CALDWELL'S TAKE CORNER CUBE FRIDAY 2/8: Impact review; analyzing WWE-CW split Feb 8, 2008 - 12:40:07 PM

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By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

Updated throughout the day from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.

Updated Friday, February 8

12:40 p.m. Last night's Impact was a good episode in my eyes. The show certainly benefited from TNA's effective lowering-of-expectations the past six months for the final show before a PPV. On a 0-10 scale of TNA's PPV sales pitches the past six months, I'd say TNA was ranging between 0 and 3. There was a blatant lack of commitment to selling PPVs, with the focus strictly on advancing the following week's TV storylines.

Last night was different, though. TNA was at an improved range of 6 or 7 for selling Sunday night's PPV. The water was still a little muddy on the main event Angle-Christian TNA Title match, with Christian still seeking Tomko's friendship. But, hey, at least Christian addressed the title match for the first time in three weeks.

Also, Team Lethal was nowhere to be seen in what could have been the final TV episode featuring the X Division. And Team 3D's sole appearance on the show consisted of them running away from LAX, so the PPV build-up for Team X vs. Team 3D was non-existent other than a video package.

Something about B.G. James's promo, though, really sold me on TNA's PPV build-up. They ditched the joke training videos. They ditched the comedy. They simply gave B.G. a mic and a couple of points to get across. And he did just that. It was easily B.G.'s best work in a long time by effectively selling a match with a clear story on Tomko & Styles not being focused on Team Armstrong. Bullet Bob, with his military way-of-talking, provided a good second to B.G.'s stellar promo.

Booker T. also had a good promo on Robert Roode. The feud is over-the-top, but Roode and Booker have done their best trying to get people interested in the feud. The only problem was Booker using that line, "it's not about wrestling, it's personal". That card is over-played way too often in TNA, which means when TNA wants to do a money-drawing personal feud in a main event situation, the storyline element of "this is personal" won't be effective.

Related to the Abyss vs. Judas barbed wire deal, I got a kick out of Mike Tenay basically telling people to order the PPV to show support for the end of the feud. It's come to the point where people inside and outside of TNA realize this has dragged on far too long. So, if you support the end of Abyss-Judas V.125, then drop $30 to your PPV provider on Sunday.

The same can be said for the end of anything Black Reign-related. The mousetrap match was a ridiculous gimmick match, but the action inside the ring was half-way decent. Of course, typical TNA finish where Kaz won the match, but Reign ended up with the rat with a post-match attack. What was the point of having the match, then? Although it wasn't as bad this week, I find myself asking that question far too often when watching Impact on a weekly basis.

***

12:10 a.m. WWE was involved in three significant stories on Thursday - Georgia regulations, OVW shutting down, and WWE announcing the end of their relationship with CW as the home of Smackdown on Friday nights. Effective at the end of the current broadcasting season, WWE will be moving its B-show to a new network or cable channel.

This is a major deal, as CW let their exclusive negotiating period lapse, giving WWE the opportunity to negotiate with any other network or cable TV channel. The next step for WWE will be closely watched in the entertainment industry to see what direction WWE takes the signature Smackdown product.

Looking at the NBC Universal family of channels, NBC is a stretch, as the writer's strike appears to be wrapping up soon, meaning NBC would be a short-term solution for WWE, which needs a long-term solution for Smackdown.

There is the NBC Saturday morning line-up, which aims right at the key demo of kids and young teens. Looking elsewhere in the Universal family of network, Bravo isn't exactly a destination for kids, while USA Network already has Raw, and Friday nights on USA are owned by Monk.

Without being privy to information on the channels WWE is negotiating with, I'm only speculating that they want to partner with a company that draws a natural kids-to-teen audience. After all, that is the demo, which was unbelievably apparent to me this week at the Raw and SD/ECW tapings in Texas. With a new Kids magazine coming out this spring, WWE needs a kids-friendly network to serve as a vehicle to promote the likes of Rey Mysterio and Hornswoggle as two of the top characters in the company.

My inclination is partnering with the Disney Channel would be WWE's best move, even though it would be stepping out from underneath the NBC Universal umbrella. WWE and Disney are essentially in the same industry of promoting family entertainment, driven by recognizable characters (Rey Mysterio and John Cena vs. Mickey Mouse and Hannah Montana), promoting live events and tours (WWE house shows vs. Disney on Ice), and drawing tourists to the revenue-driving signature events (WrestleMania vs. Disneyland).

WWE has WrestleMania 24 in Orlando - the home of Disney World - this spring, which would coincide with a major announcement of WWE finding a new home for Smackdown. Disney has unbelievable international reach, which is WWE's next frontier to conquer. I'll hold the Robocop jokes, but cross-promotion between WWE and Disney (e.g. the WWE divas on Bravo's Project Runway) could be a huge boost to WWE's exposure domestically and internationally with the target demo, while telling the kids that wrestling is cool. And in the world of kids, word-of-mouth on what's cool is about as important as anything.

Partnering with the Disney Channel would be a challenge because Disney isn't an ad-supported cable channel, but WWE currently isn't collecting advertising revenue through their agreement with USA Network. Working out a licensing agreement for Disney to air the Smackdown product would be a key hurdle in the negotiations.

Whether it's Disney or any other channel, WWE's next step in the entertainment industry will be closely scrutinized when they announce a new TV partnership. The various incarnations of the CW represented a strong partner for 10 years, as WWE was able to reel in the very lucrative family audience, especially in Hispanic markets.

WWE's market is kids, so taking Smackdown to a kid and family-friendly network would be the logical progression to enhance WWE's TV presence.

Updated Thursday, February 7

1:00 p.m. The Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission has proposed a bill to the Georgia Senate that shows a blatant misunderstanding of pro wrestling in its current form in the year 2008. If passed, the bill would regulate pro wrestling shows the same way it would regulate an MMA fight.

The bill ties itself into knots trying to apply rules to pro wrestling such as commission members supervising match outcomes, winning wrestlers forfeiting paydays for xyz reason, and other assorted rules more applicable to legitimate individual competition found in MMA and boxing. The entire point of regulating pro wrestling is completely lost.

The entertainment form of wrestling should not be regulated to decide these ultra-specific technicalities such as when a referee should DQ a wrestler for not breaking a five count. The intent of the Georgia regulations should be to ensure wrestler health, safety at wrestling matches for both performers and fans, and determine whether wrestlers are physically able to perform in the ring to reduce the risk of injury to a fellow wrestler.

When the bill lumps pro wrestling with legitimate competitive sports, the entire cause of regulating pro wrestling is lost amongst the petty rules suited for three decades ago when pro wrestling was protected as a legitimate sport.

The distinction about pro wrestling, as found in the mainstream via WWE and TNA’s television shows is very important to understand. It’s not “pro wrestling on TV”, it’s a “TV show about pro wrestling”. The distinction means an open acknowledgement that the promoter has creative license to script a TV show that centers on worked pro wrestling action. The show is a vehicle to promote a secondary revenue-driver, such as house shows, PPV, or merchandise. (Cue up the DX cheap plug.)

Thus, wrestling should be regulated as a TV show. Performers should have medical clearance to ensure they are able to perform safely to protect themselves and other performers. For WWE and TNA, they already have drug testing policies and doctors on hand for their shows. Ideally, that should suffice, with WWE and TNA clearing their on-site staff with the Commission to ensure the staff is licensed to perform CPR, tape an ankle, or check for a concussion.

For independent promoters, the talent they use on shows should have medical clearance from a family doctor, as they are legitimate independent contractors (unlike WWE’s version of an independent contractor). Promoters should ensure the safety of the ring and condition of the mats – that have been cleaned and disinfected, especially with staph infection a very real issue.

I noticed at last night’s WWE show that they regularly changed the mats, especially when blood was involved. After Funaki bled in the opening dark match, they changed the mat. After Matt Striker showed blood after Undertaker choked him out, they changed the mat. Before the Raw show in Austin, WWE officials brought medical staff ringside to go over any pertinent procedures.

These are some of the specific performance variables that should be ensured by the promoters – WWE, TNA, all the way down - and verified by the Commission. But, the Commission is muddying the waters by trying to include WWE under its wide-reaching umbrella of rules more suited for MMA and boxing. Ensuring everyone’s safety and health should be top concern.

Updated Wednesday, February 6

9:15 a.m. Last night's ECW show was about an average episode. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the show. It just didn't have as much kick as last week.

There wasn't an outstanding match, but the Chavo vs. Punk um...match...at least advanced their storyline. Ya know, if I think about two guys having a street fight down by the pier in Texas, the first thing that comes to mind is Dusty Rhodes with jeans tucked into a pair of cowboy boots and some taped fists. It just seemed odd for Punk and Chavo to go for the Samoa Joe look of relaxed-fit blue jeans and t-shirts to have a brawl. On the other hand, it's what the target demo would wear to an after-school fight on the playground, so I'm sure it connected with the kids.

Fashion aside, it was a good brawl that continued Punk's chase to regain the ECW Title. Chavo got his now-weekly dose of comeuppance for stealing the ECW Title two weeks ago, and Punk was able to raise his arms in victory last night. It's not the same as the clean-cut John Cena standing tall by relatively fair means, though. After all, Punk needed a sneak attack and a 'stache last week and a large body of water this week to have the upper hand by show's end.

Punk is being booked like that new-age babyface with the ha-ha and finger point at a heel after getting the upper hand. Christian Cage does it on Impact every week. Hornswoggle has been doing it to Vince for seemingly a decade now. No longer is it "turn the other cheek". It's Old Testament eye-for-an-eye, but with the added twist of laughing and pointing a finger after getting even with the enemy.

As for the rest of the show, Stevie Richards's promo was probably the highpoint of the show. It was set up nicely with the 1997 ECW footage, and they took their time presenting Richards's tug-at-the-heart-strings story to convey the message ahead of his comeback. Joey Styles also set a good tone for the interview.

Most disappointing was no Colin Delaney promo this week. Tuesday night just isn't complete without Tazz trying to get a word or two out of Colin. During the Dreamer vs. Morrison match, he let his greatness shine in those few moments where the focus was on him standing or slowly walking around ringside with that pained expression. Even his no-sell of Miz's threatening advances on the outside early in the match was great.

Updated Tuesday, February 5

6:45 p.m. Watching a wrestling show in the arena setting, it's an inexact science trying to determine how a TV wrestling show connects with potential PPV-buying viewers at home, especially without access to Ross and Lawler's commentary. Nevertheless, I thought last night's show was a good show. They built up Orton-Cena well, while the Elimination Chamber build-up was strong even without Triple H's presence.

Live in the building, the Cena FU on Mark Henry looked like a huge deal. Without having watched the show on the DVR to get the announcer commentary, I have no idea why Henry was on Raw to begin with, but his presence made for a classic Cena monster-conquering moment.

The angle is about Cena showing he's fully recovered from surgery, which is a fine storyline thread with only three weeks of TV in between the Rumble and No Way Out. It's simple, gets across the point, and really can't be stretched out that long. Otherwise, we'd be looking at Cena and Henry having a truck pulling contest in the parking lot by Week 6.

As for the Elimination Chamber build-up, the main players effectively built up the match sans Triple H. No one in the arena seemed to notice his absence until the second TV taping, when there were some DX chants. In his absence, Snitsky was good fodder to HBK and co. with his yellow teeth on full display. Sometimes it's the simplest thing - the "brush your teeth" chant - that catches on, whereas punting a baby and losing handicap matches to Triple H just couldn't put Snitsky over the top.

As for the babyfaces, Shawn Michaels had a good, entertaining promo, while Chris Jericho is still in that ultra-serious, low-voiced promo mode, as if he's intentionally trying not to scream instead of talking in a natural tone. Jeff Hardy wasn't given much to work with, but the audience was quite forgiving.

I'm sure Mr. McMahon dropping his pants and going 15-20 minutes with Hornswoggle didn't play well on TV, but the live audience ate it up with a spoon. The promo on the kids and their irresponsible parents was especially heated. Of note, McMahon gave our side of the arena the unenviable privilege of seeing the full moon and his thong, so all of the kids were screaming and covering their eyes in sheer horror while laughing at the spectacle of it.

The angle itself seems like one of those TNA angles where it just goes on forever without any resolution. They seemingly up the ante every week, but remain in the same position of Vince continuing to offer up "tough love" with nothing to show for it at the end of the day. It's like the never-ending Spirit Squad & McMahons vs. DX program in 2006 where DX beat them upside-down, inside-out, and right-side-up forever.

In any event, a good show to build on for the Jan. 11 final show before the PPV. One thing to look forward to next week in the PPV-selling category is Ric Flair's promo on Mr. Kennedy. A classic Flair promo with the emotion, energy, and conflict to deliver the goods. It was probably the highpoint of the taping, next to Jeff Hardy's Swanton bomb in the six-man tag match on last night's Raw.

***

11:30 a.m.After four hours of wrestling last night after a college Super Bowl party on Sunday night, there's a certain level of exhaustion that's inevitable. Don't forget the two-hour-plus drive home across a completely empty Texas highway. And if you've driven any stretch of a Texas "highway" away from the city, you know what I'm talking about.

So, to keep myself awake in the car, I did a lot of thinking about wrestling. What sells tickets? What do fans generally expect from a wrestling show? What gets them excited? Why do they watch? What's the demographic of the ticket-buying customer? These aren't profound conclusions, just conclusions that we need to be reminded of.

Being part of a live experience in a big arena setting is a refresher course on understanding what drives the other 95 percent of the wrestling audience to spend money on wrestling. Sitting in the "ivory tower", we often forget why the vast majority of people spend money on tickets, t-shirts, and foam fingers.

Waiting in line last night to get inside in the Erwin Center, I had a chance to survey the demographics of the audience. Lots of kids. Lots of working-class parents who were probably nagged into buying tickets by their kids. (Wait, didn't Vince cut a promo on parents for spoiling their kids? Doesn't he want their business?)

I didn't see many of the anti-Cena young adult male fans, and it was obvious in the arena when there were hardly any boos for Cena. If there's one piece of evidence for WWE to say they have a different audience than MMA, specifically UFC, it's that there are a ton of kids at WWE shows and the number of young adult males at wrestling shows is stagnant, if not declining.

WWE's marketing is obviously geared towards kids, while UFC has grabbed the adult males from WWE. It's like twenty years ago when WWF grabbed the kids with Hulk Hogan headlining, while WCW presented its product as a "sport" that appealed to an older demographic.

Looking at the lead characters on the TV show, John Cena obviously appeals to kids and females. (There were a ton of young girls in the audience, I should note.) Jeff Hardy appeals to everyone in the younger demo. Hornswoggle, a full-grown male who is presented as a small child, appeals to all the kids when he's placed in perilous situations on a weekly basis and puts on that I'm-so-scared face. And, of course, Vince McMahon dropping his pants got all the kids laughing.

Shawn Michaels epitomized the WWE in-ring style of over-exaggerated, simple movements that play to the top row of the arena. Snitsky is the most-over-heel in wrestling now with the "brush your teeth" chant. All the kids were imitating Mr. Kennedy's sayings. The kids weren't even born when Ric Flair was the top star in wrestling, but they all know the whoo.

The point of the matter is that WWE presents a very simple product. The characters are basically doing the same thing every week, in every town, on every stop on the circus tour. And that's what fans pay to see. WWE isn't running the same town three times a month, so they don't have to deviate from the formula when they come to a place like Austin once-every-Presidential election year.

So, when looking at what sells tickets for WWE, it's not necessarily how good or bad the TV shows are. I listened to a lot of conversations waiting outside of the arena and inside the arena, and so many questions were flying around on what the current storylines are. For that "other 95 percent" of the audience, they see WWE on the marquee and they'll buy a ticket. When WWE has the entire globe as its marketplace, it's pretty easy to sell tickets when the show doesn't deviate from the formula.

Fans come to see the characters, their catchphrases, and see the heroes standing tall in the end. It's the Disney formula applied to wrestling that drives ticket and merchandise sales. As for PPV, well, that's a different story of trying to get people to care enough about the current storylines to spend $40 without a live experience in the arena.

WWE does a fine job of catering to the ticket-buying audience with a basic outline of the characters on display at every live event. In a character-driven wrestling business, the success or failure of the PPV business is filling in the outline with a lot of color on a weekly basis.

WWE did that with Jeff Hardy leading to the Rumble. On next week's Raw, the color is vibrant with John Cena and Ric Flair. Whether that's enough to sell the "bridge PPV" before Mania is another story. As for the live event, everyone went home happy after being told simple, easy-to-understand wrestling stories for four hours.

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