It's twelve pages of news crammed into under fifty minutes. We cover:
* what former WWE star is on the playboy channel!
* what happens when you forget to get a good babysitter for your mexico indy fed (VAMPIRO/RXXL fiasco!)
* what's going on this sunday at the PPV
* what is ROH's next big angle and who did they bring to the US that didn't even have a WORKING VISA?
* why three announcers: one of EACH WWE BRAND might/almost left this year
* TNA news with lots of Kurt Angle coverage (including the story of the vignette, money and fighting)
* discussion of TNA's first PPV outside of Orlando in a long time
* what MMA fed should sponser IWW
* what is the best video on youtube
* what is the coolest lucha mask site on the internet
* how are the shamrock "brothers" (frank/ken) related
and much, much, much more!!
45 min (mp3) with Zip Whittle
Friday, October 06, 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Justin's recap of ROH 9/16
From Justin on Myspace - one of the best wrestling reporters around!!
here's is one fan's thoughts of the 9/16 ROH debut at the Manhattan center
the crowd was very hot for the show. I'm bad at guessing crowd size but i would say they easily had over 1,000 people there. they had 4 sections around the ring that went 7 rows deep that were packed, a general admission section that had around 100 seats in it that were filled and balcony seating that went 4 rows deep that was also jammed.
before the show started there was a brief altercation involving the green lantern fan. i can't say for certain what happened but he was getting yelled at by a lady, security got involved and everyone in the arena chanted "fuck green lantern" for a minute. good times.
the show started with Davey Richards against Jack Evans. solid opening match. Evans hit his usual crazy high spots, Davey was hard hitting winning with a submission(i believe the move is called "stretch muffler")
next up the ring was surrounded by NOAH and ROH wrestlers as they honored Bruno Sammartino. the crowd was very appreciative of Bruno chanting "thank you Bruno", and "welcome back" making a reference to him having his best matches in new york at Madison Square Garden. the crowd was very silent when he spoke. he said that he does not approve of wrestling today(no shock there) however he was very impressed with Ring Of Honor and feels they are bringing wrestling back. ROH has Bruno's stamp of approval(note: this is a big deal considering Bruno's son doesn't have it).
as the wrestlers were walking back stage Samoa Joe and NOAH's Morishima started fighting and had to be broken up. with Kobashi out it looks like they're setting up a future Joe vs Morishima match (duh)
the second match was Delirious vs Adam Pearce. Pearce wins with help from Shane Hagadorn. the best spot of the match was delirious hitting 50 lariats in the corner on Pearce, taking 3 seconds to catch his breath, then hitting 10 more. chant of the night was for delirious during the match with the crowd chanting "bah bah bah bah clap clap clapclapclap".
next was a tree way between Jimmy Jacobs w/Lacey against Christopher Daniels and Colt Cabana. the back story of the match was Jimmy discovered Colt and Lacey having sex and was very distraught since he loves Lacey. however Lacey ordered Jimmy to team with Colt during the match and take out Daniels. a few comedy spots with Colt looking up Lacey's skirt and "stumbling" and grabbing Lacey's chest to keep himself up. the finish of the jabobs/cabana/daniles 3 way was a low blow from jacobs to cabana for the pin. after the match Lacey was furious with Jimmy for disobeying her and he left the ring dejected.
Jim Cornette came to the ring with the Briscoe brothers and cut an anti- new york promo. he felt that he was a minority in new york being a white middle aged man. he also said that homicide would get an ROH world title shot at the next show in Manhattan if him and Joe win the match.
next up was homicide and Samoa Joe vs the Briscoe brothers. the crowd went crazy for homicide and was firmly behind the "hometown hero" solid match, plenty of stiff shots from Joe and the Briscoes. match ended with homicide hitting jay Briscoe with the "cop killa" for the victory. Cornette returned to ring side saying that he's gonna make homicide's life a "living hell" the rest of the year.
intermission time. the line to meet Bruno Sammartino was huge also NOAH was selling shirts at the show with the proceeds going to Kobashi as he recovers from kidney cancer. a big seller at the merch table was the "hero's of world class/von erich documentary" dvd. when i went to purchase it, it was sold out. another big seller was shows featuring C.M. Punk.
the second half featured only title matches.
the first was the kings of wrestling(Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) against champs Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. the kings came out to "we are the champions" and made their way through the crowd. the match was very good featuring great tandem moves from both teams. it looked like Aries was going to hit his 450 splash when Castagnoli hit Aries in the ribs with his briefcase( I.R.S anyone?). Aries tried making a "superman comeback" but the kings hit the KRS-1 on Aries for the victory becoming (in the Howard Finkle voice) NEW ROH world tag team champions. the crowd was very hot for the match. the fans had a "battle chant going" with one side chanting "kings of wrestling" and the other side chanting "shut the fuck up". this lasted after the match and went on for awhile. also this means that Chris Hero is now a part of the ROH roster.
Chris hero tangent: this guy has incredible heat. the fans that don't like him absolutely hate him. the fans that like him will chant till their red in the face for him. personally i think this is a cool move. behind homicide no one else got a bigger reaction at the show and if your paying your (to borrow a Jim Ross quote) hard earned money to boo the man how can it not be a great idea on ROH's part to bring him in.
the second title match was GHC Heavyweight Champion Marufuji against Nigel McGuinnes. this was a big deal because this is the first time the GHC title has been defended in the united states. this was the surprise match of the night. Marufuji hit some insane spots including a shiranui on McGuinnes to the floor. halfway through the match the fans chanted "this is awesome". McGuinnes hit his spots including "tower of london" but Marufuji won the match after going corner 2 corner(a van terminator without the chair) followed with a super shiranui from the top rope. the match was excellent and after it the fans again chanted "that was awesome".
for what it's worth Nigel Mcguinnes has been the best independent wrestler this past year. he's had classics with Bryana Danielson and had a great run with the ROH pure title. he reminds me of cowboy Bob Orton(i may be the only guy) in that he makes really complicated moves and holds look so easy to execute(which has been said of Orton).
the main event of the evening was KENTA against ROH world champion Bryan Danielson. the crowd was behind Danielson strongly because he was wrestling the match with a separated shoulder. the match had a very "big fight" atmosphere to it. while i was waiting to get in the arena i was asking people who they thought was going to win and it was 50-50. people were sure KENTA was going to win or were sure Danielson was. tons of submissions from both KENTA and Danielson and plenty of near falls. Kenta hit "go to sleep" and the crowd erupted when Danielson put his foot on the rope at 2. Danileson won the match with cattle mutilation and is still your ROH world heavyweight champion.
the show went from 8:00 to about 11:30/11:40. the show felt just right time wise, the intermission helped. also stacking the second half with three title matches didn't hurt either. the best match of the night in my opinion was Marufuji and McGuinnes however Kenta and Danielson was also excellent. the only reason I'm picking Marafugi and McGuinnes was because it really surprised me and everyone in the building with how great it was. as for worst match there really wasn't a bad match on the card. if i have to say it would probably be Delirious and Pearce however it served it purpose and I would have no problem watching it again. .
the two biggest reactions went to homicide and the kings of wrestling.
overall i thought this was an excellent show. ROH hyped it to be their biggest show ever and they didn't disappoint. the Manhattan center made for a great venue and the crowd was very hot from start to finish. the only bad note was the security at the Manhattan center was gawd-awful. they were real ass-bags and from what i hear were taking away streamers from the fans. despite that the show was excellent and i recommend the purchase when it comes out on DVD.
Justin
here's is one fan's thoughts of the 9/16 ROH debut at the Manhattan center
the crowd was very hot for the show. I'm bad at guessing crowd size but i would say they easily had over 1,000 people there. they had 4 sections around the ring that went 7 rows deep that were packed, a general admission section that had around 100 seats in it that were filled and balcony seating that went 4 rows deep that was also jammed.
before the show started there was a brief altercation involving the green lantern fan. i can't say for certain what happened but he was getting yelled at by a lady, security got involved and everyone in the arena chanted "fuck green lantern" for a minute. good times.
the show started with Davey Richards against Jack Evans. solid opening match. Evans hit his usual crazy high spots, Davey was hard hitting winning with a submission(i believe the move is called "stretch muffler")
next up the ring was surrounded by NOAH and ROH wrestlers as they honored Bruno Sammartino. the crowd was very appreciative of Bruno chanting "thank you Bruno", and "welcome back" making a reference to him having his best matches in new york at Madison Square Garden. the crowd was very silent when he spoke. he said that he does not approve of wrestling today(no shock there) however he was very impressed with Ring Of Honor and feels they are bringing wrestling back. ROH has Bruno's stamp of approval(note: this is a big deal considering Bruno's son doesn't have it).
as the wrestlers were walking back stage Samoa Joe and NOAH's Morishima started fighting and had to be broken up. with Kobashi out it looks like they're setting up a future Joe vs Morishima match (duh)
the second match was Delirious vs Adam Pearce. Pearce wins with help from Shane Hagadorn. the best spot of the match was delirious hitting 50 lariats in the corner on Pearce, taking 3 seconds to catch his breath, then hitting 10 more. chant of the night was for delirious during the match with the crowd chanting "bah bah bah bah clap clap clapclapclap".
next was a tree way between Jimmy Jacobs w/Lacey against Christopher Daniels and Colt Cabana. the back story of the match was Jimmy discovered Colt and Lacey having sex and was very distraught since he loves Lacey. however Lacey ordered Jimmy to team with Colt during the match and take out Daniels. a few comedy spots with Colt looking up Lacey's skirt and "stumbling" and grabbing Lacey's chest to keep himself up. the finish of the jabobs/cabana/daniles 3 way was a low blow from jacobs to cabana for the pin. after the match Lacey was furious with Jimmy for disobeying her and he left the ring dejected.
Jim Cornette came to the ring with the Briscoe brothers and cut an anti- new york promo. he felt that he was a minority in new york being a white middle aged man. he also said that homicide would get an ROH world title shot at the next show in Manhattan if him and Joe win the match.
next up was homicide and Samoa Joe vs the Briscoe brothers. the crowd went crazy for homicide and was firmly behind the "hometown hero" solid match, plenty of stiff shots from Joe and the Briscoes. match ended with homicide hitting jay Briscoe with the "cop killa" for the victory. Cornette returned to ring side saying that he's gonna make homicide's life a "living hell" the rest of the year.
intermission time. the line to meet Bruno Sammartino was huge also NOAH was selling shirts at the show with the proceeds going to Kobashi as he recovers from kidney cancer. a big seller at the merch table was the "hero's of world class/von erich documentary" dvd. when i went to purchase it, it was sold out. another big seller was shows featuring C.M. Punk.
the second half featured only title matches.
the first was the kings of wrestling(Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) against champs Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. the kings came out to "we are the champions" and made their way through the crowd. the match was very good featuring great tandem moves from both teams. it looked like Aries was going to hit his 450 splash when Castagnoli hit Aries in the ribs with his briefcase( I.R.S anyone?). Aries tried making a "superman comeback" but the kings hit the KRS-1 on Aries for the victory becoming (in the Howard Finkle voice) NEW ROH world tag team champions. the crowd was very hot for the match. the fans had a "battle chant going" with one side chanting "kings of wrestling" and the other side chanting "shut the fuck up". this lasted after the match and went on for awhile. also this means that Chris Hero is now a part of the ROH roster.
Chris hero tangent: this guy has incredible heat. the fans that don't like him absolutely hate him. the fans that like him will chant till their red in the face for him. personally i think this is a cool move. behind homicide no one else got a bigger reaction at the show and if your paying your (to borrow a Jim Ross quote) hard earned money to boo the man how can it not be a great idea on ROH's part to bring him in.
the second title match was GHC Heavyweight Champion Marufuji against Nigel McGuinnes. this was a big deal because this is the first time the GHC title has been defended in the united states. this was the surprise match of the night. Marufuji hit some insane spots including a shiranui on McGuinnes to the floor. halfway through the match the fans chanted "this is awesome". McGuinnes hit his spots including "tower of london" but Marufuji won the match after going corner 2 corner(a van terminator without the chair) followed with a super shiranui from the top rope. the match was excellent and after it the fans again chanted "that was awesome".
for what it's worth Nigel Mcguinnes has been the best independent wrestler this past year. he's had classics with Bryana Danielson and had a great run with the ROH pure title. he reminds me of cowboy Bob Orton(i may be the only guy) in that he makes really complicated moves and holds look so easy to execute(which has been said of Orton).
the main event of the evening was KENTA against ROH world champion Bryan Danielson. the crowd was behind Danielson strongly because he was wrestling the match with a separated shoulder. the match had a very "big fight" atmosphere to it. while i was waiting to get in the arena i was asking people who they thought was going to win and it was 50-50. people were sure KENTA was going to win or were sure Danielson was. tons of submissions from both KENTA and Danielson and plenty of near falls. Kenta hit "go to sleep" and the crowd erupted when Danielson put his foot on the rope at 2. Danileson won the match with cattle mutilation and is still your ROH world heavyweight champion.
the show went from 8:00 to about 11:30/11:40. the show felt just right time wise, the intermission helped. also stacking the second half with three title matches didn't hurt either. the best match of the night in my opinion was Marufuji and McGuinnes however Kenta and Danielson was also excellent. the only reason I'm picking Marafugi and McGuinnes was because it really surprised me and everyone in the building with how great it was. as for worst match there really wasn't a bad match on the card. if i have to say it would probably be Delirious and Pearce however it served it purpose and I would have no problem watching it again. .
the two biggest reactions went to homicide and the kings of wrestling.
overall i thought this was an excellent show. ROH hyped it to be their biggest show ever and they didn't disappoint. the Manhattan center made for a great venue and the crowd was very hot from start to finish. the only bad note was the security at the Manhattan center was gawd-awful. they were real ass-bags and from what i hear were taking away streamers from the fans. despite that the show was excellent and i recommend the purchase when it comes out on DVD.
Justin
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Lots of NEW IWW content.. (enjoy our new theme music!!)
9/14/06: TC WATTS & ZIP WHITTLE return.....
to discuss:
* the fallout from greg gagne being fired
* the future of smackdown
* who needs knee surgeries (answer: EVERYONE)
* wrestlethons
* turduckens
* viewer mail
* WWE & TNA PPV cards
HODGE PODGE of GOODNESS (52 minutes)
OUR INCREDIBLE IWW VIDEO PROMO BY MR. QUEST!!
(mp4 format!)
9/8/06: We head to LA to cover Pro Wrestling Guerilla's giant indy tournament last week, we visit CT to listen to Linda McMahon review WWE 's fiscal state and we turn to YOU the listeners of planet Earth to try and decipher Great Khali's promo antics! And the show starts off with an apology from ZIP!
IWW: PWG & WWE Conference Call, Khali explained! (39 minutes)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MR QUEST (WWE PRODUCTIONS INSIDER)
Over ONE hour of great stories - a must listen
to discuss:
* the fallout from greg gagne being fired
* the future of smackdown
* who needs knee surgeries (answer: EVERYONE)
* wrestlethons
* turduckens
* viewer mail
* WWE & TNA PPV cards
HODGE PODGE of GOODNESS (52 minutes)
OUR INCREDIBLE IWW VIDEO PROMO BY MR. QUEST!!
(mp4 format!)
9/8/06: We head to LA to cover Pro Wrestling Guerilla's giant indy tournament last week, we visit CT to listen to Linda McMahon review WWE 's fiscal state and we turn to YOU the listeners of planet Earth to try and decipher Great Khali's promo antics! And the show starts off with an apology from ZIP!
IWW: PWG & WWE Conference Call, Khali explained! (39 minutes)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MR QUEST (WWE PRODUCTIONS INSIDER)
Over ONE hour of great stories - a must listen
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
KURT IS FIRED! SNAKES ON A PLANE! UFC IS HOTTT~!
Zip Whittle does an hour of news & notes
* What Japanese superstar is in America and visited Smackdown?
* What TNA superstars are fed up and want out?>
* Why did Kurt Angle get fired?
* Who is Mike Tyson working for?
* How did Pride get one up on UFC?
* What happened to WWE buyrates?
* What's the plan for Unforgiven?
* VIEWER MAIL
* GREAT KHALI PROMOS!
ALSO- -- TC WATTS & SNAKES MCGEE TALK SUMMERSLAM & UFC.
* What Japanese superstar is in America and visited Smackdown?
* What TNA superstars are fed up and want out?>
* Why did Kurt Angle get fired?
* Who is Mike Tyson working for?
* How did Pride get one up on UFC?
* What happened to WWE buyrates?
* What's the plan for Unforgiven?
* VIEWER MAIL
* GREAT KHALI PROMOS!
ALSO- -- TC WATTS & SNAKES MCGEE TALK SUMMERSLAM & UFC.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
New IWW: SUMMERSLAM~!
Ray Rhodes & Zip Whittle discuss all the Summerslam you can point a stick at!
So many people returning....
Chris Masters, Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, Kid Kash, Jamie Noble and.... THE MIZ?!~
Not to mention every time we answer a question about a wrestler they show up again - JEFF HARDY & VICTORIA?~
Listen to the show - great 52 minutes of your life we'll steal.
So many people returning....
Chris Masters, Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, Kid Kash, Jamie Noble and.... THE MIZ?!~
Not to mention every time we answer a question about a wrestler they show up again - JEFF HARDY & VICTORIA?~
Listen to the show - great 52 minutes of your life we'll steal.
Monday, August 07, 2006
BUMPER STICKERS ARE COMING!!
email: indeedwrestling@gmail.com for more information about how you can get one!!
Friday, August 04, 2006
IWW: Tapings Galore!!
New episode of INDEED WRESTLING WEEKLY posted: IWW Tapings Galore!! - over an hour where Zip Whittle speaks with PJ (of AJ&PJ Just Uncredible Wrestling podcast) about his recent adventure seeing the RAW/SMACKDOWN supershow taping and then going to the ECW tapings the next night! Also, Zip briefly discuss ELEVATED LIVER ENZYMES (including an opening skit), read listener mail that we received in response to Biff from Tampa, and have fun with a collection of goofy soundbytes to close the show (last ten seconds). Hope you enjoy!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
IWW: Our Fans Hate Us
http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1153372649.mp3
1 hour 8 minutes
Zip Whittle and TC Watts spend the entire show confusing each other by constantly changing the subject. We discuss Ortiz/Shamrock, Worked Bull Riding Competitions, RVD's movie plans, Mitch's injury, Worst excuse for quitting Tough Enough, Judgment Day PPV preview (with reveal of Batista's MYSTERY opponent), Discussion of Missouri's Pregnancy Policy, Tommy Dreamer's Caps Lock Key, Mark Henry's Kentucky Derby Dreams and Our Desire for MORE CHUCK PALUMBO~!
1 hour 8 minutes
Zip Whittle and TC Watts spend the entire show confusing each other by constantly changing the subject. We discuss Ortiz/Shamrock, Worked Bull Riding Competitions, RVD's movie plans, Mitch's injury, Worst excuse for quitting Tough Enough, Judgment Day PPV preview (with reveal of Batista's MYSTERY opponent), Discussion of Missouri's Pregnancy Policy, Tommy Dreamer's Caps Lock Key, Mark Henry's Kentucky Derby Dreams and Our Desire for MORE CHUCK PALUMBO~!
Friday, June 30, 2006
WWE Annual Report notes
WWE: Annual Report (FORM 10-K)
Filed 6/29/2006 for period ending 4/30/2006
Talk about establishing ECW as the third brand. Plans to “produce and market a full line of ECW products including television programs, live event tours, pay-per-view events and licensed consumer goods.”
USA: 248 live events – 1.2m fans = $37.34/ticket.
INTL: 52 live events – 475k fans = $69.18/ticket. (+86% more)
25% of that attendance was on Smackdown’s April 2006 Europe tour.
Venue Merchandise (sale at live events of WWE products): up 15% to $14.7m.
Three TV shows they produce: “Monday Night Raw”, “Friday Night Smackdown” and “A.M. Raw.”
RAW + AM RAW = $0.6 million per week in rights fees.
Smackdown = $0.3 million per week in rights fees.
ECW TV is “on a twelve week trial basis.”
Advertising: They don’t sell them in the US. They do sell them in Canada.
Result? -48% in Advertising net revenues (down to $22.6 million)
PPV: 16 PPVs in fiscal 2006 (vs. 14 PPVs in fiscal 2005).
WM22 = 925k buys @ $49.95 (domestic)
RR/Summerslam/Survivor Series = “avg. nearly 340,000 buys”
PPV revenues: $94.8 million = approximately ¼ of total net revenue in FY2006.
WWE LIBRARY: 75,000 hours of content = 25,000+ hours of “previously aired or released as finished product”. Specifically mentions WCW, ECW and AWA.
August 2006: WWE 24/7 On Demand will launch with Comcast.
As of 4/30/06, number of subscribers in North America was approximately 13k.
WWE 24/7 net revenues were $1.1 million in FY2006 (vs. <$0.1m in FY2005).
Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 video game (for PSP and PS2) sold about 2.9m units.
WWE book deal (with Simon and Schuster) = “Journey Into Darkness”, “Heartbreak and Triumph”, “Cheating Death, Stealing Life” and “Tangled Ropes”. Mentions Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michael’s books being on the New York Times Best-Seller List.
Licensing net revenues, including music, were $32.2 million for FY2006.
WWE released 26 new home video titles = shipped approx. 3.0 million units.
WrestleMania: The Complete Anthology accounted for about $7.2m in gross domestic revenue in this category. Total Home Video net revenues were $42.6 million (up over 50% from FY2005 and FY2004).
Raw & Smackdown magazines each published 13 issues annual. They have been ceased for “one new flagship publication named WWE Magazine”. Magazine publishing net revenues were $11.1 million in FY2006.
WWE.com claims 11.6 million monthly unique users worldwide and average of 343 million page views per month in FY2006. WWE.com net revenues were $9.7m.
WWEShop net revenues were $12.1 million in FY 2006 (over 2.5x FY2005).
See No Evil – released May 19, 2006 (past the end of FY2006 so no revenue mentioned)
The Marine (w/ John Cena) = October 2006 – distributed by FOX
The Condemned (w/ Austin) = will be filming and spending $20m in the next 8 months.
Revenues outside of USA: $97.7 million in FY2006. This now accounts for ¼ of total revenues generated in Fiscal Year 2006.
“We have exclusive contracts with approximately 165 superstars, ranging from developmental contracts to multi-year guaranteed contracts with established Superstars…. Popular Superstars include Triple H, John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Big Show and Kane…. We continually seek to identify, recruit and develop additional talent for our business. In this regard, we have arrangements with two wrestling developmental camps, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, to allow newly identified talent the opportunity to perform for crowds and refine their skills.”
COMPETITION: “we face competition from professional and college sports as well as from other forms of live, film and televised entrainment and other leisure activities.”
Headcount as of April 2006 = 460 employees “excludes out Superstars, who are independent contractors.”
RISK FACTORS:
• failure to main/renew key agreements (“we are finalizing a new agreement with UPN and its successor, the CW Network, which has announced that Smackdown will continue on Friday Nights”)
• failure to continue to develop creative/entertaining programs leading to a popularity decline
• failure to retain or continue to recruit key performers could lead to a decline in appeal of our storylines (“our success depends, in large part, upon our ability to recruit, train and retain athletic performers who have the physical presence, acting ability and charisma to portray character in on live events and televised programming.”)
• the loss of creative services of VINCENT K MCMAHON
• a decline in general economic conditions (“the demand for entertainment and leisure activities tends to be highly sensitive to the level of consumers’ disposable income”)
• a decline in popularity of our brand of sports entertainment – including as a result of changes in social/political climate (“our programming is created to evoke a passionate response from our fans.”)
• changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private-sector initiatives (basically if people crack down on what you do on TV)
• inability to adjust to “rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented marketplace”
• uncertainties with international markets (“obtaining visas for our performers, political insatiability, risks involved in foreign travel, local regulation, currency risk”)
• being prohibited from promoting and conducting our live events if we do not comply with applicable regulations (athletic commissions, foreign jurisdictions, licensing for pomroters0
• failure to protect intellectual property rights
• pending material litigation is resolved unfavorable (against World Wildlife Fund – “we strongly dispute that the Fund has suffered any loss or damage, and do not believe they are entitled to restitutionary damages.”) – application is likely to be heard in July 2006.
• inadequate insurance to cover liabilities resulting from accidents of injuries that occur during our physical demanding events (“our performers, as independent contractors, are responsible for marinating their own health, disability and life insurance, we self-insure health coverage for our performers in the event they are injured while performing.”)
• risks if expand into new/complimentary businesses
• conflicts of interest between VKM and other holders of Class A common stock
• if VKM ever sold his shares, it could lower the stock price
• the class A common shares have a relatively small public “Float”
Avg revenue per PPV buy: $14.96.
“Live events revenue decreased primarily due to a lower average ticket price in the current year (down from $74.53 to $69.18) specifically in internationally markets. This decline in revenues was offset, in part, by an increase in average attendance.”
Net Magazine publishing units sold: 4,096,700 units / 26 issues = 157.5k sold/issue.
“Magazine publishing revenues decreased preliminary due to a decline in the newsstand copies sold in fiscal 2006 as compared to the prior year.”
Home video revenues increased due to the “48% increase in gross units sold combined with an approximate $3.70 increase in the per unit sales price of DVDs.”
Average WWEShop revenue per order $53.42 (up from $47.78)
“As of April 30, 2006 – we have approximately $36.1 million in capitalized film production assets.”
Film Libraries: “the cost of film libraries acquired during fiscal 2006 was approximately $881,000.” (this would include Graham’s FL and AWA?)
Vince and Linda McMahon have agreed that starting July 1, 2006 – they will begin “paying for the use of the corporate jet so the company incurs no incremental costs as a result of such use that occurs on or after that date.”
Filed 6/29/2006 for period ending 4/30/2006
Talk about establishing ECW as the third brand. Plans to “produce and market a full line of ECW products including television programs, live event tours, pay-per-view events and licensed consumer goods.”
USA: 248 live events – 1.2m fans = $37.34/ticket.
INTL: 52 live events – 475k fans = $69.18/ticket. (+86% more)
25% of that attendance was on Smackdown’s April 2006 Europe tour.
Venue Merchandise (sale at live events of WWE products): up 15% to $14.7m.
Three TV shows they produce: “Monday Night Raw”, “Friday Night Smackdown” and “A.M. Raw.”
RAW + AM RAW = $0.6 million per week in rights fees.
Smackdown = $0.3 million per week in rights fees.
ECW TV is “on a twelve week trial basis.”
Advertising: They don’t sell them in the US. They do sell them in Canada.
Result? -48% in Advertising net revenues (down to $22.6 million)
PPV: 16 PPVs in fiscal 2006 (vs. 14 PPVs in fiscal 2005).
WM22 = 925k buys @ $49.95 (domestic)
RR/Summerslam/Survivor Series = “avg. nearly 340,000 buys”
PPV revenues: $94.8 million = approximately ¼ of total net revenue in FY2006.
WWE LIBRARY: 75,000 hours of content = 25,000+ hours of “previously aired or released as finished product”. Specifically mentions WCW, ECW and AWA.
August 2006: WWE 24/7 On Demand will launch with Comcast.
As of 4/30/06, number of subscribers in North America was approximately 13k.
WWE 24/7 net revenues were $1.1 million in FY2006 (vs. <$0.1m in FY2005).
Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 video game (for PSP and PS2) sold about 2.9m units.
WWE book deal (with Simon and Schuster) = “Journey Into Darkness”, “Heartbreak and Triumph”, “Cheating Death, Stealing Life” and “Tangled Ropes”. Mentions Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michael’s books being on the New York Times Best-Seller List.
Licensing net revenues, including music, were $32.2 million for FY2006.
WWE released 26 new home video titles = shipped approx. 3.0 million units.
WrestleMania: The Complete Anthology accounted for about $7.2m in gross domestic revenue in this category. Total Home Video net revenues were $42.6 million (up over 50% from FY2005 and FY2004).
Raw & Smackdown magazines each published 13 issues annual. They have been ceased for “one new flagship publication named WWE Magazine”. Magazine publishing net revenues were $11.1 million in FY2006.
WWE.com claims 11.6 million monthly unique users worldwide and average of 343 million page views per month in FY2006. WWE.com net revenues were $9.7m.
WWEShop net revenues were $12.1 million in FY 2006 (over 2.5x FY2005).
See No Evil – released May 19, 2006 (past the end of FY2006 so no revenue mentioned)
The Marine (w/ John Cena) = October 2006 – distributed by FOX
The Condemned (w/ Austin) = will be filming and spending $20m in the next 8 months.
Revenues outside of USA: $97.7 million in FY2006. This now accounts for ¼ of total revenues generated in Fiscal Year 2006.
“We have exclusive contracts with approximately 165 superstars, ranging from developmental contracts to multi-year guaranteed contracts with established Superstars…. Popular Superstars include Triple H, John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Big Show and Kane…. We continually seek to identify, recruit and develop additional talent for our business. In this regard, we have arrangements with two wrestling developmental camps, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, to allow newly identified talent the opportunity to perform for crowds and refine their skills.”
COMPETITION: “we face competition from professional and college sports as well as from other forms of live, film and televised entrainment and other leisure activities.”
Headcount as of April 2006 = 460 employees “excludes out Superstars, who are independent contractors.”
RISK FACTORS:
• failure to main/renew key agreements (“we are finalizing a new agreement with UPN and its successor, the CW Network, which has announced that Smackdown will continue on Friday Nights”)
• failure to continue to develop creative/entertaining programs leading to a popularity decline
• failure to retain or continue to recruit key performers could lead to a decline in appeal of our storylines (“our success depends, in large part, upon our ability to recruit, train and retain athletic performers who have the physical presence, acting ability and charisma to portray character in on live events and televised programming.”)
• the loss of creative services of VINCENT K MCMAHON
• a decline in general economic conditions (“the demand for entertainment and leisure activities tends to be highly sensitive to the level of consumers’ disposable income”)
• a decline in popularity of our brand of sports entertainment – including as a result of changes in social/political climate (“our programming is created to evoke a passionate response from our fans.”)
• changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private-sector initiatives (basically if people crack down on what you do on TV)
• inability to adjust to “rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented marketplace”
• uncertainties with international markets (“obtaining visas for our performers, political insatiability, risks involved in foreign travel, local regulation, currency risk”)
• being prohibited from promoting and conducting our live events if we do not comply with applicable regulations (athletic commissions, foreign jurisdictions, licensing for pomroters0
• failure to protect intellectual property rights
• pending material litigation is resolved unfavorable (against World Wildlife Fund – “we strongly dispute that the Fund has suffered any loss or damage, and do not believe they are entitled to restitutionary damages.”) – application is likely to be heard in July 2006.
• inadequate insurance to cover liabilities resulting from accidents of injuries that occur during our physical demanding events (“our performers, as independent contractors, are responsible for marinating their own health, disability and life insurance, we self-insure health coverage for our performers in the event they are injured while performing.”)
• risks if expand into new/complimentary businesses
• conflicts of interest between VKM and other holders of Class A common stock
• if VKM ever sold his shares, it could lower the stock price
• the class A common shares have a relatively small public “Float”
Avg revenue per PPV buy: $14.96.
“Live events revenue decreased primarily due to a lower average ticket price in the current year (down from $74.53 to $69.18) specifically in internationally markets. This decline in revenues was offset, in part, by an increase in average attendance.”
Net Magazine publishing units sold: 4,096,700 units / 26 issues = 157.5k sold/issue.
“Magazine publishing revenues decreased preliminary due to a decline in the newsstand copies sold in fiscal 2006 as compared to the prior year.”
Home video revenues increased due to the “48% increase in gross units sold combined with an approximate $3.70 increase in the per unit sales price of DVDs.”
Average WWEShop revenue per order $53.42 (up from $47.78)
“As of April 30, 2006 – we have approximately $36.1 million in capitalized film production assets.”
Film Libraries: “the cost of film libraries acquired during fiscal 2006 was approximately $881,000.” (this would include Graham’s FL and AWA?)
Vince and Linda McMahon have agreed that starting July 1, 2006 – they will begin “paying for the use of the corporate jet so the company incurs no incremental costs as a result of such use that occurs on or after that date.”
Monday, June 19, 2006
IWW: Let's play Ketchup.. er, catch up!
Judgment Day PPV: Finlay vs Benoit - w/ Ray Rhodes (via phone)
ECW vs WWE: Head to Head: Cena/Sabu surprisingly solid - w/ Zip Whittle
ECW: ONE NIGHT STAND 2006: Funk is a mad man - w/ Ray Rhodes (in studio)
IWW: Jumps the Shark: NWWL recap! - w/ Biff Cheddarhead
Excellent shows, all of them.
ECW vs WWE: Head to Head: Cena/Sabu surprisingly solid - w/ Zip Whittle
ECW: ONE NIGHT STAND 2006: Funk is a mad man - w/ Ray Rhodes (in studio)
IWW: Jumps the Shark: NWWL recap! - w/ Biff Cheddarhead
Excellent shows, all of them.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
SEE NO EVIL REVIEW
IWW reviews SEE NO EVIL with ..... TC WATTS!
Yes, the elusive cohost of Indeed Wrestling Weekly has been found alive and well. He's back to tell us all about Kane's feature film while Zip Whittle covers the latest news on ECW along with UFC predictions. A great show that runs about 50 minutes! Don't miss it! WELCOME NEW FANS FROM EGYPT & TURKEY!
Yes, the elusive cohost of Indeed Wrestling Weekly has been found alive and well. He's back to tell us all about Kane's feature film while Zip Whittle covers the latest news on ECW along with UFC predictions. A great show that runs about 50 minutes! Don't miss it! WELCOME NEW FANS FROM EGYPT & TURKEY!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
IWW 5-11-06 posted
Over an hour of WWE and TNA discussion focusing on new faces, ages, midgets (with thoughts from Snakes McGee), booking, belts, backstage brawls, swallowing things such as your pride, wearing your kneepads on your shins, planning a 64-man tournament that has never been tried, latest on ECW and much, much, much more! Zip Whittle and special guest host (and returning under a new name) RAY RHODES~! Enjoy.
http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1147404255.mp3
http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1147404255.mp3
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
IWW News & Notes 5-2-06 posted
IWW 5-2-06 news & notes (20 minutes)
Zip Whittle covers WWE & TNA developments including why Johnny Ace is hiring swimsuit models, where is Brock Lesnar going?, the next WWE world champion and why, where Tomko will be next, what happened to Palmer Cannon, how much Stacy earned for dancing, Chuck Palumbo's next gig?!, who won on PPV and didn't get booked for TV the next night, who made millions for a company and might not have seen .2% and MORE~!
Zip Whittle covers WWE & TNA developments including why Johnny Ace is hiring swimsuit models, where is Brock Lesnar going?, the next WWE world champion and why, where Tomko will be next, what happened to Palmer Cannon, how much Stacy earned for dancing, Chuck Palumbo's next gig?!, who won on PPV and didn't get booked for TV the next night, who made millions for a company and might not have seen .2% and MORE~!
Monday, April 24, 2006
ECW - Why now?
ECW: Why Now?
By Zip Whittle of indeedwrestling.com (indeedwrestling@gmail.com)
Surprising news broke on Sunday, April 23 2006 that the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) brand is being resurrected as a fulltime product as part of the Vince McMahon wrestling empire. There has been plenty of talk in the past, but this development was much more than just idle chatter. Stories have been circulating that as early as last week, some former ECW stars were offered a one-year deal (with options for two more one-year extensions) for this new brand. Most importantly, head honcho and evil genius Paul Heyman had signed on to the project as head of ECW Creative. He is expected to head a team along with Tommy Dreamer and Ed Koskey (current RAW writer and former ECW fan).
Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alverez and websites such as Pro Wrestling Insider have been reporting that the ECW brand name would return for “merchandising purposes as well as some form of weekly television and house shows.” The latest news suggests that WWE will be sitting down with USA Network this week to pitch the show for a timeslot. It’s believed they are aiming for a weekend timeslot. One imagines that it would preferably be late at night. If they are unable to get another timeslot for a new show (WWE have been decreasing programming since leaving Spike having lost both Heat & Velocity in the past two years and only has a few syndicated shows mostly playing in international markets), they could replace a show like “AM RAW” (which plays 9 am and 2 am on Saturdays). As a last resort, the brand could be relegated to internet-only “television” though that would seriously impact the brand’s ability to create a real resurgence. Allegedly, the talent would be a mix of “former ECW wrestlers and new WWE development wrestlers”. As it currently stands, one of the most controversial ideas is to simply hold ECW television tapings prior Smackdown or RAW events instead of adding a third day of television. Some have likened this to the WWF “Los Superastros” television show that was shown on Spanish Language stations such as Univision in the late 90s.
This is the information that is currently available. A host of questions have been raised including:
• What happens with WWE developmental? Currently, there are two groups: OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, KY) and DSW (Deep South Wrestling in Atlanta, GA).
DSW: Deep South Wrestling has a bad reputation. It’s owned by the former director of the WCW Power Plant, Jody Hamilton and run under the auspices of lead trainer Bill “General Hugh E. Rection/Hugh Morrus” DeMott. The group has been described numerous times as “a mess” though it continues to run shows. The first show was held on September 1, 2005. They continue to hold weekly shows on Thursday nights in McDonough, GA. Many aspiring developmental talents opt to get moved to OVW if possible. It’s expected that if the ECW brand is resurrected, DSW will probably be on the chopping block with talent being reshuffled between the remaining company resources or simply cut.
OVW: Paul Heyman is currently in charge of OVW. After Jim Cornette was removed by the WWE in July 2005 (following a number of incidents including a confrontation with Kevin Fertig and Johnny Geo Basco), Al Snow & Tommy Dreamer had short runs in charge of the federation. If Paul Heyman truly takes on the ECW brand fulltime (as he would be expected to do), he’s expected to leave OVW. The federation could be shut down as a WWE affiliated developmental. (That doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the federation. Danny Davis and partners still own it.) If the federation continues, who would take over in creative? Al Snow might return to power. Lance Storm, the former trainer in OVW, would have been a strong choice but he left the group after his WWE contract ended on July 7, 2005. If DSW does shut down, it’s possible that someone like one of the trainers such as Bill DeMott would move to OVW. Alternately, someone like Jim Cornette might make a triumphant return as booker, though this is an unlikely or at least hugely speculative scenario.
• Does it work to tape ECW alongside RAW or Smackdown?
As is the honest answer to all of these questions: that remains to be seen.
However, in short, the idea does seem a poor fit. The ECW atmosphere – violent, bloody matches, original but unorthodox production values, minimal sets and maximum attitude – seems like it would clash with the elaborate pyro, giant stages and carefully scripted nature of RAW and Smackdown shows. When WWE revived ECW for their ONE NIGHT STAND PPV last year, they had the luxury of performing in a separate venue (Hammerstein Ballroom) re-using a small location that had been established back when ECW first lived. An important part of the ECW appeal lies in the intimate settings and interactions with the personal crowd. It doesn’t seem like the large arenas with the elaborate sets and staging for RAW & Smackdown would be a good fit. However, current plans call for exactly this. Thus, we should consider the advantages:
a/ Roster travels together, at least to television. Rivalries (and differences in locker room etiquette) between the RAW and Smackdown brand have grown up partially because the two brands rarely share a single space. They tend to tour separately and only see one another every few months during either a supershow (double taping) or combined major PPVs. Keeping everyone under one umbrella (TEAM WWE) is probably a good idea if they don’t want to have the ECW brand treated a second-rate or minor league.
b/ Developmental Talent would have the ability to mix with the established talent. Ideally, a wrestler gets their educated on the road, in front of live crowds and not only performing but watching others perform. Being at the main shows would be an excellent environment for new talent to learn the ropes and see many different facets of the wrestling environment.
c/ Preferably, writers and creative talent would be exposed to wrestlers as they improved. One major compliant about the current developmental system is that not only do inexperienced wrestlers often get called up solely on look (but not wrestling ability) but also they are given complete makeovers. One hopes that by keeping developmental closer to the creative teams means that both groups are able to give feedback to each other so the wrestlers can develop into the best possible attractions. However, this is quite an optimistic attitude considering just recently a person like Frankie Kazarian quit after realizing that writers had no clue who he was despite being on Velocity for several months.
d/ The demand for the ECW product (and former ECW stars) might be strong enough where taping at the large television venues creates an atmosphere where you have thousands of people at the television tapings and an intimate feeling at the smaller house shows. ECW might create a good reason to attend a houseshow. In many ways, that’s one area where RAW & Smackdown brands really fail – they don’t create a compelling reason to see the action live unless it’s a televised event.
e/ Merchandising – more people = more money. Being able to sell tons of ECW merchandise to a bigger crowd is always a good thing.
• Where does ECW fit into the house show/PPV business model?
Domestically, House Show business is up. While overall WWE PPV buyrates are holding strong, when you strictly consider North American buys, the bottom has really fallen out. International business is contributing growing percentages of PPV buys and strong touring houses (on the whole) to the WWE coffers. However, in the USA and Canada, the story is really MMA promotions (domestically categorized by UFC) that have been drawing phenomenal gates and stellar PPV buyrates.
While the television taping aspect remains to be worked out, the question rises whether ECW would work as a touring brand by itself. After the nostalgia PPVs held last year (Hardcore Homecoming and ECW ONS), there was lots of talks of hitting major ECW hotbeds with a crew of wrestlers. Those involved with the Hardcore Homecoming show did launch a short ill-fated “ECW Reunion Tour” (not officially called that but generally recognized as such) went on to hit some old ECW markets while other shows in places like New York were advertised but subsequently pulled. These tours did okay but not amazing business. However, in the end there was a lot of talk and very few shows. The resources for putting together tours like these aren’t easy. In this way, WWE would have a very strong advantage (with their deep pockets) over competitors trying similar ideas. In addition, WWE would be well-leveraged to consider international tours (Japan and Europe) where the gospel of ECW has grown much larger than even when it was an active promotion. The question is whether increasing international touring would ultimately weaken the uniqueness of professional wrestling as a draw overseas and hurt one of the last markets that have been so strongly supporting WWE. It’s expected that ECW would also have the luxury of PPVs (hopefully more like quarterly). Would these ECW PPVs cut into branded (RAW or Smackdown-only) PPV revenues? Would ECW be included in Wrestlemania? These questions remain to be seen.
The latest from Meltzer (4/26/06) reports: “WWE is looking at booking house shows in the buildings ECW use to run in Philadelphia (looking at 6/24 at the ECW Arena), Detroit, Chicago, Poughkeepsie, Buffalo, Cleveland, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for more events, Tampa, Long Island, throughout New Jersey and in Pittsburgh.”
• What are the disadvantages and advantages of this being under the WWE empire?
As previously mentioned, the media and financial resources of the WWE is an immense asset to ECW. WWE is going to the bat with USA for a television deal. ECW nearly had a USA deal in the past though when that fell through, they moved to TNN (the predecessor to SpikeTV). It’s also important to note that while remembered fondly, ECW never really made money. It wasn’t a rating hit and drew very few large houses that were honestly sold-out. However, that isn’t to say ECW had no impact on professional wrestling in the 1990s. Rather, it had an enormous impact and that legacy: part nostalgia and part influence is still felt strongly today. Paul Heyman is the position of creative genius without also having his fingers near the purse strings is a good thing. If he’s truly inspired to keep working in professional wrestling, this could be the opportunity he’s always dreamed of- creative power, major media exposure, deep money backer. However, Jim Cornette probably felt the same way about his OVW opportunity and eventually the rug was pulled out from underneath him.
If ECW talent is signing these three-year contracts, it’s likely they would also be part of the WWE “wellness” program. Can aging stars perform the violent and bloody style, while maintaining a healthy drug-free lifestyle? Would WWE just cast a blind eye on the group? One imagines that failure to address this question would further bring the entire policy into more question?
There is always the issue of politics in wrestling. In this case, it’s obvious that certain factions in WWE are very for the project while others are very much against it. It’s rumored that the McMahon(-Helmsley) family itself is split on the idea. No idea could be green lighted this far without the approval of Vincent K. McMahon. On the opposite side, I would postulate the people such as Steph McMahon and HHH are very much against the idea of bringing back the ECW brand.
There has been a large amount of media released in the past two years concerning ECW. There is at least three books (Scott Williams’ “The Extremely Unauthorized story of ECW” is already out, John Lister’s “Turning the Tables” and the upcoming WWE-endorsed work by Thom Loverro “Rise & Fall of ECW”), two major documentary DVDs (WWE’s “Rise & Fall of ECW” and “Forever Hardcore”) and two major shows (WWE’s “ECW: One Night Stand” and “Hardcore Homecoming”). With the upcoming PPV in June, perhaps immediately following this will be the best time to launch the ECW brand. Last year, WWE was roundly criticized for not only showing little faith in the ECW product by adding a WWE feud to the storyline but also failing to piggyback on momentum from the PPV the next night, virtually ignoring all the events on RAW that following day. However, it sounds like the timetable for a permanent and active ECW brand is accelerating. Meltzer reports that arenas are already being contacted for July 2006. Originally, things sounded more they would begin in the Fall following the August Summerslam PPV in Boston, MA.
One major advantage of being part of the WWE umbrella is the media division. WWE releases DVDs within one of major PPVs now. UFC and TNA take 3-6 months to complete the same task. Similarly, WWE has been expanding its magazine division to a possible third brand that could be devoted to ECW coverage. In addition, WWE has their 24/7 network, already owns the ECW Video Library, has distribution deals with cable networks around the world and an established brand name associated with professional wrestling.
In terms of major ECW talent, the roster is split between the indies, WWE and TNA. In WWE there are people such as Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Taz(z), Heyman, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer and Nunzio (along with visitors such as Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Psychosis, Super Crazy, Vito and others). However, only RVD, Nunzio and Richards are really active wrestlers at this point. In TNA, there are the Dudleyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von under contract with Spike making appearances), Rhyno (also probably tied in TNA contract), Jerry Lynn (working backstage as an agent, interested in ECW), Sabu (who has finished his TNA engagements and signed with WWE). On the indies or partially retired include Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Tajiri (working in Japan though expected back for ECW ONS), Terry Funk (also expected for ONS), Steve Corino (working largely in Japan and World-1), and others like CW Anderson, Ball Mahoney (reported already signed), Sandman (reportedly signed), Francine (reportedly signed), Blue Meanie and Justin Credible (reportedly signed) floating around the indy scene. Of course, two major players in the ECW adventure are Paul Heyman and announcer Joey Styles – both part of the WWE family. One assumes (though it has not been officially announced) that Styles would be announcing this new incarnation.
One notion that has been brought up is that this new ECW would incorporate WWE developmental talent. Most notably, I would expect CM Punk, a Heyman pet project in OVW to make the transition into ECW. This is especially interesting because if WWE essentially puts developmental talent on television, it makes it much harder for them to ignore those storylines and characters when they call up talent to the “main” rosters. In the past, this has been an infuriating and mind-boggling process for OVW bookers as their top talent would get called up and immediately changed with virtually no warning.
• Will it work?
All, the $25,000 question. Actually, the failure or success of the WWE relaunch of ECW will cost a hell of a lot more than that! To get wrestlers to sign contracts with a one-year minimum on them, to create the marketing promotion behind the movement, to relocate talent, reallocate resources and most importantly – create a new television show and a successful tour – this will be an expensive endeavor. Consider TNA’s “success”: three years running, somewhere between $20 and $30 million spent.
Some people have suggested storylines like RVD winning the WWE title from John Cena at the ECW One Night Stand 2006 and throwing it down ala Shane Douglas/NWA/ECW 1994 incident. Others have joked about ECW becoming ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING. The real question remains: can you bring back this environment and this atmosphere? Some argue that ECW was a revolution or at least a passing fad. Wrestling has definitely evolved in the past decade – growing fat on the backs of the Monday Night wars, the Rock/Austin years, the sale of WCW, the crash after the Invasion angle, wrestling jumping networks, the rise and fall and rise again of MMA, the birth of a competitor in TNA, and this latest, and this most recent upswing in professional wrestling. In honesty, ECW cannot survive by simply living on the past. The original stars are retired (Taz), not likely to rejoin a WWE-version of ECW (Shane Douglas), otherwise employed (Dudleyz) and passed away (Chris Candido). Still, ECW was an attitude. It was about exposing people to new forms of wrestling (i.e. bringing in luchadores, adapting the Japanese garbage style of FMW) as well as being the grounds for fresh faces and people looking for a second chance to prove themselves. Perhaps we’ll see some of the stars of ROH who haven’t made a splash in TNA get a shot in this new, developmental league of ECW. Perhaps we’ll see the reintroduction of different body types, different hair lengths, and different wrestling styles into the WWE family. It’s a new world out there. WWE should recognize that it can’t continue to coast domestically using the same product that is losing fans and failing to connect to the new generation. Perhaps bringing back the ECW name with a mix of established and new talent will give the momentum required to reinvigorate it’s product. Then again, in a federation full of reprisals of successful angles (nWo, possibly DX) – could this just be the latest incarnation of the Horsemen - one that the public doesn’t actually plan on paying to see? Time will tell.
By Zip Whittle of indeedwrestling.com (indeedwrestling@gmail.com)
Surprising news broke on Sunday, April 23 2006 that the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) brand is being resurrected as a fulltime product as part of the Vince McMahon wrestling empire. There has been plenty of talk in the past, but this development was much more than just idle chatter. Stories have been circulating that as early as last week, some former ECW stars were offered a one-year deal (with options for two more one-year extensions) for this new brand. Most importantly, head honcho and evil genius Paul Heyman had signed on to the project as head of ECW Creative. He is expected to head a team along with Tommy Dreamer and Ed Koskey (current RAW writer and former ECW fan).
Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alverez and websites such as Pro Wrestling Insider have been reporting that the ECW brand name would return for “merchandising purposes as well as some form of weekly television and house shows.” The latest news suggests that WWE will be sitting down with USA Network this week to pitch the show for a timeslot. It’s believed they are aiming for a weekend timeslot. One imagines that it would preferably be late at night. If they are unable to get another timeslot for a new show (WWE have been decreasing programming since leaving Spike having lost both Heat & Velocity in the past two years and only has a few syndicated shows mostly playing in international markets), they could replace a show like “AM RAW” (which plays 9 am and 2 am on Saturdays). As a last resort, the brand could be relegated to internet-only “television” though that would seriously impact the brand’s ability to create a real resurgence. Allegedly, the talent would be a mix of “former ECW wrestlers and new WWE development wrestlers”. As it currently stands, one of the most controversial ideas is to simply hold ECW television tapings prior Smackdown or RAW events instead of adding a third day of television. Some have likened this to the WWF “Los Superastros” television show that was shown on Spanish Language stations such as Univision in the late 90s.
This is the information that is currently available. A host of questions have been raised including:
• What happens with WWE developmental? Currently, there are two groups: OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, KY) and DSW (Deep South Wrestling in Atlanta, GA).
DSW: Deep South Wrestling has a bad reputation. It’s owned by the former director of the WCW Power Plant, Jody Hamilton and run under the auspices of lead trainer Bill “General Hugh E. Rection/Hugh Morrus” DeMott. The group has been described numerous times as “a mess” though it continues to run shows. The first show was held on September 1, 2005. They continue to hold weekly shows on Thursday nights in McDonough, GA. Many aspiring developmental talents opt to get moved to OVW if possible. It’s expected that if the ECW brand is resurrected, DSW will probably be on the chopping block with talent being reshuffled between the remaining company resources or simply cut.
OVW: Paul Heyman is currently in charge of OVW. After Jim Cornette was removed by the WWE in July 2005 (following a number of incidents including a confrontation with Kevin Fertig and Johnny Geo Basco), Al Snow & Tommy Dreamer had short runs in charge of the federation. If Paul Heyman truly takes on the ECW brand fulltime (as he would be expected to do), he’s expected to leave OVW. The federation could be shut down as a WWE affiliated developmental. (That doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the federation. Danny Davis and partners still own it.) If the federation continues, who would take over in creative? Al Snow might return to power. Lance Storm, the former trainer in OVW, would have been a strong choice but he left the group after his WWE contract ended on July 7, 2005. If DSW does shut down, it’s possible that someone like one of the trainers such as Bill DeMott would move to OVW. Alternately, someone like Jim Cornette might make a triumphant return as booker, though this is an unlikely or at least hugely speculative scenario.
• Does it work to tape ECW alongside RAW or Smackdown?
As is the honest answer to all of these questions: that remains to be seen.
However, in short, the idea does seem a poor fit. The ECW atmosphere – violent, bloody matches, original but unorthodox production values, minimal sets and maximum attitude – seems like it would clash with the elaborate pyro, giant stages and carefully scripted nature of RAW and Smackdown shows. When WWE revived ECW for their ONE NIGHT STAND PPV last year, they had the luxury of performing in a separate venue (Hammerstein Ballroom) re-using a small location that had been established back when ECW first lived. An important part of the ECW appeal lies in the intimate settings and interactions with the personal crowd. It doesn’t seem like the large arenas with the elaborate sets and staging for RAW & Smackdown would be a good fit. However, current plans call for exactly this. Thus, we should consider the advantages:
a/ Roster travels together, at least to television. Rivalries (and differences in locker room etiquette) between the RAW and Smackdown brand have grown up partially because the two brands rarely share a single space. They tend to tour separately and only see one another every few months during either a supershow (double taping) or combined major PPVs. Keeping everyone under one umbrella (TEAM WWE) is probably a good idea if they don’t want to have the ECW brand treated a second-rate or minor league.
b/ Developmental Talent would have the ability to mix with the established talent. Ideally, a wrestler gets their educated on the road, in front of live crowds and not only performing but watching others perform. Being at the main shows would be an excellent environment for new talent to learn the ropes and see many different facets of the wrestling environment.
c/ Preferably, writers and creative talent would be exposed to wrestlers as they improved. One major compliant about the current developmental system is that not only do inexperienced wrestlers often get called up solely on look (but not wrestling ability) but also they are given complete makeovers. One hopes that by keeping developmental closer to the creative teams means that both groups are able to give feedback to each other so the wrestlers can develop into the best possible attractions. However, this is quite an optimistic attitude considering just recently a person like Frankie Kazarian quit after realizing that writers had no clue who he was despite being on Velocity for several months.
d/ The demand for the ECW product (and former ECW stars) might be strong enough where taping at the large television venues creates an atmosphere where you have thousands of people at the television tapings and an intimate feeling at the smaller house shows. ECW might create a good reason to attend a houseshow. In many ways, that’s one area where RAW & Smackdown brands really fail – they don’t create a compelling reason to see the action live unless it’s a televised event.
e/ Merchandising – more people = more money. Being able to sell tons of ECW merchandise to a bigger crowd is always a good thing.
• Where does ECW fit into the house show/PPV business model?
Domestically, House Show business is up. While overall WWE PPV buyrates are holding strong, when you strictly consider North American buys, the bottom has really fallen out. International business is contributing growing percentages of PPV buys and strong touring houses (on the whole) to the WWE coffers. However, in the USA and Canada, the story is really MMA promotions (domestically categorized by UFC) that have been drawing phenomenal gates and stellar PPV buyrates.
While the television taping aspect remains to be worked out, the question rises whether ECW would work as a touring brand by itself. After the nostalgia PPVs held last year (Hardcore Homecoming and ECW ONS), there was lots of talks of hitting major ECW hotbeds with a crew of wrestlers. Those involved with the Hardcore Homecoming show did launch a short ill-fated “ECW Reunion Tour” (not officially called that but generally recognized as such) went on to hit some old ECW markets while other shows in places like New York were advertised but subsequently pulled. These tours did okay but not amazing business. However, in the end there was a lot of talk and very few shows. The resources for putting together tours like these aren’t easy. In this way, WWE would have a very strong advantage (with their deep pockets) over competitors trying similar ideas. In addition, WWE would be well-leveraged to consider international tours (Japan and Europe) where the gospel of ECW has grown much larger than even when it was an active promotion. The question is whether increasing international touring would ultimately weaken the uniqueness of professional wrestling as a draw overseas and hurt one of the last markets that have been so strongly supporting WWE. It’s expected that ECW would also have the luxury of PPVs (hopefully more like quarterly). Would these ECW PPVs cut into branded (RAW or Smackdown-only) PPV revenues? Would ECW be included in Wrestlemania? These questions remain to be seen.
The latest from Meltzer (4/26/06) reports: “WWE is looking at booking house shows in the buildings ECW use to run in Philadelphia (looking at 6/24 at the ECW Arena), Detroit, Chicago, Poughkeepsie, Buffalo, Cleveland, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for more events, Tampa, Long Island, throughout New Jersey and in Pittsburgh.”
• What are the disadvantages and advantages of this being under the WWE empire?
As previously mentioned, the media and financial resources of the WWE is an immense asset to ECW. WWE is going to the bat with USA for a television deal. ECW nearly had a USA deal in the past though when that fell through, they moved to TNN (the predecessor to SpikeTV). It’s also important to note that while remembered fondly, ECW never really made money. It wasn’t a rating hit and drew very few large houses that were honestly sold-out. However, that isn’t to say ECW had no impact on professional wrestling in the 1990s. Rather, it had an enormous impact and that legacy: part nostalgia and part influence is still felt strongly today. Paul Heyman is the position of creative genius without also having his fingers near the purse strings is a good thing. If he’s truly inspired to keep working in professional wrestling, this could be the opportunity he’s always dreamed of- creative power, major media exposure, deep money backer. However, Jim Cornette probably felt the same way about his OVW opportunity and eventually the rug was pulled out from underneath him.
If ECW talent is signing these three-year contracts, it’s likely they would also be part of the WWE “wellness” program. Can aging stars perform the violent and bloody style, while maintaining a healthy drug-free lifestyle? Would WWE just cast a blind eye on the group? One imagines that failure to address this question would further bring the entire policy into more question?
There is always the issue of politics in wrestling. In this case, it’s obvious that certain factions in WWE are very for the project while others are very much against it. It’s rumored that the McMahon(-Helmsley) family itself is split on the idea. No idea could be green lighted this far without the approval of Vincent K. McMahon. On the opposite side, I would postulate the people such as Steph McMahon and HHH are very much against the idea of bringing back the ECW brand.
There has been a large amount of media released in the past two years concerning ECW. There is at least three books (Scott Williams’ “The Extremely Unauthorized story of ECW” is already out, John Lister’s “Turning the Tables” and the upcoming WWE-endorsed work by Thom Loverro “Rise & Fall of ECW”), two major documentary DVDs (WWE’s “Rise & Fall of ECW” and “Forever Hardcore”) and two major shows (WWE’s “ECW: One Night Stand” and “Hardcore Homecoming”). With the upcoming PPV in June, perhaps immediately following this will be the best time to launch the ECW brand. Last year, WWE was roundly criticized for not only showing little faith in the ECW product by adding a WWE feud to the storyline but also failing to piggyback on momentum from the PPV the next night, virtually ignoring all the events on RAW that following day. However, it sounds like the timetable for a permanent and active ECW brand is accelerating. Meltzer reports that arenas are already being contacted for July 2006. Originally, things sounded more they would begin in the Fall following the August Summerslam PPV in Boston, MA.
One major advantage of being part of the WWE umbrella is the media division. WWE releases DVDs within one of major PPVs now. UFC and TNA take 3-6 months to complete the same task. Similarly, WWE has been expanding its magazine division to a possible third brand that could be devoted to ECW coverage. In addition, WWE has their 24/7 network, already owns the ECW Video Library, has distribution deals with cable networks around the world and an established brand name associated with professional wrestling.
In terms of major ECW talent, the roster is split between the indies, WWE and TNA. In WWE there are people such as Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Taz(z), Heyman, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer and Nunzio (along with visitors such as Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Psychosis, Super Crazy, Vito and others). However, only RVD, Nunzio and Richards are really active wrestlers at this point. In TNA, there are the Dudleyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von under contract with Spike making appearances), Rhyno (also probably tied in TNA contract), Jerry Lynn (working backstage as an agent, interested in ECW), Sabu (who has finished his TNA engagements and signed with WWE). On the indies or partially retired include Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Tajiri (working in Japan though expected back for ECW ONS), Terry Funk (also expected for ONS), Steve Corino (working largely in Japan and World-1), and others like CW Anderson, Ball Mahoney (reported already signed), Sandman (reportedly signed), Francine (reportedly signed), Blue Meanie and Justin Credible (reportedly signed) floating around the indy scene. Of course, two major players in the ECW adventure are Paul Heyman and announcer Joey Styles – both part of the WWE family. One assumes (though it has not been officially announced) that Styles would be announcing this new incarnation.
One notion that has been brought up is that this new ECW would incorporate WWE developmental talent. Most notably, I would expect CM Punk, a Heyman pet project in OVW to make the transition into ECW. This is especially interesting because if WWE essentially puts developmental talent on television, it makes it much harder for them to ignore those storylines and characters when they call up talent to the “main” rosters. In the past, this has been an infuriating and mind-boggling process for OVW bookers as their top talent would get called up and immediately changed with virtually no warning.
• Will it work?
All, the $25,000 question. Actually, the failure or success of the WWE relaunch of ECW will cost a hell of a lot more than that! To get wrestlers to sign contracts with a one-year minimum on them, to create the marketing promotion behind the movement, to relocate talent, reallocate resources and most importantly – create a new television show and a successful tour – this will be an expensive endeavor. Consider TNA’s “success”: three years running, somewhere between $20 and $30 million spent.
Some people have suggested storylines like RVD winning the WWE title from John Cena at the ECW One Night Stand 2006 and throwing it down ala Shane Douglas/NWA/ECW 1994 incident. Others have joked about ECW becoming ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING. The real question remains: can you bring back this environment and this atmosphere? Some argue that ECW was a revolution or at least a passing fad. Wrestling has definitely evolved in the past decade – growing fat on the backs of the Monday Night wars, the Rock/Austin years, the sale of WCW, the crash after the Invasion angle, wrestling jumping networks, the rise and fall and rise again of MMA, the birth of a competitor in TNA, and this latest, and this most recent upswing in professional wrestling. In honesty, ECW cannot survive by simply living on the past. The original stars are retired (Taz), not likely to rejoin a WWE-version of ECW (Shane Douglas), otherwise employed (Dudleyz) and passed away (Chris Candido). Still, ECW was an attitude. It was about exposing people to new forms of wrestling (i.e. bringing in luchadores, adapting the Japanese garbage style of FMW) as well as being the grounds for fresh faces and people looking for a second chance to prove themselves. Perhaps we’ll see some of the stars of ROH who haven’t made a splash in TNA get a shot in this new, developmental league of ECW. Perhaps we’ll see the reintroduction of different body types, different hair lengths, and different wrestling styles into the WWE family. It’s a new world out there. WWE should recognize that it can’t continue to coast domestically using the same product that is losing fans and failing to connect to the new generation. Perhaps bringing back the ECW name with a mix of established and new talent will give the momentum required to reinvigorate it’s product. Then again, in a federation full of reprisals of successful angles (nWo, possibly DX) – could this just be the latest incarnation of the Horsemen - one that the public doesn’t actually plan on paying to see? Time will tell.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Wrestlemania Recap
RECAP PART ONE
RECAP PART TWO
Each section is approximately 30 minutes long and hosted by ZIP WHITTLE and SAMMY "SNAKES" MCGEE.
RECAP PART TWO
Each section is approximately 30 minutes long and hosted by ZIP WHITTLE and SAMMY "SNAKES" MCGEE.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
SAMUEL SNAKES McGEE signs for IWW Wrestlemania post game coverage
Legendary on-air personality, Sammy "Snakes" McGee has reached agreement with Indeed Wrestling Weekly hosts TC Watts & Zip Whittle to appear on the highly anticipated IWW's Wrestlemania Wrap-up show on Sunday 4/2/06. When contacted for confirmation, Snakes wanted this message to be sent to all his fans in the UK - "I'm coming back. And I'm hungry. I'm about to forget my manners. And leave no man untested."
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
IWW + SNME = 60 minutes
It takes us almost an hour to cover three matches and eleventeen segments. More Boogeyman. More 80s Horror movies. More Bloodletting. Fun!
IWW covers SNME
We discuss our upcoming guest, our love of Booker T's dancing and who doesn't need rules. ROCK!
IWW covers SNME
We discuss our upcoming guest, our love of Booker T's dancing and who doesn't need rules. ROCK!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
NEW IWW SHOW 3-3-06
3/3/06 - NEW IWW SHOW! (70 minute mp3 file)
Zip Whittle & TC Watts try and surmount two weeks off with a mega episode of news, notes and craziness. We cover the WWE Conference Call (with ZW ranting about what they do and don't tell you),the New Drug Policy, Hall of Fame information, news on releasing the Dicks, updates on future SNME and PPV locations, tour news with the new WWE "RISK AVERSION", who promised they would NEVER sell out to the WWE (and did this week!) and a rundown of Smackdown PPV (No Way Out) and latest show. Great episode with plenty of Palumboisms. Find out who Latvian Lover is! Fun fun fun.
PDF of Show Notes - FOLLOW ALONG!
feedback: indeedwrestling@gmail.com
Zip Whittle & TC Watts try and surmount two weeks off with a mega episode of news, notes and craziness. We cover the WWE Conference Call (with ZW ranting about what they do and don't tell you),the New Drug Policy, Hall of Fame information, news on releasing the Dicks, updates on future SNME and PPV locations, tour news with the new WWE "RISK AVERSION", who promised they would NEVER sell out to the WWE (and did this week!) and a rundown of Smackdown PPV (No Way Out) and latest show. Great episode with plenty of Palumboisms. Find out who Latvian Lover is! Fun fun fun.
PDF of Show Notes - FOLLOW ALONG!
feedback: indeedwrestling@gmail.com
Sunday, February 19, 2006
MMA & Announcements
The wackiness is in high form as TC and Zip run down UFC (future & past), Pride Openweight Tournament, discuss payouts from MMA and Zip reveals his big weekend plans. It's a hoot. Yup, it sure is.
Check out: IWW MMA & WOW. (40+ min MP3)
Check out: IWW MMA & WOW. (40+ min MP3)
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