The Steve Austin Show

For a long time after retiring from in-ring activity 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin struggled to find a new calling. He hung around in WWE for a few years in a variety of authority figure roles but it never felt quite right. As a wrestler one of his defining characteristics had been his anti-authority bent. Seeing him laying down the law felt odd. On top of that it was clear that Austin missed actually wrestling. He was fun in these roles but they were never truly Steve Austin.

Eventually he left those roles behind in favour of chasing acting work in Hollywood. The high point of that endeavour was his appearances as lead goon Paine in The Expendables. When it became clear that acting wasn't going to pan out for him as it did The Rock (or even Hulk Hogan), Austin took a sidestep into hosting. Specifically he headed up WWE's initial, pre-Network, revival of Tough Enough and Country Music Television's Redneck Island. When those were received well he launched a podcast and got himself another TV show, Broken Skull Challenge¹.

Austin looking massively unimpressed there. Great stuff.

A combination of Austin being a likeable host and having a mostly sensible, respectable view on the wrestling business made his podcast a success. That in turn lead to WWE offering Austin a slot on the Network to interview Vince McMahon on 1 December 2014. No official ratings are available for the Network but it's hard to imagine this didn't do well: it was Vince's first appearance on a podcast answering questions from someone he'd had a close working relationship with for a number of years. It clearly did well enough to make someone in WWE decide that it should be a frequent thing as Austin has since returned to interview Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, and Edge and Christian.

It's possible that reading that list one name stands out over the others. Paige is not the first person who springs to mind when you think of potential interviewees for 'The Rattlesnake'. The common belief is that she was an emergency replacement for Hulk Hogan, who had been revealed as a bit of a racist a week or so earlier. If we assume that Hogan was the initially scheduled guest² we end up with a list of top level talent who would have worked with Austin during his run as an active wrestler (with all but Heyman being around him at his peak).

With an impressive pedigree established for Austin's Network shows it will be interesting to see who else gets lined up as a guest. There are a number of names I'd like to see, with Eric Bischoff being at the top of the list. They have an interesting history together. An injured Austin was released from his WCW contract by a cost-cutting Bischoff and he went on, via some angry anti-WCW promos in ECW, to be the biggest star in wrestling. When Bischoff rocked up in WWE years later he would end up working closely with Austin. Any heat between them will have long since been resolved but it still be interesting to see the pair discuss Austin's WCW firing and their later working relationship.

Both Mick Foley and The Rock would also be good guests. They worked with Austin at his hottest. Foley was his first feud after winning the WWF championship at WrestleMania XIV and would go on to work as a transitional champion getting the strap from Austin to Triple H in summer 1999. These periods of work, along with the fact that Foley has known Austin since the early nineties, give Foley an insight into Austin's journey to the top and his behaviour while he was there that few others could have. It's unlikely Ausitn would bring up his difficult behaviour once he was established as a top star on his own show but Foley could allude to it. Even if he didn't they're two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era who respect one another's work and it would be nice to see them reminiscing about their time on top.

This is podcast material right here.

The appeal with The Rock is slightly different. Both he and Austin have mentioned over the years that they didn't get on when they first met but they went on to have the defining rivalry of wrestling's hottest period. If their secret handshake-heavy appearances in recent years (see WrestleMania XXX) are anything to go by they're very good pals now. As with Foley a large part of the appeal is seeing the pair chatting about their work together, although it feels like there's more chance of Austin acknowledging his early dislike of 'The Great One' than of his '99 paranoia.

The Undertaker was also around Austin at the same time as Foley and Rock but as he's had a WWE career that's lasted for well over two decades it's safe to assume that, rather than his late nineties dealing with Austin, would be the focus. Austin's mentioned on previous shows, as well as his regular podcast, that he was unhappy that The Streak ended. Seeing him discuss that topic with 'The Phenom' could fill a substantial amount of time by itself, especially if they looked back on The Streak as a whole. Even leaving The Streak aside 'Taker's worked with such a wide variety of WWE names and had so many bizarre periods of his career (who doesn't want to see Austin discuss Ministry of Darkness era 'Taker or 'Big Evil' era 'Taker?) that he'd be a natural choice for guest. Though somehow I don't think we'll see this happen until 'The Dead Man' is ready to call it a day on his career. WWE are, rightfully, protective of the character's mystique and appearing on a podcast would be damaging to that.

As the breakout star of the last year or so Seth Rollins would be a cool interview. Even though he's only been on the main roster for less than three years 'The Future' has accomplished a lot. He participated in a revival of trios matches (which I'm convinced would prompt Austin to drop a Freebirds reference), had a cracking singles feud with Dean Ambrose in which they headlined a PPV over John Cena, and he won the WWE championship in a WrestleMania main event. He'll be on top of WWE for years to come and I'd like to see Austin passing on some pointers with that in mind.

Talk, Owens, talk.

A breakout star of lesser status right now is Kevin Owens. I think he'd be a good addition to the show's line-up because he's such a fan of Austin. He's spoken before about happening to run into Austin at an airport when he was first starting out as a wrestler, where Austin told him to never stop running his mouth. Anyone who's seen Owens wrestle knows that's advice he took on board and it's likely advice that ultimately helped him to get signed by WWE. Seeing the pair discuss that aspect of KO's act would be fun, as would Austin delving into Owens' other career influences and his status as one of WWE's hottest heels, and one of the few to have motives beyond being bad because they're bad. I'd also like to see Austin speak to someone who's been in NXT since it became the "hot brand" it currently is, and Owens fits the bill perfectly.

Perhaps a slightly odd choice would be Cesaro. Not because he doesn't have anything interesting to say (he does) but because he's not the big name that everyone else on this list is. Austin is an outspoken fan of 'The King of Swing' so it's easy to imagine him wanting to have him on the show to give him a platform to promote himself. On top of that Cesaro's had an interesting journey to WWE, winning a green card lottery and all, and always comes across as an affable, humble lad in interviews.

Finally, there's John Cena. He's one of only a handful of men to have ever been positioned as the centrepiece of WWE. Austin is one of the others. He's one of the few people who can understand the pressure of Cena's spot. He's a fan of Cena's work too, which seems to be the case for a lot of WWE veterans. I'd like to see him discuss Cena's ring work with Cena to see if his claims are genuine and, if they are, what it is he specifically enjoys. Plus the subject of the springboard Stunner could be fun.

***

¹ This sounds less painful than it is. Though, to be clear, it is still a very painful show for those who appear on it.

² For the record I think it's a real shame Hogan is now unlikely to ever appear on Austin's Network show. It would have been fascinating to see Austin and Hogan discuss Hogan's WCW politicking (which Austin believes held him down there), Austin's ECW parodies of Hogan, and which of them is the bigger, more important name in WWE history.

WWE King of the Ring 2015 review

As part of an effort to load up the Network with original programming for a week the decision was made to resurrect the King of the Ring tournament. The reasoning behind creating a "packed" week on the Network was that it would encourage those experiencing a free trial to sign up as full members. Whether or not a live Chris Jericho podcast with Stephanie McMahon and a Mick Foley comedy special are enough to get that done I don't know, but I suspect they are not.

I also suspect that King of the Ring, done in the style it was, was not a subscriptions winner either. The announcement that what was once a fairly prestigious tournament was made on Sunday night. By Tuesday evening the tournament had concluded. This brevity goes a long way towards explaining what was wrong with the approach. What could comfortably have provided the Network with original programming for a month was crammed into two nights, only one of which benefited the Network.

Had the longer course been taken the tournament would have seemed more prestigious and the accomplishment of winning would have seemed greater. More could have been made of the tourney's history and status as a career launcher. That status is admittedly spectacularly hit-and-miss (for every Steve Austin there's a Mabel) but the less impressive winners could have been downplayed or flat out ignored.

Delaying the opening bracket until Tuesday, instead of racing everything through, would have created time for guys to go out on RAW and discuss their desire to be entered into the tournament and win it. The course actually taken left no time for this, which contributed to the overall rushed feel of the thing.

Finally, there were the entrants. For the most part the choices were fine. Ambrose, Ziggler, Sheamus, Harper and Barrett were all perfectly logical additions. Stardust was a mild surprise, given the writing team's disinterest in him since WrestleMania. Neville, the man who sold his first name for a shot on the main roster, was an obvious addition too. As a newcomer he benefited from being put n the same level as other names involved in the tournament.

The only actively bad entrant was R-Truth. The man is on the same level as the likes of Curtis Axel and Heath Slater, losing almost all of his matches and sticking around on the roster as a featured good guy jobber. There's nothing wrong with a guy having this position (someone needs to fill it) but entering such a guy into an eight man tournament is stupid. It dilutes the meaning of the tournament if someone who loses all the time gets entered and it denies younger, more popular guys an opportunity for more screen time. Damien Sandow, Ryback, Cearo, Tyson Kidd, Kalisto, or any member of New Day would have been a better choice than Truth. In fact, the entire thing could probably have been fleshed out to include sixteen men without any difficulty (although that would have necessitated the longer approach WWE seemed to want to avoid).

Two former Dragon Gate lads getting some King of the Ring action.

Three of the four opening round matches on RAW were enjoyable. Ambrose and Sheamus showed that they work well opposite one another. A series between them wouldn't be the worst thing WWE could do. Ziggler v Barrett was good but a tad on the basic side, perhaps due to the fact that the pair have worked with one another before and failed to give us anything new here. Stardust v R-Truth was bad. It was always going to be but it was made worse by 'The Suntan Superman' winning. Neville versus Harper was a truly great match. Although it was disappointing to see Harper lose again he wasn't weakened by the loss because the match was so competitive. And, y'know, wins and losses mean little in WWE anyway.

The King of the Ring show opened with a video package highlighting past kings. In order, we saw Austin, Triple H, Lesnar, Randy Savage, Booker T, Harley Race, Bret Hart, Edge, and Sheamus. This was a solid acknowledgement to the tourney's history but far more could have been done with more time. Jerry Lawler was introduced to cut a promo explaining how a tournament works (yes, really) and cue up a recap of the four matches the night before. It was filler material as much as anything.

Backstage Sheamus cut a promo designed to show that he was looking past Adrian Neville to the finals. It was basic but it did its job. Elsewhere in the building Nev told Renee Young that he intended win the tournament. He was mostly pretty humble about the achievements he'd made in his month on the main roster. It's a shame that he's not allowed to show the arrogant streak he had in NXT but nuance isn't a thing that guys are allowed on the main roster. He did get to reference NXT though, which was something.

Even though they didn't deviate much form the standard TV formula they produced a good match. 'Great White' knocked Neville about. Neville kept coming back for more because he's plucky. Eventually Dolph Ziggler came out and brought up footage of him beating Shaymo at Extreme Rules. This threw Sheamus off, causing him to miss a Brogue kick which allowed Neville to hit him with a roundhouse and the Red Arrow for the victory. The finish was cheap but that's not a surprise. WWE wanted to have Sheamus lose but they weren't prepared to have Neville beat him clean.

After the match Ziggler rushed the ring and attacked Sheamus. They had a bit of a scuffle before being separated by referees. This was all the evidence needed to show that King of the Ring was just a veil to book the usual stuff around.

Backstage again Bad News Barrett said R-Truth should be more worried about him than spiders. This was in response to Truth saying that if he became King he'd banish spiders from WWE. Barrett ended up saying he'd win. But he wouldn't say anything else, would he? The spider talk was quite possibly the reason Truth got added to the tournament. It's the sort of humour Vince loves. You only needed to watch Truth's promo with Saxton to see that. He spent the entire time talking about his dislike of spiders, instead of putting over his opponent or the tournament he was involved in.

The Truth versus Barrett match was better than I'd expected. But then I hadn't expected much so that's not saying a great deal. Bad News got the most predictable win of the tournament with the Bullhammer elbow.

Backstage one again Renee asked Dolph about his accidental assist to Sheamus on RAW (he attacked Sheamus, giving him a win by disqualification). 'The Show Off' called Sheamus a bully and made it clear he was keen on getting another match with him. Barrett and Neville were also interviewed again. They both predicted victories. That was about it.

The King of the Ring finals pitted two Englishmen against each other in a rematch from the Extreme Rules pre-show. That was yet another blow to the tournament's shaky standing: neither man was important enough to appear on the most recent pay-per-view. In fairness having the finals be a rematch of a recent meeting did add something. We knew that Neville could beat Barrett if things went right for him, which made the match seem more predictable than it likely would have been otherwise.

King Bad News I.

But this was not Extreme Rules. It was Barrett's brutality against Neville's speed and well-placed kicks, and the brutality won out. The story of the match was that Neville's inexperience relative to Barrett and the pasting he'd taken form Sheamus combined to create an insurmountable struggle for him. He had a handful of hopes spots and got in some nice moves, including a lovely top rope Asai moonsault and a deadlift German suplex, but ultimately Neville fell to the Bullhammer after missing the Red Arrow. While the match wasn't bad it could have been a lot better, a fitting end to a rushed King of the Ring.

Although I've knocked this King of the Ring a fair bit there were things to enjoy. Barrett winning, for example, is not the worst thing in the world and while none of the matches were all-time classics the match quality was of a high standard. Having Neville advance to the finals was good too, and he wasn't made to look like a pushover in his final defeat. The King of the Ring format is one that could really work well on the Network. I'd like to see it brought back again next year. If it's given more attention and the winner is given a sustained push (somehow I don't think that's going to be the case for King Bad News) it could be turned into the launching pad it was at times in the nineties.

The Steve Austin Show

Why does ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin not have a greater presence on the WWE Network?

To a certain demographic Austin is still a very appealing figure. That demographic forms a large part of the WWE Network’s subscriber numbers¹. There are people that would pay to listen to hear him talk. Maybe not $9.99 a month, but it could certainly be a contributing factor. He’s a good communicator, is passionate about the business in general and WWE in particular, and his status as one of the company’s biggest ever stars gives him all the credibility he could ever need.

He’s proven himself to be a pretty good interviewer too, mostly on his twice weekly podcast but also in his pair of Network specials. The first, a sit down with Vince McMahon in December, was well received, Austin showing himself to be an amiable, knowledgeable host. ‘The Rattlesnake’ pressed McMahon a fair amount (not as much as he could have done on some points, but more than I’d expected him to on others) and kept the conversation flowing freely, switching naturally between subjects, never getting a topic get exhausted but not burning through things too quickly either.

Vince could have been a little more open, but it was still one of the more intriguing interviews he’s ever given. I think that’s largely due to the fact that he was speaking to someone he had worked with closely and regularly for many years. There was a level of familiarity there that no other interviewer (including the likes of Goldberg, Roddy Piper and Chris Jericho) could have gotten. Yeah, he was still guarded and frustratingly vague on some topics but it was still a worthwhile listen and watch.

Roman Reigns on the screen there. Keeping him strong.

The Triple H interview after last Monday’s RAW was better yet. ‘The Game’ was more willing to try to explain his perspective as opposed to trying to explain why everyone else was wrong (the Vinnie Mac approach). When he did avoid questions, and he avoided a few, he made a smoother job of it, which made Austin’s lack of follow-up slightly more forgivable.

In terms of interviews with significant WWE personnel Austin has done the big two. Vince McMahon is the boss who worked closely with Austin when he was the biggest star in wrestling. Triple H is the rumoured heir who wrestled Austin when he was the biggest star in wrestling. There are no other people with a media profile in positions of authority in WWE that have worked with ‘The Bionic Redneck’ as McMahon and Trips have done. An argument could be made for a Stephanie McMahon interview and I’m sure it would be interesting (just as I’m sure she’ll be interview three for Austin). But it wouldn’t have quite the same impact as these first two. Which is, of course, the reason they were the first two.

My point here isn’t simply advocating a greater frequency of podcast specials on the Network. They’re great when they come but they’d soon lose their lustre if they became a regular thing. My point is that Austin could be of great benefit to the Network in a regular slot. An Austin chat show, say live on Fridays or Saturdays when WWE doesn’t have any new content on TV, would be a great vehicle for members of the roster to gain exposure. It could humanise them in a way that promos never can and provide them with a high profile platform to win viewers over. Obviously guys like Cesaro and Ziggler and Bryan need little help winning over the average Network subscriber, but it could be of enormous help to a Big E or Jack Swagger or Zack Ryder. A chat show, featuring all the associated skits and acts that term conjures up, fronted by Austin could be great. Said acts could easily be based on the sort of thing The JBL Show does well, giving more TV time to yet more people.

Would it really be too much trouble for WWE to knock up a basic set in LA or Texas for Austin’s convenience? I don’t think so, especially if it were only for a limited run of somewhere between six and thirteen episodes (because that’s what I think WWE and Austin would realistically produce at first). An Austin chat show would create more unique, original content for the Network and provide a platform for talent. Can something which does these things really be considered bad? I don’t think it can.

***

¹ I’m not plucking this out of thin air, I’m quoting from Triple H’s February 2 appearance on Austin’s podcast. He’d know, right?

Why Survivor Series Needs to be Great

Late last week tweaks were announced for the WWE Network subscription process. Subscribers will no longer need to commit to a six month deal with the Network when signing up. Instead they will be able to cancel their subscription at any time. More importantly a free trial period was announced for November.

These are changes for the better, obviously. The six month commitment WWE wanted was off-putting. It could also be skirted by cancelling PayPal payments, prompting WWE to cancel your access to the Network. It was a setup that made WWE look both draconian, for expecting such a commitment from punters, and foolish, because there was such a clear and simple loophole.

Allowing people to sample a streaming service for a month has worked out very well for Netflix. The idea is that people will see how beneficial the service is to them and not opt out before their free trial ends. It’s something WWE should keep going after November, although I suspect they’ll cancel it at least for a while in order to make November a particularly successful month.

Rusev versus Sheamus at Survivor Series? Probs.

The implications of this free trial should be obvious for Survivor Series. Basically people can get that show without paying anything. Theoretically this could result in a scenario where nobody buys Survivor Series, opting to get a Network subscription instead. In fact this may be WWE’s ideal scenario as they’re likely hoping for a dip in PPV sales as people choose to watch the show for free via the Network (except for those poor unfortunates who have already paid, natch). They want subscribers more than they want pay-per-view customers at the moment because that’s the only way the Network is going to become a success.

WWE really needs to ensure that Survivor Series is a cracking show. If they can make it one of their best supercard offerings of the year they might be able to convince people to stay signed up to the Network for another month to see the next pay-per-view for a cheap price. If it’s a poor effort it’s giving people one more reason to cancel their Network membership. Poor special events are not appealing. Well, modern ones aren’t. Personally I’m looking forward to watching some Russo era WCW.

So far there’s no evidence that WWE sees the use of pay-per-view quality as an enticement to sign up to the Network. They seem to be operating on the logic that the Network, at $9.99 a month, is a significantly better deal than the $50-plus you’d pay just for a PPV. They’re right that it’s a better deal, but that doesn’t bother some people. Many will only buy select PPVs that carry a certain level of hype. In order to convert them into Network subcribers WWE has to make its supershows consistently excellent and appealing, so that they find themselves tempted to purchase them more often and end up seeing that a Network subscription would be beneficial.

This is not revolutionary stuff. But the fact that WWE has not gone out of their way to make pay-per-views any better since WrestleMania makes me think that they’re not interested in attracting Network subscriptions in this fashion. Or at least they haven’t been until now. Essentially giving away Survivor Series for free indicates that WWE may have changed their minds on this.

Right now the card does not look sufficiently exhilarating. The Team Cena versus Team Authority match is something that could be good in terms of quality but it’s still a tough sell because it will feature interactions we’ve seen so many times before (and, generally speaking, people get less excited about tag matches than they do singles). The likely Sheamus versus Rusev and confirmed Ambrose versus Wyatt matches seem far more intriguing. Both of those are fresh and feature guys who have been presented as big deals this year (well, except Shaymo, but he’s inexplicably popular anyway). The company could do a lot worse than concentrating its promotional powers more on Ambrose and Wyatt than the clash of the Teams, and giving the US championship match build-up more TV time than it would receive under usual circumstances. Basically, highlight the more interesting aspects of the card. And put together four or five other genuinely interesting matches with reasons for happening too. Give people a reason to care about product.

The Network Launch (Not) Heard Round the World

A month or two ago it was announced on RAW that the WWE Network would be available in the UK from October 1. Today is September 29, two days before this supposed launch date, and information on the Network's British availability is distinctly hard to come by.

No price has been announced. The $9.99 a month price tag US subscribers shell out may be a good estimate. But equally it might not. We don’t know because nothing’s been announced. WWE may decide to forego adjusting the price to match the currency exchange (which would currently see subscribers here paying a peculiar £6.13 a month) and opt to charge us £9.99. Hey, they've already gotten the price over as a slogan, why not gouge UK customers for some extra cash too?

It's odd that the British launch hasn't been mentioned on RAW in recent weeks. Especially when you consider how much the Network gets mentioned during the show. It would take very little effort for Cole, Lawler or Layfield to add “Oh, by the way, the British launch is still on. Here’s some info.” They may plug it excessively tonight, and that will make sense. But there was nothing to stop them drumming up interest over the last month. Excessing plugging’s happening, so why not throw in some pertinent info?

And speaking of drumming up interest: why has a wrestler not been dispatched to Britain for a string of media appearances hyping the launch? There's a live event tour planned for November, that could've been mentioned too. Bad News Barrett's currently injured. He'd have been the ideal choice for the media blitz spot considering his knowledge ever increasing popularity here. If he were unavailable for some reason then there are scores of undercard performers treading water each week who'd probably love the chance to express a bit of character with some media appearances.

 

This fella wants to hear all about WWE's streaming service.

Hey, Hulk Hogan's done nothing since SummerSlam, and he was hired specifically to act as a spokesman for the WWE Network (amongst other things, obvs). Where's he? Not on This Morning laughing it up with Phillip ‘Two Ls’ Schofield that's for sure. 

I'm not saying the launch has been pushed back. But it feels like it had. WWE have done an unusually poor job of hyping the Network in what is expected to be its number two market. Perhaps they’re confident in their popularity here. But considering the talk of disappointing sign-up numbers up until this point I would have thought they’d want to try to make as big an impact as possible here. Perhaps I’m wrong.

The Purpose of Impact

What is TNA’s Impact Wrestling show for? Most weekly wrestling television shows have a reason to exist. They’re there to encourage viewers to spend money on tickets, merchandise and upcoming pay-per-views, achieved through a combination of commentary team plugs, ads, compelling storylines and good matches. From the perspective of the channels they air on they’re there to be cheap to produce content that gets a decent rating.

How many of these criteria does TNA’s flagship programme actually achieve? Tickets to most Impact tapings and pay-per-views over the last few years have been free. That’s what happens when you base yourselves at Universal Studios where you can’t charge admission. TNA runs so few house shows that they can be covered by the announcers in a matter of seconds and they’re generally in venues that seat only a few hundred people. Not exactly a thriving area of business for the Total Nonstop crew. Even when these shows are mentioned, which is infrequently and in a pretty haphazard manner, it’s not like TNA is making money off them.

TNA merchandise is similarly downplayed. In fact I can’t bring to mind a single TNA T-shirt. My overall impression of the company’s clothing output (which is a significant money-maker in wrestling) is that swirls and drab colours with the occasional bit of diamante lobbed in for the covered market look. The sort of thing you might find in River Island.

TNA DVDs are non-existent beyond the bog standard PPV releases. When was the last time they put together a documentary on someone? I know it costs money but if it were done well enough it could actually get them – gasp – a profit. TNA has shown aptitude with video packages in the past and has more than enough former WWE staff who would have knowledge of doc production. They should put their resources to better use. If they stay in business that is.

Tune into Impact and you can see such fresh matches as the Hardy Boyz v Team 3D.

Some people would be adamant that TNA has compelling storylines. I disagree, and would point out that TNA doesn’t get a strong enough viewing figure for their current approach to be deemed a flourishing success. Their plots are either a swift jump onto the latest WWE bandwagon or something overly drawn out and not interesting enough. They’ve got a pretty good roster and could put on good matches most weeks, but don’t do so nearly enough. There’s not a coherent style and approach that sets the company apart. I’ve written this before.

Impact does hit a couple of the criteria. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make (as all wrestling TV shows are compared to dramas and documentaries) and was, before the move to Wednesday nights, attracting a healthy, growing audience. But is this enough of a reason for a wrestling company to exist? Trading week to week just to get a decent TV rating? I don’t think so.

The only companies it's reasonable to compare TNA to, operating as they do in the same country with weekly television shows aimed at the same demographics, are WWE and Ring of Honor. Both of those promotions use their programming for a wider variety of things than does TNA. Both, in their own ways, plug merch, house shows and pay-per-views, with their respective style clear at a glance. People knock WWE for plugging the Network too much and while it can be overbearing that’s exactly what a free to view wrestling TV show is for: to make you aware of products on which you’ll spend money.

Impact doesn’t do this. And that’s part (but only part) of the reason TNA’s never caught on enough to turn a profit. From the outside it comes across as little more than a vanity project run for the fun for those involved at the top. There is no obvious reason for it to exist.

Sting: The Final Holdout?

It’s the time of year when Sting moving his career over to WWE becomes a thing. I’m not going to write about how close the two parties are to reaching a deal because we don’t know, and we won’t know until an announcement is made. Or perhaps even until Sting shows up one night on RAW.

What can be talked about is whether Sting has anything significant to offer WWE. Looking passed the in-ring possibilities for a second there are various uses he could be put to. A DVD looking back on his career would be the obvious first project. His TNA stint would have to be omitted but, really, that’s not much of a loss. It’s his days in WCW, and earlier stints in the UWF and Memphis, that would be of most interest. Those are periods of his career that have not been satisfactorily documented.

In a similar vein ‘The Stinger’ could contribute to future projects centred round defunct promotions and wrestlers he worked with. In truth many of the DVDs Sting could make interesting contributions to have already been released. There are various releases out there covering the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and World Championship Wrestling, but WWE aren’t known for their restraint. It’s not impossible they’ll produce more documentaries on these wrestlers and companies in the future.

There are a handful of wrestlers WWE haven’t ever given the DVD treatment whom Sting could speak on at length. Vader, Diamond Dallas Page, Lex Luger and the Steiner brothers for example. None of these would be amongst the biggest money releases ever, but there would be a market for them. They could add something (I’ll diplomatically say content) to the WWE Network too.

Speaking of which, appearances on whatever shows are coming our way on the Network would be a certainty too. Which is fine. Whatever Sting has to say on any subject to do with wrestling it will at least be something we’ve not heard a dozen times before. His is a perspective that won’t necessarily be overly familiar to WWE viewers.

What most people will be excited about regarding a potential WWE-Sting deal are the matches. I can understand this in theory: he’s a big name in wrestling that has never worked for the company or faced many members of the roster. There’s a feeling of freshness to Sting joining the promotion.

Sting does not look like this anymore

In practice it’s a different story. Sting will be presented as something akin to the final holdout from WCW. That league last promoted a show thirteen years ago. It’s arguable that it wasn’t relevant or worth watching for a significant amount of time before that. WCW is not a company people care about in a meaningful sense anymore. And a lag time of thirteen years will make Sting look old, something that won’t be helped by the fact that he is old for an active wrestler at fifty-four. Without TNA footage to span the gap WWE will be forced to remind people of Sting via footage of him in which he looks significantly younger, even under the face paint.

On top of that you have the fact that, well, Sting’s just not very good. He was never the greatest wrestler around but he had a certain charisma to him that many responded to. I didn’t see any trace of that during his decade in TNA. Yes he was cheered and yes people reacted to him, but not in the same way as in his heyday.

Part of that may simply be attributable to the fact that he was working for what is essentially a glorified indy promotion. It’s possible that WWE will be able to work their magic and make ‘The Icon’ appear significant again. Using him in a reduced role, which WWE surely would, would help too. Being a TV regular, essentially making him just another name (as was the case in TNA), is not something that helps ‘The Stinger’s’ aura or standing.

But whether he’s good or not there are enough fresh matches on the roster to keep him busy for a year or two (assuming he worked a schedule that didn’t see him on every pay-per-view). Sting versus Triple H, Sting versus Brock Lesnar and Sting versus Batista would probably be among the first we’d be offered. I suspect Sting and ‘The Game’ would turn out something best described as proficient. I certainly can’t imagine it feeling special. The same goes for Sting and ‘The Animal’, although that would be less proficient and more a train wreck. for Sting v Lesnar would probably be a train wreck too, although it would be a compelling one, in the style of all Lesnar matches since his 2012 return: less a wrestling match, more a wild fight where part of the appeal lies in seeing what ‘The Pain’ will do to get himself over as a wild man.

Matches with The Rock and The Undertaker could be presented as the loyalist WWE performer against the loyalist WCW performer (it would only work with whichever bout went first, although that wouldn’t necessarily stop WWE from using the approach twice). The loyalist thing is something that’s so obvious that I think WWE would have to acknowledge it but it would have had far more impact and meaning had Sting moved to WWE within a few years of WCW’s closure, rather than waiting thirteen years. Both matches would be reliant on the limited schedules of the WWE boys though, natch.

Sting versus ‘The Great One’ would probably be fine. Neither man’s strength is actually wrestling, but they’re both good enough to put on something decent. It would be a spectacle.

Sting versus ‘Taker would also be a spectacle, and probably the better match. The trouble here is that Undertaker making an appearance at a pay-per-view not named WrestleMania seems unlikely and Sting doesn’t feel special enough to challenge The Streak. Had Sting signed on for WrestleMania XXVIII, held in WCW stronghold Atlanta, the match could have worked and the show, and Hall of Fame, could have been given a WCW flavour. But now, with Undertaker winding down and likely only having a few Streak defences left in him, I think younger guys like Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt deserve a ‘Mania match with ‘The Dead Man’ more than Sting.

The Bryans and Wyatts of the roster, along with potential pushees Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, would be the opponents I’d most like to see Sting face. CM Punk too, if he were to return. They’re all good enough to have great matches with Sting and are, or could be with a bit of work, meaningful enough to fans that the matches would feel like big deals.

If Sting shows up in WWE any time soon I think it’s going to be on April 7, the RAW after WrestleMania XXX. Whether I’m right or not if he does move to WWE I hope they don’t overuse him and select his opponents with care. And keep him away from The Streak.

First RAW of the Network Era

February 24 2014 is going to be one of the most important dates in WWE history. It's the Monday after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, which means an episode of RAW that's more eventful than the average instalment. It's a night six weeks out from WrestleMania XXX, which should mean the line-up for that show is finalised and storylines are ready to start moving towards them. And then of course there's the thing that makes it a really big day: the launch of the WWE Network.

WWE will obviously do everything they can to ensure the launch is a success. I've no idea what that will require from a technical position. Lots of servers being online or something I s'pose. Content-wise it will involve decent numbers of worthwhile shows being ready to watch for people who sign up. As for RAW it should involve a strong line-up. That means every major star currently on the roster, part-timer Brock Lesnar, cameos from past stars, and some significant returns.

Four names spring to mind when I think of significant returns. Of those two seem very likely to pop up, one seems unlikely, and one seems impossible.

The men in the first category are Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. Despite creating a number of top stars since Hogan made his first high profile split two decades ago (he wanted to crack films but ended up in WCW) WWE seems unable to completely sever the link they have with him. This is partly because to many, including the media, Hogan is still a comfortable shorthand for the pinnacle of the wrestling business. With WWE being the biggest wrestling company in the world and an organisation that started their rise to dominance with ‘The Hulkster’ as their figurehead the linking of the two parties is natural and understandable. To people with only a basic knowledge of wrestling Hogan and WWE are inseparable entities. With WWE always hungry for media coverage it makes sense that they’ve never gone out of their way to attempt to alter this perception.

It's a link both WWE and Hogan benefit from. WWE gains access to a man who can still draw in the punters. Hogan gets paid lots of cash to spout whatever company line he's asked to and the spotlight. With Hogan it always comes back to the spotlight. It’s a setup that works for both parties, basically. That Hogan’s been away from WWE for seven years won’t hurt either. Comebacks mean more when the person coming back has been away for a long time.

Undertaker’s is a different situation. Over the last several years he has dropped into a pattern of making annual returns before WrestleMania. As such his comeback is to be expected and can be relied upon to boost the rating of RAW. Timing that boost to coincide with the Network is a smart move. Pairing it with the return of Hogan is smarter still. It would encourage a large audience, something WWE wants because they’ll be plugging their new streaming service all night long.

Be aware that he looks very different now

The name who seems unlikely is The Ultimate Warrior. Announced for a Hall of Fame induction in New Orleans we know Warrior will be appearing at WrestleMania. It’s entirely possible that part of the deal he’s struck with WWE is an appearance to coincide with the Network launch. He’s not appeared for the promotion since the summer of 1996. For many people who grew up watching WWE in the late eighties and early nineties Warrior is either the equal or superior of Hulk Hogan. It’s those lapsed viewers with a love for or interest in nostalgia WWE are hoping to entice to subscribe to their Network. With that in mind Ultimate Warrior would be a very significant figure to reintroduce after an eighteen year absence.

The final name, the man whose return would be significant but whom I can’t imagine WWE getting, is CM Punk. The reasons for this should be obvious. ‘The Second City Saint’ walked out without a goodbye after Royal Rumble. Since then audiences have chanted his name at every televised WWE show. It’s only been a few weeks but it’s been made very clear that fans want him back. He’s still under contract and if WWE could sort out their creative differences then they could get Punk to appear. That doesn’t seem likely though. The problems are too deep and fresh to be overcome in time for the post-Chamber RAW (unless it’s all been a part of a worked shoot conspiracy theory all along; not something I seriously expect).

Whoever they get to appear alongside the core members of their roster the fact that the Network is so important to the future of the company makes me think that WWE will do everything in their power to make the February 24 RAW exciting and memorable. It’s a chance for them to advertise their new venture for three hours. A good show is going to energise regular viewers and, more importantly, possibly trick those tuning in for the first time in a while that WWE is just as exciting as ever. It’s the first RAW in a while that we can expect to be great before it airs.

Will WWE make a similar effort when the Network launches in other territories later in the year or early next year? Somehow I doubt it.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 36

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 36 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

I’ve already posted my thoughts on the WWE Network. They can be found here. In this episode we discuss the Network again but talk a bit more about what could come from it in the future.

To get a bit specific before you press play I think if the Network’s around in five years (and it almost certainly will be) I think WWE will be making original dramas for the Network, unrelated to wrestling. Netflix and other internet-based television services (are they television services if you’re not watching on a television?) are already doing this. WWE will want to do it in order to compete and, perhaps more importantly, to show that they can. It’s the WWE way to show that the company is incredibly versatile even though it isn’t.



You'll be able to watch this happen on the Network, should you want to

Something about the Network that isn’t discussed in this episode is Chris Benoit. WWE has stated that footage of him will be shown unedited but will be preceded by warnings. I think this is the best way for them to approach the issue. With the reputation they have and the market they target they can’t just show footage of a murderer without some form of disclaimer.

At the same time he was such an important part of WCW and WWE for so long that it would make editing him out of storylines a lengthy process, and one that would ruin large chunks of shows he wasn’t directly featured on due to the nature of how wrestling programmes are put together. What they’ve chosen to do allows people to opt out of watching Benoit if they wish while not depriving people of the complete viewing experience they’ll be paying for.

For the record I’m most looking forward to watching ECW footage when the Network gets launched. It is, for me, the most interesting part of WWE’s extensive library. I mention this mainly so that this post can end on a positive note. Now press play!

The WWE Network

It was September 2011 when WWE first announced their plan to create the imaginatively named WWE Network. To put things in perspective that was the year that The Rock wrestled his first match since 2002, Michael Cole was wrestling’s most over heel, Miz went into WrestleMania as WWE champion to beat John Cena, and RAW was still only two hours long. Beyond the name nothing was known about the Network.

That changed the following month when WWE aired a trailer stating that the Network would launch on April 1^st 2012, just in time for WrestleMania XXVIII. But that launch was quietly dropped, never to be acknowledged again by WWE. It can be explained either as WWE not appreciating how much work was involved in launching a television channel when they announced the date or as one of the most outlandish April Fools’ Day pranks in history. Probably the former.

Yes, television channel. That was WWE’s original plan. They looked at starting one from scratch to begin with but when they realised it would be too expensive and complex they started looking at buying existing stations to be rebranded. That didn’t come to anything either.

WWE didn’t seem to know quite how to go about following up on their bravado-laden announcement. They knew they wanted their own channel but they didn’t know how to get it. It was a logical goal for the company to have. In addition to owning nearly five decades’ of their own footage they’d also bought up the archive rights of the American Wrestling Association, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, a variety of National Wrestling Alliance territories, World Championship Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling. Having so much at their disposal and doing nothing with it was not, ahem, best for business. Releasing even the highlights from these promotions in a physical format would have been impractical. Creating their own broadcasting service was the most sensible approach WWE could take if it wanted to make use of the footage it had spent a lot of money acquiring.

By summer 2012 things had quietened down on the Network front. The rumour and news sites kept us posted on enquiries WWE made, the people appointed to various roles, and Vince McMahon’s wavering passion and mental stability regarding the endeavour but no news on what form the Network would actually take was released.

Took them long enough to organise a new logo

Obviously at some point between then and now WWE gave up on the idea of having it as a TV channel because it was announced on January 8^th 2014 that the WWE Network would launch as a streaming service on WWE’s website. My personal opinion (and bear in mind that I am a wrestling fan with opinions, not an expert analyst on the television industry or video on demand services) is that a streaming service is a far better choice than a TV channel for WWE. Even if they owned the TV channel outright WWE would have had only twenty-four hours a day in which to broadcast. With thousands of hours of footage available to them how would they have concocted a schedule that appealed to everyone likely to buy a subscription as well as casual viewers who needed winning over? The streaming service allows people to watch what they want when they want at the same time as giving WWE the option of broadcasting live.

The live broadcasts are apparently something they want to do, which should come as a surprise to nobody. Vince’s product has always had a place for overblown interview segments. More significantly there are things like The Bobby Heenan Show and the recent pay-per-view pre-show series to look at. While TBHS was only ever fifteen minutes in length and slipped into an existing wrestling programme it indicates that Vince McMahon and WWE see value in studio-based talk segments and have done for decades.

A daily WWE show from a studio (likely in Greenwich, Connecticut or somewhere close by) could take one of several forms. It could be of the late night variety popular in the States or something more akin to The One Show that we get here. Either approach would provide a platform for presenting wrestlers as normal members of society (you know that’s WWE’s priority with this show, whenever and however it airs) and allow WWE to get a foot in the door of the talk show market. That’s something that could raise awareness of the company and its profile so it’s something that they’ll obviously want to pursue.

The service will launch in the USA on February 24^th with over 1,500 hours of programming available. That will include replays of new WWE programming, all current pay-per-views as they air, a smattering of the classic footage  from the promotion’s library, and specially recorded documentary and reality series. The initial price is ten dollars for six months, which strikes me as a very good price. If the offer is similarly low when the Network launches here (which will apparently happen in late 2014 or early 2015, along with a number of other non-US territories) I’ll be signing up to it.

Launching in February is a move obviously designed to encourage people to sign up in order to access WrestleMania XXX essentially for ten dollars. While that will cause the show’s buys to take a dip it will give the Network as strong a start as possible. As it’s something WWE considers a huge part of their future success you can’t really fault them for doing it.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 34

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 34 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

This is an episode we promised a while ago. It’s a discussion of what WWE will be doing in five years’ time.

The launch of the WWE Network is obviously going to have had its effect by then. With it not having even been launched yet it’s impossible to say how much sway it will have on how the company operates but it could potentially be huge. WWE will be giving away all monthly pay-per-views to subscribers.

That alone could affect the number and quality of pay-per-views produced. That WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest annual show which routinely attracts over a million buys worldwide, will be given away for free to subscribers will almost certainly be a big deal. Anything that affects numbers alters the way WWE operates.

Muscles never go out of fashion

We’ve focused more on creative aspects in this episode. One of the central topics is who’ll be in headline positions. CM Punk, for example, will likely be retired or wrestling part time. I think, although Michael didn’t agree, that Cena will just be going part time and either turning heel or coming to the end of a heel run. Beyond that there are no firm predictions, just a general chat about who’ll have made it to the top.

Miz is not someone who will, for the record.

I should note that this was recorded in December, before it was announced that Batista was returning. As such there is a rather odd moment (add it to the collection, yeah?) in which I predict ‘The Animal’ will have returned to the company. Michael seemed less than enthused. The announcement only made him less so.

We also talk about whether WWE will ever promote a pay-per-view from Britain. The time difference has put them off until now, but I think the Network could change that. It would allow anyone wanting to watch live to do so and WWE could show it on pay-per-view on a delay of a few hours. Another SummerSlam from Wembley? I’d be all over that.

Pitch Perfect

The longer we wait the less likely the WWE Network seems to become.

They’ve experimented with creating new, not-entirely-wrestling-themed content for their YouTube channel over the last year or so and had a mixture of hits and misses. The Dolph Ziggler fronted Download was routinely excellent for example, while Foreign Exchange and Are You Serious? both had their moments too.

Like I say there were misses too. It’s generally considered that Zack Ryder’s show took hit a quality slump after being forcibly switched to WWE’s channel. You can’t win them all.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking recently that part of the reason for the holdup may be due to a lack of quality content ideas rather than just setup troubles. I’ve compiled a list of ideas below. WWE, you’re free to broadcast whatever you want.

Cooking with Ryback: Ryback bursts into the homes of unsuspecting contestants bellowing "Feed me more!" at the top of his voice and smashing furniture, not leaving until he has been appeased with a banquet served to him by the owners of the house. It should have the general air of a particularly bad segment from Noel's House Party, only stretched out for far longer.

You be the Judge: Friends and family members with long-standing disputes enter a mock courtroom and explain their grievances to Mick Foley (who's kitted out in judge's garb). 'The Hardcore Legend' then makes a ruling which all involved have signed legal documents to adhere to, shouting "That's hardcore, and now it's the law! Bang bang!" immediately after every proclamation. Videos are shown the following week recounting how those involved have found living according to Foley's ruling.

Greenwich Street: A learn-to-read and -count show in the style of Sesame Street, fronted by Triple H. The weekly number and letter are always three and H.

Spot the Difference: A series in which Jim Ross tries to tell the difference between any two people related to one another or who just look vaguely alike, stemming from his inability to tell Matt and Jeff Hardy apart. He never manages it.

T Time: Booker T reviews teas from around the world in his uniquely overblown play-by-play style, exhuming old catchphrases as he goes. Damien Sandow has a recurring role as a Voice of Reason.

Grooming Tips with Cody Rhodes: Cody Rhodes revives his old grooming tips segment, poorly reformatted into a half hour broadcast.

Travels with Cena: John Cena visits various landmarks, cities and countries around the world and bellows "The champ is here!" into the camera. It is nothing but this for an hour.

Being The Chosen One: Documentary series following WWE's resident 'Chosen One' Drew McIntyre. Offering in-depth interviews in which Drew opens up about going from being one of the company's hottest rising stars to arguably the least interesting member of 3MB who has to watch his mediocre ex-wife enjoying a more high profile spot in TNA.

Perspex Appreciation TV: Jinder Mahal hosts a nightly show looking at the different kinds of Perspex and all its various uses. Each episode begins with him reverently placing his turban into his Perspex Box™.

Knee Status Theatre: Drama series about the status of Rey Mysterio's perpetually injured knees. Stars Mysterio. Dr Shelby features in a supporting role as a psychiatrist Mysterio visits because he's glum about his hurty knees. Series finale sees Mysterio finally getting surgery, performed by the doctor that delivered Mae Young's plastic hand baby.

 

Give this guy his own Spanish language soap opera

 

Khali Karaoke: Three hours of non-stop singing from The Great Khali. This can include theme shows where he specialises in one artist or genre. I think we all want to hear Khali's rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way.

Stardust: Sitcom in which Dolph Ziggler and Goldust share a flat (or, as they’re American, an apartment) and both believe themselves to be Ziggy Stardust. Big E Langston has a recurring role as Biggy Stardust.

Titan Towers: Soap opera set in and around WWE's headquarters. The McMahon's would naturally feature prominently.

On the Sofa with Brodus: A late night chat show hosted by Brodus Clay. Sweet T, the Funkadactyls, and Brodus’s momma all feature as recurring characters.

Border Force: Jack Swagger revives JBL's old gimmick of patrolling the Mexican border to keep illegal immigrants out of his beloved United States. Hilarity ensues.

Snog, Marry, Avoid: Americanised remake of the questionably popular BBC Three show. Presented by Jerry Lawler. 'The King' gives his verdict on every contestant and never chooses avoid. Following every successful makeover a clip is played of Ron Simmons saying "Damn!"

Can Big Show Punch That?: A series in which viewers write in suggesting things for Big Show to punch. Big Show is then shown punching the objects, people, places or abstract concepts requested.

Otunga Law: Viewers tweet, Tout, email and write in with legal problems for celebrated lawyer, occasional wrestler and bodybuilding aficionado David Otunga. The former Nexus member dispenses advice with a wry smile and an occasional wink. He ends every episode with a prayer.

Tales of Grandpappy: Sheamus travels around North America visiting nurseries and elementary schools to regale children with (almost certainly fictional) stories of his (almost certainly fictional) grandfather. None of the kids enjoy his inane ramblings, causing 'The Celtic Warrior' to end every episode by Brogue kicking one of them.

Total Divas

With the recent announcement that America's E! TV channel will be airing a show about WWE's Divas the future of the WWE Network is once again looking dubious. The company have been trying to get their own channel underway for a few years now. In 2011 they aired an ad on RAW which seemed to indicate the channel would be ready for viewing by WrestleMania XXVIII. They probably regret that now.

Several rumours have swirled regarding how the Network will function. At first we were told WWE were simply going to set up a brand new channel. When they realised how much that would cost and they started looking around for an existing channel to buy and convert. We've also been told it could be a "premium subscription channel" or, hilariously, a YouTube channel. I'm all for YouTube trying to get into the TV market by offering serialised content made with a decent budget but as WWE already has multiple TV shows airing in dozens of countries it would be a bizarre and unnecessary move for them to make.

The decision to flog the Divas' show to an existing channel does not bode well for the WWE Network. Since the project was announced a Diva-centric show was said to be planned and it was assumed it would be one of the channel’s focal points. That WWE has sold the show likely means they've decided to make some money from it now rather than sitting on it until their own channel is ready to roll.

Basically it's a sign than the WWE Network is delayed yet again or that it simply isn't going to happen.

It's not all bad news for WWE though. While their (probably ultimately doomed anyway) TV station project has suffered yet another setback at least the Divas are going to be getting some increased exposure. It won’t be lumbered with the stigma of being on a wrestling channel either, which means there’s a chance non-fans may watch and become new additions to “the WWE Universe". Best of all it's a chance for them to reboot their currently rudderless Divas division.

Will that belt ever mean anything again?

WWE's ladies' league has been meaningless for quite some time. That talents like Gail Kim, Mickie James and Victoria (now Tara) left the company is part of the problem. That caused the quality of in-ring performances to sink. To a lesser extent the same can be said of Eve Torres and Michelle McCool. WWE has been unable or unwilling to retain the services of women who want to put on good wrestling matches.

They’ve not helped themselves though. The booking of what women have stuck with them has been less than inspirational. The women have clearly become an afterthought, if that, for WWE’s overworked writing team.

The preferred approach when John Laurinaitis was talent boss seemed to be to hire models who looked the part. Knowledge of or even a passing interest in wrestling were not a requirement for the job.

That's changed under Triple H. He seems far keener keen on bringing in women with wrestling backgrounds. Paige from Britain and Emma from Australia spring to mind. Signing Ric Flair's daughters wasn't a horrible idea either, because second and third generation stars can work out (see The Rock, Mr Perfect and Eddie Guerrero, just off the top of my head). H3 even gave Amazing Kong a shot. That her run with the company didn't work out is nobody's fault, it’s just the result of sad and unfortunate circumstances.

Two new women have been hired to be a part of Total Divas. Natalia Eva Marie, a model (showing ‘The Game’ isn’t against hiring non-wrestlers to be trained from scratch) will drop her first name and be known as Eva Marie. Joseann Alexie Offerman, a singer and dancer, will become Jo Jo Offerman. This indicates WWE are keen to restock the Divas division, as does the rumour that Paige will soon be called up to the main roster.

Whether or not this show can save the Divas division from the pit of oblivion it's currently in remains to be seen. If it’s used as a tool to flesh out the cast with interesting and varied characters it will stand a chance. My instinct is to say that it will need a match on each show in order to be a success. Surely a programme about female wrestlers and their hardships needs to show matches in order to show what the women actually do?

That may not be the case though. The show could be used to give people a reason to care about the women and function as a launching point for TV and pay-per-view feuds. Sort of like a Divas-only RAW but with a reality TV twist.

Whatever the setup of the show it will determine the fate of the company's female wrestlers. If it flops then the division will be even more damaged and pointless than it is now and probably require a rest for a while. It's all or nothing for the girls. They collectively need to use the show as a way of making themselves and their title an important part of WWE programming.

Woman's Hour

WWE’s obsession with hiring models for its Divas division, as opposed to women with a passion for wrestling, is finally beginning to prove ill-considered. By loading up on women who were persuaded to join the group because it could offer them fame and fortune WWE gleefully failed to think about what would happen when that fame and fortune was achieved. The likes of Kelly Kelly and the Bellas have done their best to make it as wrestlers and are now “taking time away from WWE” to pursue other ventures.

“Taking time away” can be taken as a euphemism for “leaving until they’ve exhausted all other options.”  At that point the girls will put a call in to WWE safe in the knowledge that they can get their old jobs back.

This wouldn’t have been the case years ago. WWE has always had a spot on its roster for attractive women. It’s part of the nature of the modern wrestling business. But a decade ago these women would have been limited to roles at ringside. Only women who could actually wrestle would have been booked in proper matches.

Things have changed. During John Laurinaitis’s time as Head of Talent the company hired more and more models and less and less women with actual wrestling experience. Trish Stratus, Lita, Victoria (now Tara in TNA), and Mickie James all left the group for various reasons. It’s unfair to blame that solely on Johnny Ace. However, it was his job was to either entice these performers to stay or find replacements for them. He did neither and so must be considered at least partially to blame for the current state of WWE’s female league.

There’s still hope for the Divas yet. The recent rumours of WWE signing Sara Del Ray are promising, and will be a step in the right direction if it turns out to be true. ‘Death Ray’ is one of the most accomplished grapplers in the world with years of experience and solid matches on her resume.

That Kharma has been released may be disheartening for both her fans and people hopeful of a Divas resurgence but it’s important to remember that while she may be gone there is still every chance she will return to the company at some point. I’m of the opinion that this could be a similar situation to the one Daniel Bryan went through after the Nexus formation angle and that she will be rehired by the company whenever she is ready to return to the ring full time.

Kharma would be ideal for a WWE Divas show

The forthcoming WWE Network will provide an excellent opportunity to rebuild a worthwhile women’s division. A one hour weekly show is exactly what the Divas need. Create some interesting characters, put them into logical storylines that fans want to follow, book matches that last longer than two minutes and you’d have a Divas show with every chance of success.

I’m not condoning shuffling the Divas off into a corner to be forgotten about. The top names in the division could and should still appear routinely on RAW and SmackDown. Think of the Divas show as a chance to give some of the younger names a chance to get noticed (both by fans and officials), with the women appearing on the bigger shows helping to draw in an audience.

Sort of like NXT, but for female performers only.

Character-wise WWE is already in a deceptively strong position. It may have lost the Bellas and Kelly Kelly (for now) but they still have some well-rounded female roles on our screens. Eve Torres is a shining example. She may not make an ideal regular wrestler for a Divas show but she would be perfect as a heel authority figure. Her work earlier in the year as John Laurinaitis’s Executive Assistant proves that.

AJ would be a perfect candidate to construct the show around, at least during its early stages (read more on this here). She has been involved in a top programme that has seen her rub shoulders with the WWE champion (CM Punk), an accomplished, well-respected veteran (Kane), and arguably the most over man in the company (Daniel Bryan) over the last few months.

She is a star. On top of that she is passionate about being a wrestler. Her first show as RAW GM left me feeling that the WWE writing team are unsure how to best use her in the role. Maybe it could be made a short term arrangement with her resuming active competition in a few months.

AJ is currently the RAW GM but she'd be better used as a babyface wrestler

They may have had their pushes decreased lately but both Beth Phoenix and Natalya have had solid character work done in the past. Natalya could be pushed as a babyface looking to proudly continue the Hart legacy while ‘The Glamazon’ can simply be pushed as a strong, dominant ass-kicker. While I think the focus of the show should be restoring some honour to the Divas title after six months or so a tag team championship could be introduced. The Divas of Destruction would be an excellent choice for inaugural champs.

As mentioned above Kharma has finished with WWE for now. Assuming she does return it would take very little effort to establish her as an unstoppable monster. She could be fed (not literally) a jobber each week for a few months before gradually being pitted against bigger names, gradually moving her towards a proper programme for the Divas championship. Think Ryback with ovaries.

The development system is currently home to women who would benefit greatly from a programme such as this. Raquel Diaz (daughter of Eddie Guerrero) springs immediately to mind. Her Exfoliating Ugliness Tour is an interesting gimmick that warrants more screen-time. She is unlikely to get that on NXT but she would get it on a Divas-only show.

Meanwhile the likes of Tamina, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox and Layla would all benefit from not playing second fiddle to their male counterparts. All have had rough personas sketched out for them, a new show could help flesh them out a bit. Perhaps if this show had been around a few months ago Layla wouldn’t have flopped as Divas champion.

To create a worthwhile show WWE would need to bring in some more talent. Del Ray would be a good start. She could have excellent outings against the Phoenixes, Natalyas and Kharmas of the roster. Both Angelina Love and Velvet Sky have just finished up with TNA and Sarita is rumoured to want to leave too. They would all fit in nicely on a WWE Divas broadcast. The Beautiful People could have an excellent tag team feud with Phoenix and Natalya.

The Beautiful People could help to establish a Divas tag division by feuding with the Divas of Destruction

WWE also has the option of asking Trish Stratus and Lita to be involved. Lita has commentary experience working alongside Jonathan Coachman on Sunday Night Heat. She wasn’t the best in the role but she would be an interesting choice for a female-only in-ring product. Trish could be tried in the role too. Both women are busy but a show such as this would likely follow the NXT format of being taped at a regular venue once a month. I’m sure they could fit that in.

I’m sure both women could be persuaded to make occasional appearances in matches. A bout involving either of them (Trish in particular) could attract a ratings spike if promoted in the right way.

There are plenty of women plying their trade on the independent scene. WWE could easily afford to bring in three or four of the best to flesh out the lower portions of the roster, with an eye to rewarding those who do well with a push once the show is firmly established. The promotion could even hold some women-only try-outs to scout for new talent. Their bank account affords them plenty of options.

A Divas show could create programming with a different sort of appeal for the WWE Network and help WWE create some new, bankable female stars for the future. It wouldn’t be quick or cheap, but it would be worth it. The company can afford it and will soon have an entire channel’s worth of time to dedicate to the venture.