{"id":39494,"date":"2017-03-03T12:12:01","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T18:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=39494"},"modified":"2017-03-03T12:12:01","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T18:12:01","slug":"five-count-five-lessons-pro-wrestling-promoters-fans-can-learn-ufc-value-losing-power-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/03\/03\/five-count-five-lessons-pro-wrestling-promoters-fans-can-learn-ufc-value-losing-power-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"FIVE COUNT: Five lessons pro wrestling promoters and fans can learn from UFC from the value in losing to the power of stars"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2061021791\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>In this edition of \u201cFive Count,\u201d I\u2019ll be looking at 5 lessons that the crazy and wonderful world of professional wrestling can learn from UFC. I\u2019ll preface this by noting that I\u2019m not the most tenured UFC viewer and as a result this will basically be with a narrow focus on the last couple of years of UFC.<\/p>\n<h3><b>(1) Losing Sparingly Doesn\u2019t Kill Star Power<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Honestly, this lesson might be more for wrestling fans than wrestling promoters. As fans we live in a culture these days where if a wrestler we like loses, it\u2019s a negative. That it\u2019s gonna hurt their ability to be a big star. And to a certain extent it is true, but the vast majority of fans take it way too far. Yes, losing frequently will hurt anybody. Yes losing too often when you\u2019re trying to build momentum is damaging. But losing sparingly doesn\u2019t hurt anyone. Even in an actual sport that is sold on who wins and loses, losing sparingly isn\u2019t damaging.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I accept that there\u2019s always a way of arguing against this and there\u2019s no way that I\u2019m going to cover every sort of response to this notion. There\u2019s about a million and one caveats that need to be put in place. The most important one being that there\u2019s a point of diminishing returns when it comes to losing. You don\u2019t want your top draws to be losing frequently but losing here and there? As long as losses are viewed as blips and they maintain the personality traits that make them so popular, the odd loss here and there isn\u2019t just fine, it\u2019s even good!<\/p>\n<p>Look at Ronda Rousey. She lost. It happens. Did that make her any less of a draw for her next fight? No, she did the same buyrate with Amanda Nunes as she did with Holly Holm as the then unstoppable force. In fact, you could probably argue that despite doing the same buyrate as the Holm fight, the biggest PPV Ronda did was the one after she lost. It sure didn\u2019t hurt her.<\/p>\n<p>Same story for Conor after he lost. He came back and did the biggest buyrate in UFC history after he lost to Nate Diaz. Losing sparingly doesn\u2019t hurt, in fact it\u2019s actually good. People want to see how stars react to adversity, how they overcome defeat. Stories draw and how stars react to losing is a story that continuously captivates the interest of viewers.<\/p>\n<p>And this isn\u2019t a UFC thing, either. Brock lost to Goldberg. He\u2019s still a star right? Brock losing probably helped hype his next match more than any win could ever do. If Goldberg loses at Wrestlemania and comes back for another match, will he not be a star anymore? John Cena got SQUASHED by Brock Lesnar and he was pretty alright afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>The odd loss for a top star doesn\u2019t do big damage. So fans, calm down if the guy you want to see be a main eventer loses the odd match, and promoters, don\u2019t be afraid to beat your top stars every now and again, they\u2019ll be just fine.<\/p>\n<h3><b>(2) Losing Can Get You Over<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>So wait, not only can wrestlers afford the occasional loss, but sometimes losing can actually be good??? For whatever reason the art of getting a wrestler over in defeat has vanished from modern day wrestling, yet in UFC we frequently come away from fights thinking as much of, if not more of the loser than the actual winner.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2364653864\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Take for instance, the Demetrious Johnson vs. Tim Elliot fight for Mighty Mouse\u2019s Flyweight Title. Tim Elliot undeniably came away from that fight more popular than when he went in. And it wasn\u2019t like he really put up a strong challenge in terms of threatening to actually win the fight. But what he did do was surpass expectations and because of that he came away with more than what he went in with. Winning isn\u2019t the only outcome of a contest that can get you over. Tim Elliot got over because he went the distance with an unstoppable juggernaut who was way above his standing in the rankings. He got over because even in defeat he showed personality than people reacted positively to. Now granted, whether that means anything the next time Tim Elliot fights is questionable due to the nature of UFC and the difficulty in capitalising on \u201cforgettable momentum\u201d like that.<\/p>\n<p>Another similar example would be the Joanna J\u0119drzejczyk vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz fight from UFC 205. That was a one sided fight but because Joanna has been such a dominant champ, the fact that Kowalkiewicz managed to get her reeling at just one point in the fight, on top of the fact that she lasted through a 25 minute ass kicking, got her the bigger ovation at the end of the fight than what Joanna received, and had fans asking for a rematch between the pair despite a fairly one sided fight.<\/p>\n<p>Probably a better example would be the Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi fight from UFC 207. Choi was the type of fighter who was garnering some hype further down the card from his flashy KO wins but the Swanson fight got him over to a degree that all those wins never could do. And arguably more over than a bog standard win over an established fighter like Cub Swanson would have done. Instead they had an absolute classic fight that was universally adored and created a lasting buzz. Sometimes the performance is more important in making you a star than the outcome itself, and if that can be true for a legit contest like MMA is then it\u2019s sure as hell true for professional wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>The lesson for wrestling promotions is that they need to make better use of roster hierarchy\u2019s. The defeat that gets you over generally needs to happen with the loser fighting an uphill battle against someone above him in the hierarchy of the promotion. Think of the Jeff Hardy vs. Undertaker Ladder Match from 2002 as a brilliant example of this point. That match wouldn\u2019t have worked half as well if Jeff was somewhat established as a guy who has competitive matches against the guys at the top of the card.<\/p>\n<p>The babyface who takes a serious ass kicking but is defiant in defeat is a tremendous hand that wrestling promoters in promotions all over the world should be using more. As is the wrestler who takes on the guy far above him in the hierarchy but lasts way longer before losing than someone at his level ever normally lasts. As is the guy who never wins but gets over because he\u2019s so good in the ring and it leaves fans clamouring for him to just get one win. New Japan have played this hand perfectly in recent years with Tomohiro Ishii &amp; Tomoaki Honma.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t be afraid to beat people but if you do then make a story out of the loss. As long as there\u2019s a story for fans to get behind, losing in the right way can sometimes do more good than just winning.<\/p>\n<h3><b>(3) Anyone Can Be A Big Money Draw<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Star power doesn\u2019t come with an asterisk. You don\u2019t have to be over a certain height to have star power. You don\u2019t have to be over a certain weight to be a draw. You don\u2019t have to be a certain gender to develop a mainstream fanbase. UFC has well and truly dispelled WWE\u2019s philosophy that you have to have certain qualities in order to be a big star.<\/p>\n<p>And in fairness to WWE they are already somewhat learning this lesson. Because of the success of Ronda Rousey they\u2019ve started featuring the women in more prominent positions and are giving them more opportunities to become stars. Not in their own right or in their own bubble, but stars of the show period. And even though big men still have a distinct advantage in terms of being given opportunities more easily, WWE isn\u2019t a big man\u2019s world anymore.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-684419916\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>But.<\/p>\n<p>There is still a resilient reluctance to go all in with someone who doesn\u2019t fit their perception of what a big money draw is. C.M. Punk wasn\u2019t the biggest guy in the room. He didn\u2019t have a physique that left you in awe. He wasn\u2019t even the most technically gifted performer at his art. He sure as hell wasn\u2019t the easiest person to deal with. But when he talked everybody listened. Is this starting to sound familiar to UFC fans?<\/p>\n<p>Triple H probably watches Conor McGregor fights wishing that WWE had an asset like him but the reality is they did. His name was C.M. Punk. No, he didn\u2019t \u201clook like a star\u201d and he really wasn\u2019t your ideal poster boy and, sure, he was a nightmare to deal with from a management point of view. But when he talked, he could sell you anything he damn well pleased. And that\u2019s Conor. When he talks you listen. He talks you into wanting to see him perform, he creates unforgettable moments; win or lose, you want to see what he does next. And he had that rebel aura that everyone always gets behind. It worked for Austin, it worked for Conor, and hell it got Donald Trump into the Whitehouse. Conor McGregor is living proof that C.M. Punk could have been so much more than WWE ever allowed him to be and that there\u2019s no \u201cprototype\u201d of what connotates being a star.<\/p>\n<h3><b>(4) UFC, Like Wrestling &amp; Like Any Form Of Entertainment, Is A Star-Driven Business<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOh, it doesn\u2019t matter who is on top anyway, it\u2019s the BRAND that draws.\u201d Don\u2019t you just love how people keep rolling that line out about WWE these days. And granted it is true to a certain extent that the WWE brand in and of itself is a draw and that fans will go to a WWE show regardless of who is on the show. But UFC is\u00a0living proof that a hot brand can only drive business so much and the only thing that will drive business to a really hot level is the star power of individuals.<\/p>\n<p>This just reinforces the need for any wrestling promotion to create stars and not be reliant on the brand name being the draw. Yes, the brand name being a selling point is a massive asset to have, but it\u2019s star power that is needed in order for business to really be booming. There\u2019s a reason why a great UFC main event like Bisping vs. Henderson won\u2019t do even a third of the buyrate that any McGregor or Rousey fight would do, just like there\u2019s a reason why when you add C.M. Punk to a Stipe Miocic-headlined PPV, the buyrate more than doubles.<\/p>\n<p>Far more people pay to see stars than they do talent, and that\u2019s what causes WWE\u2019s inability to draw big numbers outside of WrestleMania. They have so much talent and so much great wrestling content, but that doesn\u2019t appeal to a large scale audience if it isn\u2019t intertwined with the star power of individuals.<\/p>\n<h3><b>(5) PPV Is Not A Dead Platform<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>When WWE launched the WWE Network over three years ago now, everyone was proclaiming that PPV was a dying business and that WWE wouldn\u2019t be losing out by exiting that platform, which really was nonsense at the time to anyone not drinking in the cool aid. If you\u2019ve got a hot product that people want to see, they\u2019ll pay PPV prices for it. Even in 2017!<\/p>\n<p>The key part of that sentence however is \u201chot product.\u201d Conor McGregor is a hot product and does monster PPV numbers. Ronda Rousey was a hot product and did massive PPV numbers. WrestleMania was a hot asset and did huge PPV numbers right up to the end of the PPV era. Floyd Mayweather was a hot product and did giant PPV numbers. If it\u2019s the hot, the people will come. But if it\u2019s not, they won\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>UFC itself is a hot product, but that doesn\u2019t mean it will do big PPV numbers on the brand name alone. The buyrates for PPVs without a Conor or a Ronda or even a Jon Jones are generally always around the 200,000 mark which is nice, but it\u2019s not numbers that you\u2019d point to in arguing for PPV being a thriving platform. For WWE, putting the B PPVs off PPV and onto their own network was a brilliant move, but they messed up taking at the very minimum WrestleMania off PPV, and arguably Royal Rumble and Summerslam, too. By doing so they\u2019ve wasted away huge sources of annual revenue and UFC is proof of the mistake that they made, proof that PPV can be a massive source of revenue ALONGSIDE an exclusive streaming service.<\/p>\n<p>For WWE, it\u2019s likely too late to do anything about now. But if the stars align and a new promotion gets hot enough to even consider running PPV, go for it, but only if you have a really hot asset to do it with.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK&#8217;S ARTICLE:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/02\/18\/five-count-five-lessons-wwe-learn-elimination-chamber-including-bayley-title-win-naomis-ring-skills\/\">FIVE COUNT: Five lessons for WWE to learn from Elimination Chamber including the Bayley title win, Naomi\u2019s in-ring skills, more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"entry-content clearfix\">\n<div class=\"entry-content clearfix\">\n<div class=\"entry-content clearfix\">\n<p><em>(\u201cFive Count\u201d is a Specialist column by PWTorch Specialist Matt Seabridge who presents a list of five lessons to be learned from various categories, theme, shows, eras, or events in pro wrestling.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3272557703\"><div id=\"pwtor-3848316015\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>In this edition of \u201cFive Count,\u201d I\u2019ll be looking at 5 lessons that the crazy and wonderful world of professional wrestling can learn from UFC. I\u2019ll preface this by noting that I\u2019m not the most <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/03\/03\/five-count-five-lessons-pro-wrestling-promoters-fans-can-learn-ufc-value-losing-power-stars\/\" title=\"FIVE COUNT: Five lessons pro wrestling promoters and fans can learn from UFC from the value in losing to the power of stars\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,52,4366,27],"tags":[188],"class_list":["post-39494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-five-count","category-specialists","tag-ufc"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/OctagonUFC_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39494"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39496,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39494\/revisions\/39496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}