The OtherArena

[kjh]

Dave Meltzer wrote this intriguing teaser for this week's Observer newsletter:

"The first look at what Vince McMahon has talked recently of doing with the WWE product that would be the biggest news story regarding the business as a whole since the folding of WCW is the lead story in one of this week's two Observers. This will be the news that everyone in wrestling will likely be talking about next week."

Over at the Torch boards posters have said that the story is about WWE heavily considering running separate promotions full time with their own TV shows in different international markets. The plan seems to be to have two touring brands in North America, a Pacific territory (Japan, South Korea, China and Australia), a Hispanic territory (Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America) and an European territory. The current talent roster would be further subdivided and local talent would be hired to fill up the remaining spots.

Part of me hopes that this comes to pass, despite it being an inevitable big money loser for the company, just because of the inevitable chaos and hilarity it will cause. :)

[corrado]

This has "Trainwreck" written all over it. This will probably suffer the same fate as the "WCW" brand circa 2001 where they were talking of splitting the WWE into WWE and WCW.

[Jeremy Billones]

Stephanie McMahon Presents WWE Europe?

[jdw]

It's a really odd time to be fucking around with stuff. They've cut into the cash on hand drastically with the recent "Give Cash To Vince" dividends and various purchases. They're going to have to invest in setting these up, which cuts into it further.

Not saying it's a risk of burning through all the cash. Just the it risk lowering it a good deal more, which leaves them less margin to deal with unexpected changes in the business model.


John

[jdw]

Of course this is better than them pissing away their money on MMA. The WWF/WWE hasn't done well on just about anything that isn't related directly to the core business of Pro Wrestling.

Then again, watching Shane-O-Mac run an MMA promotion would probably have been a pisser.


John

[jdw]

More detail over here from Loss:

Semi earth-shattering news from the WON, Puttin' the W in WWE

I kind of assume Loss got it from the DVDVR boards since I don't know if he reads the WON. Likely someone already has their WON and is posting it around.

Don't know if Dave has more detail in the issues this week.


John

[corrado]

I'll have more later but I'm amused at Paul heyman being in charge of the Pacific region.

This thing is looking like one colossial mess.

[corrado]

After much thought about this issue, I think I'll do the ol' Positive/negative spin on this.

Positives: More people elevated. If this somehow pans out, at least the main event scene in each promotion will have new people. However this may backfire (see Negatives)

Actually that's the only positive I can think of.

Negatives: Mass confusion. People will be upset that they can't see their favorite wrestler due to their new surroundings.

More Hollywood writes with little to no wrestling experience. All we need, more Hollywood hacks to write TV. That means more mostly lame comedy bits.

Cross-branding. I fear that even if this plan does work, we will see wrestlers "invade" other brands. That would fit in with the WWE's plan now to include more inter-promontional matches at PPV's. Which sort of negates the original purpose of the brand extenstion. That theory may come true here as well.

[jdw]

Dave's article in the WON was pretty decent on an story that's still developing. He's not overly optimistic given the wide range of risks involved.

My general thought on this concept would be to have people study how the WWE handled "relaunching" ECW. Project that onto Europe, "Asia", and "Latino".

I don't think Europe is terribly hard, as "WWE Product" has worked strongly there. The risk is the obvious one that everyone mentioned - burning out a golden market by working it monthly, while also working to come up with enough continuing storylines to fill 52 weeks of "Europe Promotion Television". The burn out both on the fans and on the Creative side does tie into ECW a little - as a one-off, it worked for the fans and didn't take a great deal of effort for Paul (or others) to book. Moved to weekly, the talent and Creative weren't there, ECW Fans saw through it, and WWE Fans didn't give a shit about it. So there is a small parallel there.

WWE Latino and WWE Asia have direct parallel's in Mexico and Japan. The WWE didn't really have any understanding of the markets, and running regular business there. The chances of them educating themselves to those markets is very close to zero. Even someone with knowledge of the Japanese market historically and even *currently* is going to have a tough time creating something that draws in a WWE mindset regularly/monthly in a variety of major arenas there. Even NOAH, which does good business at Budokan, doesn't go and pack major arenas in Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka or Sapparo on a monthly basis... or really *at all*.

Mexico is such a complex wrestling country that even if you round up the most gifted and knowledgeable people on Lucha in the US, it isn't going to tell you much of anything about the *business* and operational side of it.
So you know that Mistico is a big draw. Does that tell you how to get into buildings? Who to deal with for TV? How to deal with the commission? Who to buy and pay off to keep CMLL from fucking you over too much? And on and on.

Perhaps the WWE thinks they can buy an "existing" promotion like AAA with Pena on ice and perhaps his family looking to cash in. You still need people who know how to operate within the strange world of Mexican business dealings. I'm not sold that even someone like Konnan has a clue on all of it.

The WWE knew the business and operational side of ECW. It wasn't that complex. They had no clue about the market and fans of the "product". Hell, they didn't even have a clue that it wasn't likely a market and fanbase that could sustain a "national promotion" unless they really hit some home runs.

Asian and Latino are even more complex than ECW, and they can't kid themselves into thinking they have someone like Heyman to "help" them as he in theory could with ECW.


John

John

[kjh]

[jdw]

For a bonus, to be the clear star of a Brand, and to get away from WWE US Creative (Steph, Trip, Vince and the side influences of assholes like Shawn, Taker and JBL), I'd move my family. If I were Kurt Angle circa 2002, you couldn't get me a plane tickets and "Moving Expenses" quick enough.

Now it's entirely possible that the Long Arm of WWE Creative will reach all the way over to Europe and fuck you in the ass. But I'd just as soon go.

On the other hand, you couldn't pay me to be an anchor in WWE Latino unless I were Rey or Eddy and the bonus was robust. I'm also not sure if I'd want to be an anchor in WWE Asia if I were a non-Asian. I think that one has a decent shot of flopping big at this time.

But Eurpoe has a decent shot of doing well. Basing my family in England or France would be cool. It would be a nice experiance. If the Heads of WWE Europe are good guys to work with, you also could get some input into Creative and help shape the product. And also work with the Heads to encourage a Developmental territory to try to develop some locals. I think it would be an interesting challenge.

If you ask me what major mistake the WWE is making, it's by trying Latino and Asia at the same time they're doing Europe. There really should see if they can develop a model that works in Europe, that doesn't destroy the market, that somehow ads revenue on top of what they can get in Europe already (inexpensively from existing US PPV and TV, and also from touring).

When drafting the model, if you find out that the expenses involved in running a WWE Europe chew up the potential revenue, you just might find out that your current expenses (very little other than touring expenses) relative to your revenue (seems to be a pretty decent amount) really make it a better idea to simply develop the *existing* method of doing business better.


John

[Bob Morris]

The real question has to be what they do with a brand in Mexico.

For starters, Rey Misterio lost his mask in a WCW match, and I believe they ran a match in Mexico where he lost it. What do they do when the Mexican fans turn on Rey if he shows up there wearing the mask again?

Not that some Mexican wrestling fans likely haven't turned on Rey because he was wearing the mask again in the States.

I think a Mexico brand would flop because there isn't one person working for WWE who has a clue what Mexican wrestling traditions are all about.

Heck, they better hope they don't assign somebody who has the same train of thought that Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo had that masked wrestlers can't get over and there better off losing a mask match (Bischoff's idea) or just taking the thing off and getting it over with (Russo's idea... remember Aguila, who just took off his mask and became Papi Chulo/Essa Rios).

[sideswipe70]

[corrado]

Here's Lance Storm's take on the proposed WWE expansion.

http://www.stormwrestling.com/031207.html

Storm is fast becoming one of the most intelligent wrestling personalities of his time. Lots of good points he made here.

[eron]

It's almost as if the WWE is going to spread itself too thin, and allow itself to be taken out by the barbarian Indies. Ah, I love combining Roman history with the Royal Rumble ad.

"You screwed Bret-cus!"