Will a second promotion ever develop
and can it compete with the WWE?
Welcome all to another jammed up , action packed thriller article from the Mecca Of Manhood – Terry Taylor. In this piece we will be addressing the NEED for a second promotion for the good of the fans, the business, the talent, and yes, even the WWE. Vince McMahon loves to compete. It makes him feel alive, but right now he is confused. Vince is a very savvy businessman, but when one surrounds himself with “yes men” – they can’t come up with creative ideas. The WWE doesn’t know how to create and right now it shows.
I love the WWF(E) and enjoyed all of 1999 when I worked close by Vince Russo’s and VKM’s side. What an awesome learning experience! Vince Russo was so creative, VKM and I would edit the madness to fit a wrestling format, and Ed Ferrara was a great foil and sounding board for Russo. The chemistry was unbelievable. Think back to some of the high points of Raw and Smackdown back then:
*The Austin-McMahon feud – probably the most significant story in wrestling history
*The Rock and Sock Connection
*The Undertaker kidnapping Stephanie to marry into ownership of the WWF
*The Undertakers “symbol” and the Rock’s Brahma Bull symbol lowering from the rafters
*The Big Show dragged behind the hearse clinging to his father’s casket
*Al Snow and Big Bossman eating Al’s dog in a stew (Pepper)
*The ascension of HHH as the WWF champion
*Jeff Jarrett smashing Mae Young (and any other woman, for that matter) with a guitar
*The ladies’ skimpy outfits and catfights
The list could go on and on, but the point should be made. There is none of that ‘cutting edge,’ ‘I can’t flip channels or I’ll miss something’ crash television. Now, there’s 1980’s wrasslin’.
When a company and business are built on new fresh talent hires 48, 43,and 42 year old men to turn the company around – something’s wrong. Whether the WWE wants to admit it or not – they’ve been riding the coattails of Vince Russo’s genius for the last 2 ½ years. Now, they have nothing new and different to offer.
This is where a second promotion could fill a huge need and produce quality ENTERTAINMENT. Just like boxing, basketball, and any other major league sport – they are all competing for the consumer’s entertainment dollar. The WWF Raw shows used to be a visual spectacle and the envelope was always being pushed. People were seeing things on a wrestling show that had nothing to do with wrestling, but somehow all those crazy stunts were tied together by the end of the show.
This opens the door for the NWA/TNA Pay Per View (PPV) shows to expand the scope of the spectacle of wrestling television. Can you imagine a Scott Steiner promo – live on PPV where he could say whatever he wanted and use whatever language he wanted? How about a catfight between two voluptuous women where the top was ripped off? Nobody would have to censor that. All of this is available and if the target demographic of the audience is 18 to 34 year old males with money – what could be better?
This show won’t be for everybody. Children may not want to watch without parental supervision. But if you sometimes felt, “There could have been a little something more” to better tell a story – now you have it.
The writers have the best and worst of both worlds –
These next few months are going to be interesting in the wrestling business. When Russo and the WWF instituted the crash TV, everybody copied that style and the overexposure wounded that type television’s impact. Now, a whole new set of rules are in place and the sky’s the limit. It would be great to have Russo write these types of television because quite honestly he’s been writing this kind for years and always had Vince McMahon or Standards and Practices reeling him back in. I would love to write this type of TV. Think of all the times WCW or the WWF was half pregnant because the limits of FCC governed television wouldn’t allow the impactful stunts needed to hammer a point home. Plus, because women sell EVERYTHING, there are so many scenarios that can be tastefully done, but if you ever needed something raunchy – go for it! Have you ever picked up a car magazine? There’s always some hot babe on the cover and I guarantee you she doesn’t drive the souped up hot rod they’re featuring in that mag. We could have women out there like the “Man Show” used to do. Not for some eloquent speech or athletic accomplishment, but just because the female form is beautiful. That works for me!
There are a lot of reasons I hope the NWA/TNA promotion excels – the main one is competition and the other is choice. If one wants to watch wrestling, but doesn’t like what the WWE is serving - you don’t watch wrestling. For any fan – THAT SUCKS!
I hope the Jarrett’s promotion works and maybe someday soon we’ll have to get a picture in a picture TV to watch both shows at the same time. That’ll re-ignite the fire in Vince McMahon’s belly and it should make every wrestling fan out there begin to drool with the prospect of two major promotions battling it out each week to compete for your entertainment dollar.
Things are about to heat up and to quote my dear long time personal friend JR –
“Business is about to pick up!” and wrestling fans will be the winners in the long run.
Until next week,
Terry Taylor