? Ultimately, it led to a rather flat finish to the Bound For Glory pay-per-view. Speaking of the BFG event, Johnny Impact beat Aries for the belt and is the current champion, but again he's another former WWE star that was more popular previously than he is now. That's not to take anything away from the former John Morrison, but rather to explain that he was away from main stream television for several years so he's not exactly a draw in 2018.
That being said, Impact had several highlights within the past year as well. The addition of Su Yung to the roster was a great decision and she continues to be one of the most compelling characters in the business. Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards generated more press for the company with the "baseball bat incident" than the promotion had in years. Pentagon in money and he had the ability to be a major star for any promotion. I truly believe that Impact missed the boat with his title reign and he should've been used in a more important role throughout the year. Fenix is a tremendous talent and could be used to rejuvenate the X-Division.
Basically, instead of building the main event around former WWE guys that are arguably past their prime, Impact might've been better suited to focus on newer talent like the previously mentioned Callihan, Edwards, and Pentagon as the main event on the card. All of that could be debatable, though, but the numbers are the numbers. Impact will start 2019 with relatively low visibility as only Direct TV, Dish Network, and Verizon carry the Pursuit Channel. Comcast, the largest cable company in the United States, as well as Charter, and Cox Cable, the second and third largest cable distributors respectively, don't include the Pursuit channel. Maybe Impact management should consider posting full episodes on Youtube or Twitch to allow more fans access to the show? In fact, there's not necessarily a reason for management to keep the show as an exclusive to Pursuit. Since Anthem already owns the network, they have the rights to put Impact on other platforms, and it's not as though pro wrestling fits within the Pursuit channel. Is the "Big Bass Fishing Championship" going to be used as a lead for Impact? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see what path Impact takes in 2019, but it's almost unavoidable to have some gloom around the brand because as mentioned, they could produce a great show, but it simply doesn't have the distribution to generate hype within the market of the industry.
What will this move actually translate to for the Impact brand?
First of all, as much as I'd like to see Don Callis and Scott D'Amore be successful in this venture to resurrect a brand that was undoubtedly going under until Anthem paid to purchase the rights, it must be said that this move to a relatively unknown network in a terrible time slot on Friday at 10 PM does nothing for the future of the organization. Perhaps, as I speculated when the Callis/D'Amore duo took over nearly a year ago, it's possible that nothing could turn the Impact brand around after how tarnished it was under the Dixie Carter regime. Regardless of what happens from here, it was certainly a noble effort from the pair of executive vice presidents, and it makes you wonder what they could've done if given the chance before the TNA brand collapsed?
As simplistic as it might seem, distribution is more or less the key to a successful television program. Basically, you can have the best wrestling show on TV, but if fans don't have access to it or don't know where to find it, what difference does that make for revenue or profitability? For example, if fans don't have access to the Impact show, how exactly does the promotion market or sell their next pay-per-view? A look at the numbers might put into perspective how much of a negative move this could be for the company. Obviously, Pop didn't want to renew their deal with Impact so Anthem had to shop the show around, and essentially the show was put on an Anthem-owned network because there wasn't an outside network with better distribution that offered a TV deal. It appears that Anthem chose to distribute their own product, which limits the potential advertising revenue as a way to keep the show on the air. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Anthem's Fight Network will no longer have the rights to UFC programming after that company begins its new TV deal with ESPN so basically Anthem has a vested interest to continue to produce Impact programming as a way to provide content for their flagship Fight Network, which might be more of a priority for Anthem than the US television distribution.
As far as the numbers go, TNA's best chance to truly get off the ground was during their run on Spike TV, a network that has an 80% TV clearance, which translates to roughly 93.4 million homes. When the show was canceled from Spike at the end of 2014, the following year, the show ran on Destination America with availability for 57 million homes or a 49% clearance. Their two-year run on Pop was had access to 74 million homes. The Pursuit Channel can be seen in 45 million homes, making it the lowest in terms of TV clearance in the history of the company's run on a cable network. Considering that this move to Pursuit will be a 40% drop in availability to Impact, there's really no upside to this entire situation. Again, it's possible that Anthem wants to keep the show on the air as a way to draw a crowd for TV tapings in the United States with the greater goal of the focus of the Fight Network. With the lack of traction that Impact has in America, it would actually make sense if Anthem made the Fight Network the priority in terms of how Impact is utilized as a television product.
Unfortunately, the bottom line is, Impact will move to a channel that will yield the least amount of possible viewers in its history. That is not a scenario that will allow for the continued rebuilding process of the organization. The totality of Impact Wrestling might be a commodity for Anthem to use on the Fight Network more than any type of major entity within the sports entertainment industry. Granted, Anthem had to do a lot to clean up Dixie's mess before they could try to progress the product, but even with a slight buzz at the beginning of the year, Impact just wasn't able to keep pace with some of the other promotions. New Japan, PWG, Progress, and a few other groups had fans talking about fresh and innovate products. Impact didn't really garner that type of hype, and there might've been a few key points that soured some of the audience.
Early within the Callis/D'Amore regime, Alberto Patron was used as the heavyweight champion, but was stripped after he no-showed an event. It was a questionable decision to put Patron in that spot because he was suspended previously for a domestic incident with Paige, and his star power diminished a lot after he left WWE so what he brought to the table wasn't worth the risks. The whole situation didn't help with the direction of the company and there was doubt about its progress just months into the new management. Austin Aries eventually had a run with the world title, and as is the case throughout his career, he left on less than great terms just a few months later. Aries was a decent choice in theory, but again, he didn't have much star power after his time on WWE TV and his abrupt exit didn't allow for any type of follow up after he dropped the title. It almost seems like Aries didn't want to work for Impact unless he was the champion, but who knows? Ultimately, it led to a rather flat finish to the Bound For Glory pay-per-view. Speaking of the BFG event, Johnny Impact beat Aries for the belt and is the current champion, but again he's another former WWE star that was more popular previously than he is now. That's not to take anything away from the former John Morrison, but rather to explain that he was away from main stream television for several years so he's not exactly a draw in 2018.
That being said, Impact had several highlights within the past year as well. The addition of Su Yung to the roster was a great decision and she continues to be one of the most compelling characters in the business. Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards generated more press for the company with the "baseball bat incident" than the promotion had in years. Pentagon in money and he had the ability to be a major star for any promotion. I truly believe that Impact missed the boat with his title reign and he should've been used in a more important role throughout the year. Fenix is a tremendous talent and could be used to rejuvenate the X-Division.
Basically, instead of building the main event around former WWE guys that are arguably past their prime, Impact might've been better suited to focus on newer talent like the previously mentioned Callihan, Edwards, and Pentagon as the main event on the card. All of that could be debatable, though, but the numbers are the numbers. Impact will start 2019 with relatively low visibility as only Direct TV, Dish Network, and Verizon carry the Pursuit Channel. Comcast, the largest cable company in the United States, as well as Charter, and Cox Cable, the second and third largest cable distributors respectively, don't include the Pursuit channel. Maybe Impact management should consider posting full episodes on Youtube or Twitch to allow more fans access to the show? In fact, there's not necessarily a reason for management to keep the show as an exclusive to Pursuit. Since Anthem already owns the network, they have the rights to put Impact on other platforms, and it's not as though pro wrestling fits within the Pursuit channel. Is the "Big Bass Fishing Championship" going to be used as a lead for Impact? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see what path Impact takes in 2019, but it's almost unavoidable to have some gloom around the brand because as mentioned, they could produce a great show, but it simply doesn't have the distribution to generate hype within the market of the industry.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
What's next for Raw?
After a few weeks of near record-low ratings, this past Monday's Raw was promoted as Vince McMahon's return to television to "shake things up," which will undoubtedly boost the ratings. Reportedly, the 73-year-old chairman prefers not to appear on camera too often because of his age, but make no mistake, Vince could shuffle his way down the ramp with a walker and would still get a major reaction. The fans know that McMahon has dedicated his life to building his sports entertainment empire and that he's willing to take just as many risks as the performers of his company. Just a few years ago, the billionaire took a shoot head butt that cut him open for the Kevin Owens/Shane McMahon angle. Vince will unquestionably boost the ratings, but as mentioned, he isn't on TV nearly as often so his involvement in the show doesn't solve the sluggish ratings.
Despite what jaded "fans" on social media might claim, the WWE's ratings dilemma is a complex situation.
As I wrote last week, it might be unrealistic to write a weekly three-hour show and produce a continuously solid show. I also mentioned that much criticism toward the time slot or the product is moot, as the company will start their new five-year, $2.4 billion TV contracts in 2019. Still, the optics for the promotion, and more specifically the stock price don't look good when the organization had a steady decline in ratings toward the latter part of the year.
The WWE's solution to the stale product was to include the McMahons as the new authority figures within the storylines, replacing Baron Corbin and Paige as general managers. While it makes sense to have some type of figure that can announce matches, there's literally nothing new about the McMahons as the decision-makers on television. Keep in mind, Shane and Stephanie were commissioners of each brand and were regularly involved in angles prior to this. How exactly is this a "fresh start" when it's the repeat of a narrative from the past several years? Perhaps, the redundant heel figure head will be phased out, which would be a wise decision, but again, Shane, Stephanie, and Triple H have all played a major role on screen the past several years so how does that start something new? Will there be more 20-minute promos at the start of the show? Maybe the key to a more dynamic product is some type of change to the format or presentation of the show?
That said, the lower ratings could simply be from the lack of perceived star power on the shows. Brock Lesnar is ice fishing instead of showing up on Raw, and Roman Reigns, the WWE's top priority the past several years, is on the sidelines with illness. Braun Strowman, who was substituted for Roman after his momentum was halted, is also injured at the moment so the options for him are limited. As I mentioned in the article last week, when the rest of the roster was kept at a level below Roman so that he would be presented as the top star, it essentially halted their status at the mid-card. With Reigns out indefinitely, management has scrambled to try to sell those same contenders that were kept at the mid-card as possible main event level stars.
However, the point is that WWE brass must find a way to generate some buzz about the product until Roman returns, which will get him over for the rest of his career. Aside from the McMahons' involvement, which isn't new, there are a series of NXT talent that will make their debuts on the main roster. This decision seems to indicate that this "shake up" was a reaction to the low ratings and not something that was planned in advance. Too often, NXT talent are brought to the main rosters just for the "debut pop" without any direction of plan for them after that. Within a matter of weeks, most of them either get lost in the shuffle or become just another competitor on the show.
These new performers appear to be introduced to the main roster simply just for the shake of something "new" to be advertised. What happens with the novelty of a new face wears off? What substance will there be for any of the NXT athletes? Unless the writing team specifically has a meaningful angle for them, these moves to the main roster are a short-term solution that will yield a diminishing return within just a few months. For example, if EC3 makes his debut on Raw this month, what's the plan for him at the Royal Rumble? Will there be an angle that builds to a match at Wrestlemania?
When new talents debut, you must consider the landscape of the current roster, and the argument could be made that the writing team hasn't done enough with the roster they have now so that's not exactly a good indication for the NXT talents that are scheduled to debut. One of the more disappointing aspects of the WWE product has been that the talent is there, but it seems that most of them are underutilized or presented in a way that minimizes the ability they bring to the table. A prime example is initially Dean Ambrose was presented as "sitcom crazy" instead of being perceived as legitimately dangerous. Even after the heel turn, Ambrose was booked for segments that didn't give him the chance to get as much heat as possible. Plus, the entire Ambrose/Rollins angle is a retread of the feud from a few years ago when they Shield dissolved except with the roles reversed with Ambrose as the heel. The argument could be made that both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were underutilized before their injuries. Along with that, Finn Balor is another example of a main event level talent that doesn't get the chance to showcase his skills.
Ironically, this "fresh start" includes Smackdown, but if anything, the blue brand is actually doing things right. Daniel Bryan is an over heel, and AJ Styles is an over baby face and they have solid main event matches so it's a successful formula. Furthermore, last week's Mustafa Ali/Bryan match was a way to make Ali look like a star because he was made competitive against the WWE champion. Ali has the talent and was given the platform to showcase his skills in a scenario that evaluated his status.
There's a difference between introducing new faces and making new stars. Especially with Roman on the shelf, management should focus on the process to make new legitimate money-drawing stars. The question is simple, how many currently on the roster could be credible Wrestlemania main event stars? Would Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins sell out a stadium in 2019? That's not a jab at either competitor, but rather to explain that talent alone isn't enough to sell those tickets, they must be presented in a way that's worthy of that stage. Who would be a credible winner for the Royal Rumble? Maybe John Cena because he's one of the few legitimate draws the company has right now. Keep in mind, the talent is there, but it's a matter of presentation.
In fact, there's much speculation that Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch could be the main event of Wrestlemania next year, and that scenario should be a lesson to the writing team. Ronda had a name and lived up to the hype in the squared circle. Sure, sometimes her inexperience shows and her matches are rather simplistic, but it works. Becky organically and spontaneously became one of the most popular stars on Smackdown, which proves, the writing team can't force someone to get over. It's possible that the direction of Raw will become more organic, but as of now, there's not much new about the fresh start for the Raw brand.
Despite what jaded "fans" on social media might claim, the WWE's ratings dilemma is a complex situation.
As I wrote last week, it might be unrealistic to write a weekly three-hour show and produce a continuously solid show. I also mentioned that much criticism toward the time slot or the product is moot, as the company will start their new five-year, $2.4 billion TV contracts in 2019. Still, the optics for the promotion, and more specifically the stock price don't look good when the organization had a steady decline in ratings toward the latter part of the year.
The WWE's solution to the stale product was to include the McMahons as the new authority figures within the storylines, replacing Baron Corbin and Paige as general managers. While it makes sense to have some type of figure that can announce matches, there's literally nothing new about the McMahons as the decision-makers on television. Keep in mind, Shane and Stephanie were commissioners of each brand and were regularly involved in angles prior to this. How exactly is this a "fresh start" when it's the repeat of a narrative from the past several years? Perhaps, the redundant heel figure head will be phased out, which would be a wise decision, but again, Shane, Stephanie, and Triple H have all played a major role on screen the past several years so how does that start something new? Will there be more 20-minute promos at the start of the show? Maybe the key to a more dynamic product is some type of change to the format or presentation of the show?
That said, the lower ratings could simply be from the lack of perceived star power on the shows. Brock Lesnar is ice fishing instead of showing up on Raw, and Roman Reigns, the WWE's top priority the past several years, is on the sidelines with illness. Braun Strowman, who was substituted for Roman after his momentum was halted, is also injured at the moment so the options for him are limited. As I mentioned in the article last week, when the rest of the roster was kept at a level below Roman so that he would be presented as the top star, it essentially halted their status at the mid-card. With Reigns out indefinitely, management has scrambled to try to sell those same contenders that were kept at the mid-card as possible main event level stars.
However, the point is that WWE brass must find a way to generate some buzz about the product until Roman returns, which will get him over for the rest of his career. Aside from the McMahons' involvement, which isn't new, there are a series of NXT talent that will make their debuts on the main roster. This decision seems to indicate that this "shake up" was a reaction to the low ratings and not something that was planned in advance. Too often, NXT talent are brought to the main rosters just for the "debut pop" without any direction of plan for them after that. Within a matter of weeks, most of them either get lost in the shuffle or become just another competitor on the show.
These new performers appear to be introduced to the main roster simply just for the shake of something "new" to be advertised. What happens with the novelty of a new face wears off? What substance will there be for any of the NXT athletes? Unless the writing team specifically has a meaningful angle for them, these moves to the main roster are a short-term solution that will yield a diminishing return within just a few months. For example, if EC3 makes his debut on Raw this month, what's the plan for him at the Royal Rumble? Will there be an angle that builds to a match at Wrestlemania?
When new talents debut, you must consider the landscape of the current roster, and the argument could be made that the writing team hasn't done enough with the roster they have now so that's not exactly a good indication for the NXT talents that are scheduled to debut. One of the more disappointing aspects of the WWE product has been that the talent is there, but it seems that most of them are underutilized or presented in a way that minimizes the ability they bring to the table. A prime example is initially Dean Ambrose was presented as "sitcom crazy" instead of being perceived as legitimately dangerous. Even after the heel turn, Ambrose was booked for segments that didn't give him the chance to get as much heat as possible. Plus, the entire Ambrose/Rollins angle is a retread of the feud from a few years ago when they Shield dissolved except with the roles reversed with Ambrose as the heel. The argument could be made that both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were underutilized before their injuries. Along with that, Finn Balor is another example of a main event level talent that doesn't get the chance to showcase his skills.
Ironically, this "fresh start" includes Smackdown, but if anything, the blue brand is actually doing things right. Daniel Bryan is an over heel, and AJ Styles is an over baby face and they have solid main event matches so it's a successful formula. Furthermore, last week's Mustafa Ali/Bryan match was a way to make Ali look like a star because he was made competitive against the WWE champion. Ali has the talent and was given the platform to showcase his skills in a scenario that evaluated his status.
There's a difference between introducing new faces and making new stars. Especially with Roman on the shelf, management should focus on the process to make new legitimate money-drawing stars. The question is simple, how many currently on the roster could be credible Wrestlemania main event stars? Would Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins sell out a stadium in 2019? That's not a jab at either competitor, but rather to explain that talent alone isn't enough to sell those tickets, they must be presented in a way that's worthy of that stage. Who would be a credible winner for the Royal Rumble? Maybe John Cena because he's one of the few legitimate draws the company has right now. Keep in mind, the talent is there, but it's a matter of presentation.
In fact, there's much speculation that Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch could be the main event of Wrestlemania next year, and that scenario should be a lesson to the writing team. Ronda had a name and lived up to the hype in the squared circle. Sure, sometimes her inexperience shows and her matches are rather simplistic, but it works. Becky organically and spontaneously became one of the most popular stars on Smackdown, which proves, the writing team can't force someone to get over. It's possible that the direction of Raw will become more organic, but as of now, there's not much new about the fresh start for the Raw brand.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Magnum CK's retirement
"Life is a journey, not a destination" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Three years ago when Chris Parsons reemerged onto the professional wrestling scene in the mid-west, he had grown as a person on a variety of levels before he decided to lace up a pair of boots again. Prior to that decision in 2015, the grappler that proclaimed himself Magnum CK upon his return to the squared circle, had pursued sports entertainment previously in 2009, but didn't assemble the pieces of the puzzle that seemed right. Ironically, night shifts at a warehouse and night classes led him to follow a path to the theater, which saw him spent a few years living in Chicago to study the art at the iconic Second City stage company, where names like Farley, Belushi, Murray, Colbert, and others honed their craft before they made their names in show business.
Parsons found himself through the stage. After a successful tenure in the music halls of Chicago, he moved back to the mid-west and was ready to introduce sports entertainment to the persona that exemplified who he was. With a combination of the devious side of Andy Kaufman, an influence of Arn Anderson, and a flamboyant spin of Gorgeous George, Magnum CK spent the past few years bringing his unique brand to the ring to entertain the audience.
A mainstay in Ohio's Absolute Intense Wrestling, Magnum zigzagged across that state to perform, and branched out to several promotions in the tri-state area, as well as working matches as far away as Canada for Toronto's Greek Town Wrestling. Despite his villainous persona, his performances inside the ring ropes garnered rave reviews for the ability to always entertain the paying customers. Perhaps, the highlight of Magnum's return to the sport was this past July when he and his stablemates, The Production, a theater-inspired group that suited him perfectly, won the AIW tag team titles.
However, the success and more specifically, the grind of wrestling every weekend took its toll on his body.
"For me, my lower back started hurting after a match in New Jersey in March 2018 and that same pain got significantly worse over time as I continued wrestling. By June, I was a mess. Bending forward would cause such a sharp pain that it would immediately zap my breath away. I had to cut down my weight training load by half at least and there were many movements that I dropped altogether because I simply could not do them. Nonetheless, I kept wrestling at least 6-10 times a month and did not miss a beat on the road, despite the fact that everything was clearly getting much worse," Magnum explained.
A few doctors appointments and therapy sessions later, Chris Parsons was confronted with a harsh reality about the status of his injury, and an even more difficult decision to make for his wrestling career.
"Over six months after all of this pain started, I got a call from my doctor's office with my scan results. The doctor told me that I did have fractures in my spine, stress fractures. She said that I had probably had them since the pain started back in March. The reason why they weren't healing could have been because I was wrestling every week, but the doctor added that the most likely reason they were not healing, and why i had the fractures in the first place, was because I have spina bifida. In addition to the spina bifida, I found out that I had likely broken my tailbone in a match from June on an atomic drop that went a little sideways. Apparently my tailbone is now curved the wrong way. and that was contributing to the extreme pain when sitting down. Truly, there is currently no comfortable position to be in whether standing, sitting, or laying down. Essentially, I was at a point where I was facing further, permanent damage," Parsons said.
After the time he spent living on a friend's couch in his younger days to starring roles on the stages of Chicago, Chris Parsons finally found the performer he wanted to be in the squared circle so he was torn as to what to do about his sports entertainment passion. But, when he suffered serious pain after a relatively light match in the spring, he knew it was time to hang up his boots.
"I had a follow up and the words "spinal fusion" were mentioned again as a real possibility and I knew I had a decision to make after waking up in this state after a fun little match that had such little physicality. I talked to my wife for dozens of hours. Eventually, I just had to make a choice. I am still a young man and I have a theater life that involves not only directing shows and managing theaters, but performing in musical theater with my wife and kids as well. It had finally occurred to me that these injuries were so serious that if I made a wrong move I could see my entire performing future goodbye," he commented.
Last month, it was only fitting that the conclusion of Magum CK's in-ring career took place where it truly took off, inside of an AIW ring, an event that saw fans in a line that stretched the length of the venue for those that wanted to express gratitude for his contributions to the events. After the finally belled sounded on a tag team contest, Magnum performed a musical tribute to his hero, Andy Kaufman, as the fans and his peers in attendance gave him a standing ovation when he exited the ring.
"In every way, it was the most magical night of my performing career. I've been performing for 16 years and had some amazing roles and nights, but the day of my last match was the ultimate for me as a performer. I've never felt so loved and respected," he explained.
Post-wrestling, Chris Parsons is already very busy when he's not spending as much time as he can with his family, including his duties as a manager of two theater productions, and a job to become an English teach next year. He and filmmaker, Mike Rhodes also began work on "Markin' Out 2," a sequel to their documentary about independent wrestling. After he heard the final three count of his wrestling career, Parsons had a chance to reflect on his accomplishments.
"A kid who grew up to be a wrestler that he would've loved to watch. That's it. I had a dream and I did it. All I ever wanted was to feel like I was good at wrestling. I feel that I was great at wrestling and a lot of people know it too. What else could I ask for? At the end of the road, I look back and smile with pride because I became the performer that I always dreamed that I could be," he said.
So, the destination for Magnum CK's wrestling career was abruptly cut short when he began to reach the peak of his career, but the journey he took to obtain his goal in professional wrestling saw him earn the respect of his peers and entertain the audience.
Three years ago when Chris Parsons reemerged onto the professional wrestling scene in the mid-west, he had grown as a person on a variety of levels before he decided to lace up a pair of boots again. Prior to that decision in 2015, the grappler that proclaimed himself Magnum CK upon his return to the squared circle, had pursued sports entertainment previously in 2009, but didn't assemble the pieces of the puzzle that seemed right. Ironically, night shifts at a warehouse and night classes led him to follow a path to the theater, which saw him spent a few years living in Chicago to study the art at the iconic Second City stage company, where names like Farley, Belushi, Murray, Colbert, and others honed their craft before they made their names in show business.
Parsons found himself through the stage. After a successful tenure in the music halls of Chicago, he moved back to the mid-west and was ready to introduce sports entertainment to the persona that exemplified who he was. With a combination of the devious side of Andy Kaufman, an influence of Arn Anderson, and a flamboyant spin of Gorgeous George, Magnum CK spent the past few years bringing his unique brand to the ring to entertain the audience.
A mainstay in Ohio's Absolute Intense Wrestling, Magnum zigzagged across that state to perform, and branched out to several promotions in the tri-state area, as well as working matches as far away as Canada for Toronto's Greek Town Wrestling. Despite his villainous persona, his performances inside the ring ropes garnered rave reviews for the ability to always entertain the paying customers. Perhaps, the highlight of Magnum's return to the sport was this past July when he and his stablemates, The Production, a theater-inspired group that suited him perfectly, won the AIW tag team titles.
However, the success and more specifically, the grind of wrestling every weekend took its toll on his body.
"For me, my lower back started hurting after a match in New Jersey in March 2018 and that same pain got significantly worse over time as I continued wrestling. By June, I was a mess. Bending forward would cause such a sharp pain that it would immediately zap my breath away. I had to cut down my weight training load by half at least and there were many movements that I dropped altogether because I simply could not do them. Nonetheless, I kept wrestling at least 6-10 times a month and did not miss a beat on the road, despite the fact that everything was clearly getting much worse," Magnum explained.
A few doctors appointments and therapy sessions later, Chris Parsons was confronted with a harsh reality about the status of his injury, and an even more difficult decision to make for his wrestling career.
"Over six months after all of this pain started, I got a call from my doctor's office with my scan results. The doctor told me that I did have fractures in my spine, stress fractures. She said that I had probably had them since the pain started back in March. The reason why they weren't healing could have been because I was wrestling every week, but the doctor added that the most likely reason they were not healing, and why i had the fractures in the first place, was because I have spina bifida. In addition to the spina bifida, I found out that I had likely broken my tailbone in a match from June on an atomic drop that went a little sideways. Apparently my tailbone is now curved the wrong way. and that was contributing to the extreme pain when sitting down. Truly, there is currently no comfortable position to be in whether standing, sitting, or laying down. Essentially, I was at a point where I was facing further, permanent damage," Parsons said.
After the time he spent living on a friend's couch in his younger days to starring roles on the stages of Chicago, Chris Parsons finally found the performer he wanted to be in the squared circle so he was torn as to what to do about his sports entertainment passion. But, when he suffered serious pain after a relatively light match in the spring, he knew it was time to hang up his boots.
"I had a follow up and the words "spinal fusion" were mentioned again as a real possibility and I knew I had a decision to make after waking up in this state after a fun little match that had such little physicality. I talked to my wife for dozens of hours. Eventually, I just had to make a choice. I am still a young man and I have a theater life that involves not only directing shows and managing theaters, but performing in musical theater with my wife and kids as well. It had finally occurred to me that these injuries were so serious that if I made a wrong move I could see my entire performing future goodbye," he commented.
Last month, it was only fitting that the conclusion of Magum CK's in-ring career took place where it truly took off, inside of an AIW ring, an event that saw fans in a line that stretched the length of the venue for those that wanted to express gratitude for his contributions to the events. After the finally belled sounded on a tag team contest, Magnum performed a musical tribute to his hero, Andy Kaufman, as the fans and his peers in attendance gave him a standing ovation when he exited the ring.
"In every way, it was the most magical night of my performing career. I've been performing for 16 years and had some amazing roles and nights, but the day of my last match was the ultimate for me as a performer. I've never felt so loved and respected," he explained.
Post-wrestling, Chris Parsons is already very busy when he's not spending as much time as he can with his family, including his duties as a manager of two theater productions, and a job to become an English teach next year. He and filmmaker, Mike Rhodes also began work on "Markin' Out 2," a sequel to their documentary about independent wrestling. After he heard the final three count of his wrestling career, Parsons had a chance to reflect on his accomplishments.
"A kid who grew up to be a wrestler that he would've loved to watch. That's it. I had a dream and I did it. All I ever wanted was to feel like I was good at wrestling. I feel that I was great at wrestling and a lot of people know it too. What else could I ask for? At the end of the road, I look back and smile with pride because I became the performer that I always dreamed that I could be," he said.
So, the destination for Magnum CK's wrestling career was abruptly cut short when he began to reach the peak of his career, but the journey he took to obtain his goal in professional wrestling saw him earn the respect of his peers and entertain the audience.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The Raw brand
This past week on Raw, the IC champion, Seth Rollins won a TLC match against GM Baron Corbin less than a week away from the TLC pay-per-view so essentially the gimmick of an entire gimmick event was given away on television. Yes, I know that WWE Network subscriptions are only $10 so it's not that they are costing themselves revenue by putting the match on TV ahead of time, but rather overexposing an already overexposed stipulation. I've said it before and I will say it again, these gimmick-based shows do nothing but water down stipulations and take away from the aura of a gimmick match when a storyline actually calls for it. A stipulation match should be booked based on if it suits the feud, not the month on the calendar. Further illustrating that point were the near record-low ratings that Raw garnered this week. The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez expressed his discontent with the status of the show, prompting Jimmy Jacobs, former member of the WWE writing team and current Impact producer, to respond that writing a three-hour show isn't an easy process.
Obviously, Jacobs is a brilliant mind and he's correct about the task of producing several hours of TV on the WWE schedule, but what exactly caused this slump for the company's flagship show?
I wrote about it extensively throughout the past year, the Roman Reigns super push was essentially limiting the ability for others to achieve the next level of star power. There's a certain time frame that a competitor has when they can organically be elevated further up the card to have their star power maximized. The opportunity cost of the forced Reigns push was that it created a glass ceiling for others on the roster, and regardless of how over they were with the audience, they were going to stay a level below Roman Reigns. For example, the peak for Braun Strowman to make the jump to the main event scene would've been around WM 34, but management was set on Roman so Braun won the tag titles with a kid from the crowd. Braun's random heel turn a few months ago to try to solidify Reigns' championship spot further diluted his reaction from the crowd. When Strowman was substituted for Reigns more recently, he wasn't nearly as over as he was earlier this year. In theory, since Vince McMahon owns sports entertainment in the United States, management can position their choice in the top spot, but when you put as many chips on an athlete as WWE brass bet on Roman, there can be a substantial lack of depth in the main even picture if that competitor isn't on the roster. Make no mistake about it, the talent is there, but how many currently on the Raw roster would be perceived as legitimate Wrestlemania main event stars?
Stellar athletes like Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Samoa Joe, and others were basically kept at mid-card status so that Roman could be presented as the top star. It's no coincidence that Raw has lacked any type of solid direction since Roman stepped away to deal with health problems. The past few years, it didn't matter how over a performer was with the audience, they were automatically kept at a level below Roman Reigns, which is why the show doesn't have clear main event talent right now. The good news is, when Roman Reigns returns to the ring, and he will, it will undoubtedly make him a top-tier star for the rest of his career. The challenges that Joe Anoa'i will overcome in reality will be much more important than anything that is scripted for Roman Reigns. But, what's the direction under Roman returns?
As mentioned, Braun as a substitute, especially after a lackluster heel turn just weeks before that, didn't get over as much as an organic push would've with the audience. Braun's elbow injury kept him off TV, which puts the brand into more of a slump because there's not necessarily a main baby face on the show. It certainly doesn't help the situation that Brock Lesnar, the current Universal Champion, is ice fishing or hunting for moose instead of appearing on WWE TV. You can't blame Brock either, he was offered a great deal and he completely took advantage of it. That being said, the way that Brock disappears with the title and the lack of a champion on Raw in recent years is at an almost absurd level. There's a difference between making championship appearances rare and devaluing the belt. As I wrote previously, I don't think the WWE will get a return that justifies the hefty invest, both financially and a booking aspect, from the Lesnar experiment. On the other hand, you have to give Brock credit, he worked the UFC and WWE very well to maximize his payday. Perhaps, he had no intention of a return to the octagon, but he was smart enough to shove heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier just before his WWE contract was set to expire.
With Braun on the shelf and no indication for Brock's next match, the main angle on Raw is the Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose feud. But they already worked an entire feud based on the destruction of the Shield a few years ago, and the only difference is a role reversal with basically the same premise to the angle. I could be wrong, but Rollins/Ambrose has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it.
So, what's the solution for Raw?
First of all, Jimmy Jacobs is correct, writing several hours of TV every week is a demanding process, and any "fans" that think they could do a better job than those that get paid to do it are extremely misguided. Most "fans" would script a stacked Raw for a week and then find themselves wondering what to do next. That being said, it's very possible that the fundamental problem with Raw is that it might be unrealistic to produce a solid three-hour show every week. At the same time, the company gets paid exponentially more money for the third hour so at least for now, it's a successful decision. If those lackluster segments affect the perception of the product or the numbers in the next few years remains to be seen. Another key aspect could be simply incorporating fresh talent into the program, similar to the way that Mustafa Ali was scheduled for a match with Daniel Bryan on Smackdown this week. Usually, the 205 Live roster has less exposure than someone in the witness protection program, but allowing Ali to work a competitive match against the WWE champion on SD presented him as a potential star to the main stream audience.
Regardless of any criticism of the WWE product, the time slot, or the booking, it's a moot point because the WWE will make over $2.4 billion combined for the Raw and Smackdown shows during the next five years. The WWE is set to generate record-setting revenue and it be the most profitable in the history of the company so from a business prospective the company is already successful.
Obviously, Jacobs is a brilliant mind and he's correct about the task of producing several hours of TV on the WWE schedule, but what exactly caused this slump for the company's flagship show?
I wrote about it extensively throughout the past year, the Roman Reigns super push was essentially limiting the ability for others to achieve the next level of star power. There's a certain time frame that a competitor has when they can organically be elevated further up the card to have their star power maximized. The opportunity cost of the forced Reigns push was that it created a glass ceiling for others on the roster, and regardless of how over they were with the audience, they were going to stay a level below Roman Reigns. For example, the peak for Braun Strowman to make the jump to the main event scene would've been around WM 34, but management was set on Roman so Braun won the tag titles with a kid from the crowd. Braun's random heel turn a few months ago to try to solidify Reigns' championship spot further diluted his reaction from the crowd. When Strowman was substituted for Reigns more recently, he wasn't nearly as over as he was earlier this year. In theory, since Vince McMahon owns sports entertainment in the United States, management can position their choice in the top spot, but when you put as many chips on an athlete as WWE brass bet on Roman, there can be a substantial lack of depth in the main even picture if that competitor isn't on the roster. Make no mistake about it, the talent is there, but how many currently on the Raw roster would be perceived as legitimate Wrestlemania main event stars?
Stellar athletes like Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Samoa Joe, and others were basically kept at mid-card status so that Roman could be presented as the top star. It's no coincidence that Raw has lacked any type of solid direction since Roman stepped away to deal with health problems. The past few years, it didn't matter how over a performer was with the audience, they were automatically kept at a level below Roman Reigns, which is why the show doesn't have clear main event talent right now. The good news is, when Roman Reigns returns to the ring, and he will, it will undoubtedly make him a top-tier star for the rest of his career. The challenges that Joe Anoa'i will overcome in reality will be much more important than anything that is scripted for Roman Reigns. But, what's the direction under Roman returns?
As mentioned, Braun as a substitute, especially after a lackluster heel turn just weeks before that, didn't get over as much as an organic push would've with the audience. Braun's elbow injury kept him off TV, which puts the brand into more of a slump because there's not necessarily a main baby face on the show. It certainly doesn't help the situation that Brock Lesnar, the current Universal Champion, is ice fishing or hunting for moose instead of appearing on WWE TV. You can't blame Brock either, he was offered a great deal and he completely took advantage of it. That being said, the way that Brock disappears with the title and the lack of a champion on Raw in recent years is at an almost absurd level. There's a difference between making championship appearances rare and devaluing the belt. As I wrote previously, I don't think the WWE will get a return that justifies the hefty invest, both financially and a booking aspect, from the Lesnar experiment. On the other hand, you have to give Brock credit, he worked the UFC and WWE very well to maximize his payday. Perhaps, he had no intention of a return to the octagon, but he was smart enough to shove heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier just before his WWE contract was set to expire.
With Braun on the shelf and no indication for Brock's next match, the main angle on Raw is the Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose feud. But they already worked an entire feud based on the destruction of the Shield a few years ago, and the only difference is a role reversal with basically the same premise to the angle. I could be wrong, but Rollins/Ambrose has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it.
So, what's the solution for Raw?
First of all, Jimmy Jacobs is correct, writing several hours of TV every week is a demanding process, and any "fans" that think they could do a better job than those that get paid to do it are extremely misguided. Most "fans" would script a stacked Raw for a week and then find themselves wondering what to do next. That being said, it's very possible that the fundamental problem with Raw is that it might be unrealistic to produce a solid three-hour show every week. At the same time, the company gets paid exponentially more money for the third hour so at least for now, it's a successful decision. If those lackluster segments affect the perception of the product or the numbers in the next few years remains to be seen. Another key aspect could be simply incorporating fresh talent into the program, similar to the way that Mustafa Ali was scheduled for a match with Daniel Bryan on Smackdown this week. Usually, the 205 Live roster has less exposure than someone in the witness protection program, but allowing Ali to work a competitive match against the WWE champion on SD presented him as a potential star to the main stream audience.
Regardless of any criticism of the WWE product, the time slot, or the booking, it's a moot point because the WWE will make over $2.4 billion combined for the Raw and Smackdown shows during the next five years. The WWE is set to generate record-setting revenue and it be the most profitable in the history of the company so from a business prospective the company is already successful.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
The career of Jimmy Rave
Most middle school kids are focused on a science project, a book report, or they avoid all scholastic responsibilities and spend their time conquering levels on the newest video game. However, when Jimmy Guffey was a youth during the peak of the "Attitude Era," the biggest boom in popularity of professional wrestling, he didn't concern himself with winning fictional titles in "career mode" on Playstation or Nintendo 64, but rather a goal that saw him actually step foot into a real wrestling ring. At just 14, Guffey began a journey, a path that saw him quite literally grow up inside the squared circle.
A fan since before his days in elementary school, Jimmy Guffey had always enjoyed the athleticism and the theatrics of sports entertainment, but didn't realize the sport existed outside of his television screen. When his family relocated to Marietta, Georgia when he was 13, an independent wrestling event was held at the local high school, and the youngster was amazed at the up-close aspect an indy event provided. Around that same time, Guffey attended baseball practice one afternoon and spotted a legend on the field. The legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes attended the practice with his son, Cody. The future Ring of Honor and NWA champion attended another school in the area and was also there for baseball practice. "The American Dream's" presence had a profound impact on Guffey and led him to pursue an opportunity to learn the craft.
"My first baseball practice at 13 years old, I saw Dusty Rhodes at the field then realized I was in a hot bed of wrestling. I quickly sought out a school and started training," he explained.
In 1999, after he learned the proper techniques of the sport at a local training center, Guffey made his professional wrestling debut, as the 16-year-old Mr. XTC, a masked persona he used in the early stages of his career. Within time, Guffey adopted a moniker that would become known around the globe as he proclaimed himself Jimmy Rave. He quickly earned praise for his natural ability inside the ring ropes, and aside from the Georgia indy scene, Rave garnered notoriety from magazines as one of the performers to watch in the new millennium. More specifically, NWA Wild Side, an affiliate located in Georgia, saw Rave win its Jr. Heavyweight title in 2001.
After he received praise for his combination of aerial ability and solid technical skills, Rave began to branch out around the independent scene in the years that followed, working for NWA-TNA during its formative years in contests that aired on syndicated "Xplosion" TV and the national pay-per-view broadcasts that took place in Nashville, TN.
In 2003, he began working for Combat Zone Wrestling and won the Iron Man championship. The north east exposure opened more doors for him and he began his original tenure with Ring Of Honor, which was prior to their nationally syndicated TV broadcasts, but ROH was considered the top independent group at that time. The smooth technician added a completely new layer to his persona, he became one of the most hated villains in the industry. By 2005, the smug, arrogant antagonist incited volatile reactions from ROH audiences as the "Crown Jewel" of the Embassy, a group led by Prince Nana, one of the best managers of his generation.
A fan since before his days in elementary school, Jimmy Guffey had always enjoyed the athleticism and the theatrics of sports entertainment, but didn't realize the sport existed outside of his television screen. When his family relocated to Marietta, Georgia when he was 13, an independent wrestling event was held at the local high school, and the youngster was amazed at the up-close aspect an indy event provided. Around that same time, Guffey attended baseball practice one afternoon and spotted a legend on the field. The legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes attended the practice with his son, Cody. The future Ring of Honor and NWA champion attended another school in the area and was also there for baseball practice. "The American Dream's" presence had a profound impact on Guffey and led him to pursue an opportunity to learn the craft.
"My first baseball practice at 13 years old, I saw Dusty Rhodes at the field then realized I was in a hot bed of wrestling. I quickly sought out a school and started training," he explained.
In 1999, after he learned the proper techniques of the sport at a local training center, Guffey made his professional wrestling debut, as the 16-year-old Mr. XTC, a masked persona he used in the early stages of his career. Within time, Guffey adopted a moniker that would become known around the globe as he proclaimed himself Jimmy Rave. He quickly earned praise for his natural ability inside the ring ropes, and aside from the Georgia indy scene, Rave garnered notoriety from magazines as one of the performers to watch in the new millennium. More specifically, NWA Wild Side, an affiliate located in Georgia, saw Rave win its Jr. Heavyweight title in 2001.
After he received praise for his combination of aerial ability and solid technical skills, Rave began to branch out around the independent scene in the years that followed, working for NWA-TNA during its formative years in contests that aired on syndicated "Xplosion" TV and the national pay-per-view broadcasts that took place in Nashville, TN.
In 2003, he began working for Combat Zone Wrestling and won the Iron Man championship. The north east exposure opened more doors for him and he began his original tenure with Ring Of Honor, which was prior to their nationally syndicated TV broadcasts, but ROH was considered the top independent group at that time. The smooth technician added a completely new layer to his persona, he became one of the most hated villains in the industry. By 2005, the smug, arrogant antagonist incited volatile reactions from ROH audiences as the "Crown Jewel" of the Embassy, a group led by Prince Nana, one of the best managers of his generation.
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