PWTorch.com - GUEST BLOG: JBL funding OVW - an intriguing move that could have long-term repercussions in WWE

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GUEST BLOG: JBL funding OVW - an intriguing move that could have long-term repercussions in WWE

Mar 9, 2009 - 3:10:59 PM

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-- Response to JBL announcing investment in OVW:

WWE star JBL says he is not buying into WWE's former developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. Over the weekend, JBL said he is funding OVW to keep Danny Davis's promotion in business.

"I want to be clear about OVW, Danny Davis is the owner - I am not buying OVW nor any interest in OVW," JBL said on WWE universe.

This is very intriguing for a variety of reasons. WWE abandoned OVW as an affiliated developmental territory in February 2008, instead consolidating its developmental efforts in the newly formed Florida Championship Wrestling.

The move was seen as Senior VP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis "making his mark" and cutting ties with the old Jim Ross regime. The brutal truth is that developmental in Florida has been a big failure, for a variety of reasons, mostly due to the recruitment policy and teaching of the talent, all of which falls under Laurinaitis's remit.

OVW had been pretty much on its last legs prior to the February 2008 split, with the departures of bookers Jim Cornette, then Paul Heyman, resulting in the decreasing of standards and the resultant slowing of the production line of talent coming through. They recently lost TV, and JBL's first task as financial backer appears to be purchasing TV time back on the local CW affiliate.

Longer term though is intriguing. There are many questions. What plans does JBL have for OVW? Does he have ambitions as a wrestling promoter? We know that he has Vince's ear (and respect) and has rode on the WWE corporate plane in the past.

JBL clearly values OVW a lot more than WWE and Laurinaitis have done in the past. Will JBL be trying to persuade Vince to affiliate OVW with WWE again as a developmental territory?

Could JBL have eyes on John Laurinaitis's position in talent relations? JBL is coming to the end of his in-ring career. A place in Vince's inner-circle may well be something he would aspire to be in. Laurinaitis has been underfire for the aforementioned failure of Florida and for some of the talent coming through. If JBL helps make OVW successful, and gets Vince interested in what he's doing, politically he might in a good position for the future.

Whatever happens, the next few months will be very interesting, as this is a situation to keep a close eye on. JBL has shown himself to be a smart businessman in his own right in recent years, and by putting his own money into this venture, he will not want to fail.

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