In addition to roster cuts...

[Guest Redhawk]

I don't know the financial figures, but it's safe to say that even if WWE isn't losing money right now, they can't be making a whole lot of money. Given that, what kind of cutbacks would you propose if Vince McMahon hired you as a business/creative consultant?

 

First off, I'd cut back on the roster. Even with the brand extension, there are guys (and girls) in WWE who are just dead weight. These people are hardly ever on TV, and when they are they don't do anything but fill time to set up the next skit. With that in mind, I'd cut a number of WWE Superstars, including Bradshaw (barely even gets the "Texas pop" anymore), both Jackies, Raven, Spike Dudley, Terri, and Mark Henry. Now you could keep some of these people around as announcers, road agents, etc., but then you'd have to be sure to cut the people they'd be replacing.

 

Next, I'd cut back on the sets. In my opinion, the set doesn't have to be all glitzy and outstanding to put on a good wrestling show. I mean, how much do you think those big things hanging by the Titan Tron on RAW cost? Are they at all necessary? And look at the PPVs. The big-ass chair for KOTR, the swinging things for Backlash. They're cute, but they dont make you any money. And as we've seen with very recent PPVs (WM 17), ain't nothing wrong with just a ramp and a screen.

 

Also, cut back on all the pyro. Just off the top of my head, I can think of at least ten individuals who get explosions with their entrance: Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Bubba Dudley, Christian, HBK, Jericho, RVD, and Kane. Now I understand maybe Kane and Mysterio's, but does RVD really need that pyro? Does it add anything to his already enormous pop?

 

PPVs: It was fine when business was booming and WWE had all their Rocks and Undertakers and Stone Colds and HHHs all healthy, hot, and at the top of their games. That was when doing a PPV every month was fine. But is it smart to continue? As you can see by particularly weak cards on Armageddon, Vengeance, and No Mercy of this year, they don't have the creativity to put on 12 unique PPVs a year anymore. Plus, with a PPV every month they feel as if they have to change and end feuds every month, so eventually everything to be done has been done. We've already seen HHH-Jericho with both playing heels and babyfaces. We've seen Rock-Angle, Angle-Jericho, and Edge-Booker already. There are no "dream matches" left. Cutting back to six PPVs a year would restore some of that.

 

Finally, I'd cut back on all the unecessary props, and especially the Destroying Props budget. You know they have to rent those limos that make 3-second appearances every show. And how much money did it cost when HHH tore up all those cameras and tables and TV monitors a few months ago? How much money did they recoup through buys for that PPV? Probably not much. Having someone fuck up a car or a ambulance or a motorcycle or a TV every week looks flashy and makes the guys look tough, but it's totally unnecessary.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Take Steph & Brian whatever off the Writing Team. There is two less payrolls.

[Guest dreamer420]

Going to 6 PPV's a year would be a great idea. It will give the WWE more time to build up feuds and develop storylines.

[Guest razazteca]

quit using pyro on Kane run ins

[Guest SP-1]

If those props are already made, keep 'em. No harm in dressing a set as long as it's standard and you're not making new ones every show.

 

As for ways to cut costs in addition to roster cuts, I'd start taping Raw. Yep. I'm working with theory here, but it seems to me that having a live broadcast like that every week is expensive as heck. I'd tape it and have a live show after PPV's but that's it.

 

I'd also cut back to the Big 5 PPV's and kill the other ones. Gives more time for buildup, makes things more dramatic, and harkens back to an old school pace in a way. Which could definitely be good. More time to tell good, logical stories.

 

Those are two big ways I can think of.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Well, they could easily cut the referee roster in half, taping RAW is a good idea, and should make RAW more watchable. I also think they should AVIOD LAWSUITS! Seriously they would have made a profit last year if not for settlement costs and legal fees.

[Guest EricMM]

IMO taping raw would just make it seem as fake as Heat is, and would make me more annoyed with it.

 

While EVERYONE wants them to lessen their PPV's they're just going to make LESS money if they have LESS PPV's.

[Guest jester]

Cut the banana budget for the chimps writing Raw until they improve.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Increase promotion of House Shows.

 

Yeah, it's not a cut, but House Shows make the WWF a lot of money and they are struggling right now.

[Guest Repo Man jr]

If they taped RAW then they would just dump a load of cheering whenever HHH comes on screen. And tone down RVD's bits.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

They wouldn't tone down RVD's bits, they would just insert the crowd cheering 'Triple H, Triple H, Triple H' and when RVD does his thumb taunt the fans will say "Play-The-Game".

[Guest bob_barron]

Tape RAW is the best way

[Guest Redhawk]

If those props are already made, keep 'em. No harm in dressing a set as long as it's standard and you're not making new ones every show.

The props may be already made, but consider that they have to haul them from city-to-city, which has to cost money as far as trucks, drivers, even gas and other stuff.

 

And as an add-on to roster cuts, they should stop using non-wrestlers to fill roles. Case in point: Al Wilson. Why bring him in? Even if they weren't paying him, per se, they still had to pay to fly him around and they had to pay for his turkey suit. Why couldn't that storyline have been ammended to where instead of Torrie's father, Dawn went after Torrie's boyfriend? And why couldn't that boyfriend have been someone already on the roster, like Kidman or Tajiri or somebody? They have all these spare parts around and never use them. Like why was Mae Young in the ring with Big Show? Couldn't that have been Crash or Linda Miles?

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I wonder how much the McMahons get paid...

 

?

[Guest Repo Man jr]

HHH wastes a bottle of water every week so they could save money if they stopped that. Or maybe he could just fill up the same one in the tap in the boys toilet at break time.

[Guest SP-1]

Mae lives here in SC, in that area specifically. She likely drove to the arena, I don't think that cost anything. It was a hometown kinda thing.

 

As for Al, I agree. It could be better if Kidman or somebody were involved.

 

I doubt those props have their own trucks or anything. It's probably all stored together across several trucks that have other production stuff, too. After they're made and in use, I doubt they're really sucking cash out of the company or anything. I wouldn't think anyway.

 

Taping Raw doesn't mean it has to wind up like Heat. Heat's an f'ing B show, so don't expect greatness from it. Raw could be edited and put together like Smackdown! is and it would be fine, IMHO.