Hammer Tyme #8

If any one achievement of Technology has changed, the face of wrestling it is Television. Television and Wrestling goes back to Black and White sets. Us older people will remember those and really makes us feel old. The young however will not know what they use. It was two colors Black and White or shades of the two. It did give us our Sports entertainment fix. It then reached a new era when color came into existence, Color was the future (at the time) it made it fun to watch the flashy costumes and robes. In the early days, nearly everyone had a robe, Jacket or other accessories. It soon took over and the Black and White or BW soon was no more. Color dominated the market and the only question was how big of a screen, 19, 26 or 32 or even bigger. The limit was how much you wanted to spend. The invention of the VCR or Video Cassette Recorder gave us another soon to be important luxury. We could tape Wrestling, watch it at another time or save it, and build a collection. Then Vincent Kennedy McMahon invented the concept of Wrestle Mania and launched or helped launch the Concept of Pay Per View. Pay per View was new and it was seeing the event live. Best of all there was no parking, tickets, snacks or traffic. You called your cable provider and then tuned in on day and time and sat back and watched on the edge of your seat. Not all-early pay per view was a success. The Wrestling Classic re-formatted into the current Royal Rumble. It also was the only car give away ever attempted. A Rolls Royce Super Cloud 3 sports car was the grand prize. He did have a string of hits, Summer Slam Survivor Series and Wrestle mania. The four shows drew huge money and allowed using money to create a better product. A better product turned into more money it was the circle of life (sorry Disney). Back then, a Pay per view was $29.99 and Wrestle mania was $39.99. Wrestle mania cost more because it was an hour longer than a standard show.

In the early days of TNA, they attempted a weekly PPV at $14.99 it soon crushed by Vince is commanding hold or chokehold of the Cable Industry. He generated millions of dollars and could choose when things aired. Rumors circulated that he would block time just so they would get bad times or no sponsors as he had locked up all the big money contracts.

The AWA attempted a pay per view, which because of McMahon-opoly actually lost money and caused them soon go out of business. Even a late deal with cable network ESPN would be too little too late. Many feel the ESPN deal was because Vince allowed it and felt no threat as he raided all the good talent. Without revenue, how do you pay contracts and rent facilities? Back then, school gyms got use. It was inexpensive was able to hold a good crowd and write off as a fundraiser for school charity. Arenas took more effort back then to fill and only big cards could draw the money and crowds necessary to make profits. It makes me wonder how Japan could pay $14,000 plus to a wrestler for one night or a reported $60,000 for Ultimate Warrior or McMahon and never be televised or PPV. Even today paying a mega star is not cheap. In addition to Ric Flairs, $17,000 for an appearance there is his meals, hotels and transportation (air and limo). Lesser-known but still popular draw $1,500 plus expenses. Then there is an insurance permit, advertising posters and lets not forget free tickets for UPS or Family. Granted it may only be 10 tickets but at $15-$20 a seat that adds up quick. However, come on are you really going to take Nana’s Retirement Check money to see her grandchild’s achievement. I do not think even Don King is that rude? Then if something goes wrong like tickets not selling or severe weather affecting the attendance. One way to cushion the proposed loss is to set an attendance guarantee. Let us say the facility holds 3,000 seats you put a clause saying the facility buys or guarantees 700 seats this way you know expenses get paid in the worse case scenario after all why should you lose on your investment? If you are a good seller, you will show the facility that they will recover their investment and make a profit themselves. Again, it is all about money. Your sure you have a sellout hit, you also will receive a percentage of merchandise sales especially if your smart you’ll receive anywhere from 25% - 50% of what is sold. You can be generous and let the kids run the concessions and make money for their clubs. Now being in a Camera Crew, (most schools have an AV Staff) or free access TV Crew and reap the reward of Television Revenue. You can find small local networks that might buy your product and the cycle continues. In doing all this, I forgot one critical thing. Pay yourself either with the leftover profit or be smart and pay yourself as a performer thus guan teeing a paycheck no matter how bad things go. That guarantee seat clause has saved you from sleeping in your car and eating leftovers.

Now just as it looked like we hit the end of the road Science did not let is down. They created the DVR or Digital Video Recorder. No bulky tapes but limited in how much you can save. Oh well everything has plus and minuses. It is easier to bypass commercials but sucks when Raw runs over as usual and the ending cuts cut off.

The now wave of the future is in HD programming. Everyone is jumping on that bandwagon. As cost comes down and quality improves, it will be the next color TV in that we all will have it and wonder what life is like without it. Wrestling is the same it is always looking to reinvent itself. Divas have come, gone and returned. We took away the president of the company and invented the General Manager. Took the GM away and brought back the CEO. Nothing leaves forever at least that I can think of. Hardcore divisions lead to the eventful creation of the ECW. The European Championship is the only belt no so far in circulation anymore. The cruiserweight sputters and chokes but still occasionally revives for a few matches here and there. Since travel abroad has brought significant revenue I would think that the traveling belt may return at some point. Even the intercontinental title fell out of sight or importance for a time. The only belt not to fade from the picture was the heavyweight title. It was “unified” but still kept its name. Guess that was the only important title to stand the test of time. The TV age has also kept the respective titles fresh. Gone are the days of 3 yrs or longer reigns. Most titles change hands at least once a year if not more. When popularity seems to trail off or the champion wants a break either an injury or defeat happens. Fans seem to dictate when things should change. The creative staff if they are worth anything should notice that early and plan for what happens next. Nevertheless, do not insult us recycling stories and changing the names but copying what already produced. A writer for the TNA did that frequently. It became a joke for a while. His whiteout scripts as they refer to them as now. However, hey it was cheap and worked generating money so what was the big deal. As I said, last column anything for money. We complain about yet tune in the next show to see what happens next. Why, it is in our blood. What else do we have to spend the next day discussing at work? Then the day of the show, we are talking about what we hope to see. I wonder if the creative staff mills around in the crowd to get ideas and uses that feedback. I recently got a chance to write scripting for an entertainment/sports show called Gladiator Ball. I took my own advice. I sat in the crowd watched and listened. I forgot I wrote it and acted like a person who paid to see it. Did I get my money’s worth? What would I want to see in the next show? Did anything make me regret coming? I took those ideas and have them in a notebook (yes, old school, not ready for a laptop only as I still often write a rough draft of this column on paper) when I to do another script I will take and run over these notes.

Will the future or next generation be 3-D? Will we actually witness our favorite face and heel like a friend coming to visit? Whatever is next as long as it makes money and is entertaining its good enough for me? So till next time and stayed tune for Hammer Tyme #9.