Sports Illustrated Article on WWE

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

In Need of a Fix

 

Vince McMahon's once mighty wrestling empire is on the ropes -- for a reason that the fans of real sports can appreciate

 

By Mark Beech

 

Now here's a strange proposition: Pro wrestling needs to be fixed. Suddenly, the game seems as broken as that black-and-white Sylvania that once brought so many fat, sweaty men into our living rooms. Nothing lasts forever, of course, but is this how it ends -- not with a 21st-century heir to Gorgeous George, but with a fake gay commitment ceremony and two women wrestlers (where have you gone, O Fabulous Moolah?) kissing in mid-ring while an announcer gushes about "hot lesbian action"?

 

On the surface that seems impossible. "Since the '30s, wrestling has run in cycles," says entertainment analyst Dennis McAlpine. What goes down must come up and smack you in the head with a folding chair, right? But wrestling has rarely been this sickly. In June the WWE reported that annual revenue was down $31 million, to $425 million, and that first-quarter profits were off 79%. WWE stock has dropped from $24.12 in October 1999 to $8.81 as of Monday. Ratings for the company's Raw and SmackDown! have been falling just as fast, while pay-per-view buys declined by 11% in the past year.

 

Does Vince McMahon have the answers? This is a man who has beaten a federal steroids rap and who only last week testified in a sexual harassment suit brought by former wrestler Nicole Bass, who claimed that she "was subjected to numerous sexual indignities" by the WWE (which calls her charges a "smear"). Slumped in a conference room at the company's Stamford, Conn., headquarters, the 57-year-old chairman of the WWE poses, instead, a question: "Why is a sports magazine interested in an entertainment story?"

 

McMahon stopped pretending wrestling was on the level back in the '80s. The admission allowed his business to grow. Ironically, McMahon's biggest problem now is not a showbiz problem, it's a sports problem, one that has dogged baseball, the NFL and, especially, the NBA. He needs heroes.

 

The Rock has gone to Hollywood. Stone Cold Steve Austin has been suspended for failing to show up for work. In their place McMahon has brought back Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, and he's touting Brock Lesnar, a 6'4", 295-pound former NCAA heavyweight champion, as his Next Big Thing. But those moves have been made, gay and "risqué" acts have been introduced, and it's not just Steve Austin who's stone cold.

 

At least one observer isn't surprised. "If you've got good story lines and characters, you don't need to go down that road," says Mike Mooneyham, co-author of a book on the WWE, Sex, Lies and Headlocks. "I see some desperation."

 

McMahon, though, seems calm. "Wrestling has been on television since the advent of television," he says. "We're woven into the fabric of Americana. I don't think we're going anywhere." Like a lot of people, he's just waiting for a hero.

 

Issue date: September 30, 2002

[Guest Rob Edwards]

Bah everytime wrestling slumps it seems to come back to an all time popularity high again so I'm not getting worried as yet

[Guest AndrewTS]

By the title I thought we were talking about Jeff Hardy...

 

Vince's quote shows his stubbornness. Storylines are an essential part of driving fueds forward, but the lengths they've gone to lately DOES show desperation.

 

And yet, he's not at all interested in making serious changes. And he still holds on that stubborn desire to want to view himself as a TV sitcom or theatre. Gah...

[Guest DJ Jeff]

As long as Vince has no competition, the WWE will be like this for awhile. I've gotten used to it, which is why I've thought 2002 was a pretty decent year. Though, I've seen better year, 1998-2000 were the best years in my opinion.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Vince got real comfortable with mediocrity for awhile there until recently when he's realized that business is going down in every aspect. Even Vince will sit up and notice when the money starts going down.

[Guest Mad Dog]

They need to go back to Summerslam and run with the direction that show had.

 

None of this Unforgiven crap. If Undertaker refuses to job again then boot his ass out the door. He's not that big of a star and he probably tanks ratings more than he helps them.

[Guest ShooterJay]

If it's so obvious even Sports Illustrated, one of the biggest mainstream magazines out there that normally wouldn't give two shits, is reporting it, then why don't you WAKE UP AND TRY TO FIX IT FER CHRIST'S SAKE!

[Guest Zero_Cool]

Maybe Ted Turner will read this and go, "I'm bored. I'm going to buy a fledging wrestling company and pump some money into it and try to get it a tv deal."

 

Nah.

[Guest razazteca]

the problem is that WWE is looking for the quick fix for the past year and has not been sticking with an actual storyline. But the one that is currently in play is just for shock value which everyone can see as pure crap less sex and more 'rastlering please.

 

or just bring in TATU to cross that line of decentcy and go to the gutter.....cause mid-age redneck men want to see 16 year old lesbians in a sex toy on a pole match.

[Guest Ash Ketchum]

Maybe Ted Turner will read this and go, "I'm bored. I'm going to buy a fledging wrestling company and pump some money into it and try to get it a tv deal."

 

Nah.

LOL, I'd mark for that.

 

If NWA-TNA becomes just TNA... then we know the Jarretts sold out.