Wrestling

[The Unknown Poster]

Weekly news round up (thanks Dave Meltzer etc)

- NXT debuted their new live show on USA Network last night.  Havent seen it yet as we dont get in Canada but it will be on the WWE Network today and sounds like it was awesome

- Impact moving to AXS in October, as expected since their parent company Anthem (owned by Leonard Asper) bought the channel (with Mark Cuban & Steve Harvey as minority partners)

- New Japan's US tv show airs on AXS and people believed it might lead to a relationship with Impact (which would be great for Impact).  New Japan is reportedly still loyal to ROH but the relationship doesnt seem to be doing well.  The obvious thing would be New Japan working with AEW but there are some burned bridges there that would need to be mended.

- Impact helped AAA (from Mexico).  A lot of hoopla was made when AAA announced they were running MSG but it didnt exactly turn out that way.  They needed to use Impact's license and ended up running the Hulu theater at MSG Complex.  AAA does boast Cain Velsasquez who both WWE & AEW want.  It was aired on national PPV but believed to do under 60 total buys.  Ouch.  AXS will be airing the event.

- Live event tickets are slowing down this fall, even for AEW.

- Big Cass had a meltdown at a WrestlePro show in New Jersey.  It seemingly began when Cass threatened AEW's Joey Janela because Janela had got into a fight with Enzo a few weeks back.  Oddly, the night before Janela and Cass worked a different show with no issue.  But Cass was "off" in Jersey and acting like a bully all night.  The promotion moved Janela to another room.  Cass then accused guys of stealing his sweater and spit in the face of the promoter/wrestler Pat Buck, so Buck dropped him with one shot.

Bad idea for Cass as not only was Janela there but AEW's SCU (Daniels and Kaz, Daniels being head of talent relations for AEW).  And Buck is moving on to WWE.  Enzo later posted a letter from Cass apologizing and saying he's getting help.

- NWA signed Jim Cornette to do colour commentary at their TV tapings.

- AEW revealed their tag team brackets.  Interesting matches include Bucks vs Private Party and Lucha Bros vs A Boy & his Dinosaur.  Id assume SCU comes out of the other side

- SD on FOX got a lot of mention during NFL games.  Its Brock vs Kofi on the debut show with the draft a week later.  Intention is to have totally exclusive rosters on each brand, including unique announce teams with Cole on SD.

- FOX had re-runs in the upcoming SD timeslot and drew just under a million viewers, so WWE would have to *really* do poorly to be a disaster.  Though FOX wants better ratings then SD has been getting.

- WWE has 129 wrestlers on the roster and 136 in training.  Big roster.

- Reminder, Chikara founder Mike Quackenbush is in Winnipeg this week, Saturday night at Doubles Bar.

[Brandon]

60 buys????

[The Unknown Poster]

2 hours ago, Brandon said:

60 buys????

Yup.  It was poorly promoted.  AAA has Kenny booked for an upcoming show though Im not sure he'd have worked the PPV due to AEW.  But 60 is bad.

[The Unknown Poster]

NXT debut on USA did 1.17 million viewers.  Definitely a success.  It was a one hour episode (hour two on the WWE Network).  In two weeks, the full two hours will air on USA and run head to head with AEW on TNT.

[JCon]

2 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

NXT debut on USA did 1.17 million viewers.  Definitely a success.  It was a one hour episode (hour two on the WWE Network).  In two weeks, the full two hours will air on USA and run head to head with AEW on TNT.

NXT - 2 hours.

Raw - 3 hours.

Smackdown - 3 hours? 

 

Are they really trying to produce 8 hours of content each week? Yikes. 

[The Unknown Poster]

8 minutes ago, JCon said:

NXT - 2 hours.

Raw - 3 hours.

Smackdown - 3 hours? 

 

Are they really trying to produce 8 hours of content each week? Yikes. 

I think its going to be SD 2 hours on FOX and the third hour on FS1.  Plus, a sportscentre style show on FOX (or FS1, cant remember) on, I think, Tuesdays.  They want wrestling every night to choke out competition.

If you're a fan, you're going to have 2 hours NXT on Wednesday and 2 hours AEW on wednesday also.  Plus, 2 hours Impact on Friday (they should probably move to tuesday or thursday but right now want to run after SD thinking WWE fans will switch over).

[JCon]

1 minute ago, The Unknown Poster said:

I think its going to be SD 2 hours on FOX and the third hour on FS1.  Plus, a sportscentre style show on FOX (or FS1, cant remember) on, I think, Tuesdays.  They want wrestling every night to choke out competition.

If you're a fan, you're going to have 2 hours NXT on Wednesday and 2 hours AEW on wednesday also.  Plus, 2 hours Impact on Friday (they should probably move to tuesday or thursday but right now want to run after SD thinking WWE fans will switch over).

Even when I was young and at my peak wrestling watching, including attending local shows and watching WWF/WCW/ECW, I don't think I could consume that much wrestling. Hooboy, that's a lot. 

[The Unknown Poster]

4 minutes ago, JCon said:

Even when I was young and at my peak wrestling watching, including attending local shows and watching WWF/WCW/ECW, I don't think I could consume that much wrestling. Hooboy, that's a lot. 

Nitro and RAW alone were tough.  I recall when WCW added Thunder, it was like...how the heck is anyone going to watch that much.  

I think part of whats driving WWE to want completely separate RAW & SD is knowing some fans wont watch both.  Part of the reason they created NXT was to be their "indy" alternative to ROH.  

Lots of rumours about Impact being interested in buying ROH...I had heard WWE was talking to them too.

[JCon]

1 minute ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Nitro and RAW alone were tough.  I recall when WCW added Thunder, it was like...how the heck is anyone going to watch that much.  

I think part of whats driving WWE to want completely separate RAW & SD is knowing some fans wont watch both.  Part of the reason they created NXT was to be their "indy" alternative to ROH.  

Lots of rumours about Impact being interested in buying ROH...I had heard WWE was talking to them too.

And those were only two hour shows! We would watch RAW live. I taped WCW and fast forwarded through the commercials. Same with ECW. 

[Rich]

 

[The Unknown Poster]

6 hours ago, Rich said:

 

Who says Kayfabe is dead.  lol 

[The Unknown Poster]

John Morrisson signed back with WWE.  Too bad as I thought he'd be excellent in AEW.

Jerry Lawler returns to commentary, working RAW on mondays.  Cole goes permanently to SD.

NXT is loaded this Wednesday (for AEW's debut).   NXT will have limited commercials.

AEW continues to negotiate with TSN for Canadian viewing.  If they dont get it done, it can be viewed on fite tv (for a small fee).

[The Unknown Poster]

Rick Bognar aka Rick Titan aka fake Razor Ramon died.  Age 49. 

[bigg jay]

13 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Rick Bognar aka Rick Titan aka fake Razor Ramon died.  Age 49. 

I remember seeing him in Winnipeg way back in the day.  One of the reasons I tell people to go check out indy shows is because you never know what future "name" wrestler you might get to see.

[The Unknown Poster]

18 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

I remember seeing him in Winnipeg way back in the day.  One of the reasons I tell people to go check out indy shows is because you never know what future "name" wrestler you might get to see.

Yeah! I saw Don Callis tweet about working with him in Winnipeg.  Its always the battle when you're promoting local shows, trying to make people understand that this is where the big stars learned.  Think of those 12 people that saw Chris Jericho wrestle at Bumpers Bar for example. lol   And of course, Callis himself has been a surprise guest on two of our shows (he was backstage last week too).  How many guys in Winnipeg have had opportunities with Japan, WWE, ROH, Mexico, AEW, Impact etc.

You just never know...

[bigg jay]

4 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Yeah! I saw Don Callis tweet about working with him in Winnipeg.  Its always the battle when you're promoting local shows, trying to make people understand that this is where the big stars learned.  Think of those 12 people that saw Chris Jericho wrestle at Bumpers Bar for example. lol   And of course, Callis himself has been a surprise guest on two of our shows (he was backstage last week too).  How many guys in Winnipeg have had opportunities with Japan, WWE, ROH, Mexico, AEW, Impact etc.

You just never know...

I also think it goes even further than guys who are just breaking in.  When you brought in AJ, he was already established but Kenny wasn't (at least to non-locals)... people would kill to see that match now.   Lots of missed opportunities when you don't go to the shows.

 

[Brandon]

Wasn't Titan on the Tony Condello shows that used to air on local tv? I'm thinking 92-93 ish timeline? I remember seeing Jericho and Lance Storm and Don Callis as the Natural and Chi Chi Cruz. I'm pretty sure Bognar was on those shows also.

[bigg jay]

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

Wasn't Titan on the Tony Condello shows that used to air on local tv? I'm thinking 92-93 ish timeline? I remember seeing Jericho and Lance Storm and Don Callis as the Natural and Chi Chi Cruz. I'm pretty sure Bognar was on those shows also.

Yep.  Callis tweeted out an old IWA video back in December showing some of the names that came through town back then.  Titan can be seen around the 17 second mark.

 

[JCon]

2 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

Yep.  Callis tweeted out an old IWA video back in December showing some of the names that came through town back then.  Titan can be seen around the 17 second mark.

 

Bad News Allen. Loved watching him on Stampede Wrestling. 

[The Unknown Poster]

 

[bigg jay]

11 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

 

Awesome... was getting a bit nervous that a deal wouldn't be done in time for the 1st show.

[JCon]

11 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

 

That's great news. I was worried it would be on some obscure channel. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Pretty cool to see wrestling back on TSN. Just as it is to see it back on TNT. 

And what a week for the business.  Perhaps the biggest week in...who knows how long.  

Predictions?  I had someone message me yesterday to say AEW will beat all wwe shows this week. Not going to happen. In fact I think nxt will win week one based on how loaded their show is and the no commercials. But it’s a long game. 

I was talking to a significant industry person who told me aew is actually in the position of their strength (wrestling) not being enough against nxt because nxt has focused on that very thing plus they have deeper roster. 

Wwe will pay anything to win. It looks like Punk will end up back there.   

ROH is even offering big deals to keep key guys locking up Matt Taven.  They have Marty Scurll and Bandido both coming due.  Both should end up in aew but roh will offer big deals. 

Definitely an amazing time to be a wrestling fan. 

[Brandon]

1 hour ago, The Unknown Poster said:

 

Definitely an amazing time to be a wrestling fan. 

I wouldn't say an amazing time, but definitely the first time to get excited in the last 15 years.

 

[The Unknown Poster]

14 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I wouldn't say an amazing time, but definitely the first time to get excited in the last 15 years.

 

That sounds pretty amazing.