Crash Holly passes away

[bob_barron 0]

But you just SAID that every sport drug tests as a way of saying WWE should.

 

If Vince shuts down for 2 months and loses money- then the wrestlers end up making less money since he won't have the money to give them nice contracts.

 

Downside guarantees aren't very much sadly. A lot of wrestlers make good money off house shows and merchandise etc.

 

 

The wrestling business is not really meant for normal average Joes. You gotta have a bit of a screw loose if you want to be a pro wrestler.

[Styles 0]

But you just SAID that every sport drug tests as a way of saying WWE should.

 

If Vince shuts down for 2 months and loses money- then the wrestlers end up making less money since he won't have the money to give them nice contracts.

 

Downside guarantees aren't very much sadly. A lot of wrestlers make good money off house shows and merchandise etc.

 

 

The wrestling business is not really meant for normal average Joes. You gotta have a bit of a screw loose if you want to be a pro wrestler.

If Vince has enough money to pay himself and his children obscene pay per view bonuses, he has enough to cover his workers for a vacation.

[Fökai 0]

Baseball doesn't have one of their own die every month.

There are THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of ex-baseball players.

 

Track them all, bro. Let's see the ratio.

 

Not only that, but comparing professional wrestling to baseball in terms of pain is fucking ridiculous.

THATS WHY THEY NEED MORE TIME OFF TO REST!

...if you do't get WHY there's no off-season already, there's no worth trying to convince you.

 

If you think small promotions can survive a vacation, open one up. See what happens. Your entire fanbase goes away just because there's SOMETHING ELSE to pique their interest.

 

Hate to tell you this, but wrestling fans have SHORT attention spans.

 

I know, I know, it's mind-blowing.

[Styles 0]

Baseball doesn't have one of their own die every month.

There are THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of ex-baseball players.

 

Track them all, bro. Let's see the ratio.

 

Not only that, but comparing professional wrestling to baseball in terms of pain is fucking ridiculous.

THATS WHY THEY NEED MORE TIME OFF TO REST!

...if you do't get WHY there's no off-season already, there's no worth trying to convince you.

 

If you think small promotions can survive a vacation, open one up. See what happens. Your entire fanbase goes away just because there's SOMETHING ELSE to pique their interest.

 

Hate to tell you this, but wrestling fans have SHORT attention spans.

 

I know, I know, it's mind-blowing.

Im talking about WWE. They should be the standard bearer.

[Fökai 0]

Who would fund the wrestlers on their off-seasons?

 

Vince loses MILLIONS if he takes time off for any period.

 

Let's see...

--live gates

--house show gates.

--merchandising.

--PPV buyrates.

--PPV contracts.

--television contracts.

--sponsorship deals.

--overseas fanbase.

--media revenue.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Banky, drinking is your own choice, but if you're going to let it get so out of control on any given occassion that you're too shit faced to even control bodily functions, then that's your own fault. Crash entertained me a great deal with his 24/7 gimmick and his early days with Hardcore, and was sad to see him part ways with WWE, but you've gotta keep your shit in check, otherwise, crap like this can happen. Obviously millions of others do exactly what he did, and to say they deserve to die is stupid, but you've gotta accept responsibilty for your own choices.

[bob_barron 0]

But you just SAID that every sport drug tests as a way of saying WWE should.

 

If Vince shuts down for 2 months and loses money- then the wrestlers end up making less money since he won't have the money to give them nice contracts.

 

Downside guarantees aren't very much sadly. A lot of wrestlers make good money off house shows and merchandise etc.

 

 

The wrestling business is not really meant for normal average Joes. You gotta have a bit of a screw loose if you want to be a pro wrestler.

If Vince has enough money to pay himself and his children obscene pay per view bonuses, he has enough to cover his workers for a vacation.

So WWE should take 2 months off while all these other indy shows get to run with 0 competition?

 

I'm sure TNA would love the idea.

 

A paid offseason is not really feasible. Lance Storm wrote a column about it.

[Enigma 0]

Nobody holds a gun to a man's head to become a wrestler.

 

He made that choice.

 

Move on.

[Fökai 0]

Read...

 

A Wrestling Off Season?

 

 

April 26,2003

This subject has been coming up a lot lately. I’ve received email as well as comment board posts about it, so I figured I would look at some of the plus and minuses involved with a Wrestling “Off Season”. Wrestling is really the only sport, which does not have a designated season, and thus a corresponding off-season. Is this Good or Bad? I honestly don’t know. I can see both sides of the argument and the most important factor (the effect on business can only be speculated)

 

Business: How would down time effect the wrestling industry? Wrestling having 51 weeks of original programming (recap show between Xmas and New Years) is obviously a big attraction to our network. Giving this up for an off-season is a huge financial down turn from a TV stand point. Even a 2 or 3 month off-season would create a 8-15 week void in programming and a huge cut in ad revenue and sponsorships. This is something that often gets over looked when an off-season is mentioned. As far as ratings and arena attendeance, there are two possibilities. An off-season may rejuvenate an audience. Fans can get burned out watching each week, forever, with no break. This may be the cause of the cyclical nature of our industry.

 

Fans may get tired of keeping up every week and simply tune out, and effectively create their own off-season. With a definite season, anticipation of each new season may remain strong as well as a fans willingness to stick it out through each full season. (I was always so excited about the start of the new Saturday Nights Main Event season as a kid) The opposite effect might also be true. People are creatures of habit. A couple months off without wrestling and fans may find other interests and be less apt to tune in next year. Out of site out of mind is definitely a possibility.

 

This is a huge gamble in that rejuvenation, should it occur, might only make up for the loss during the off-season. (Booming business for 9 months may not be better than 12 months of decent business). If rejuvenation does not occur you’ve cut your revenue 25 % and risk fans finding other interests in the off-season. Head you lose, tails you break even. (I’m not sure I flip that coin)

 

The Boys: An off-season definitely sounds like a plus from the boys standpoint; a definite break in the travel schedule to be with our families and rest our bodies. Truth is however even that statement is only true on the surface and may not be a definite plus. While I’ll be the first to admit that having an off-season to spend with my family each year would be great, there is a huge price for this. If we don’t work for 2-3 months each year we are going to be making less money. 3 months of is a 25 % decrease in the number of events we work. (You didn’t think the office was just going to keep paying us as if we were working 4 shows a week did you). If I earn 25% less each year I’m going to have to extend my career in order to make that up and be able to retire. A longer career is then going to take me away from my family again (a double edged sword). Now granted if the off-season rejuvenates our fan base and keeps the other 9 months “hot” the 25 % figure may be reduced (Huge speculation here).

 

Injuries and our Health: Now this has to be a no brainer, right? An off-season would definitely be good for your body. Even this isn’t completely true. Now granted after just having last week off my body feels 100 times better, but 3 months is a long time and wrestling has a weird effect on your body. There is this strange 2-3 week time period that your body has for adjustment. When I first started working full time (everyday) I thought I was going to die. Everyday my body got sorer and sorer. After a week or 2 my body was killing me I didn’t think I could go on. Miraculously somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd week, I just got used to it. Your body develops some kind of callus and stops feeling every little ache and pain.

 

The same can be said for time off after working full time. If I take an extended break from work (I did between ECW and WCW and again between WCW and WWE) my back started to ache like crazy. After about 3 weeks my whole body ached like you wouldn’t believe. After constant abuse your body puts up some kind of shield against it. When the abuse stops so does your body’s ability to ignore it. (I can’t explain it but I’m not the only one of the boys to experience this) I’ve been working for 13 years now at least 10 to 11 of that full time and I’m still in pretty good shape. I’m not completely sure dealing with ring rust, and re-callusing my body each year would be less painful than just working year round, especially when you consider my career would likely have to be longer.

 

All in all it sounds like I’m against the idea of an off-season, which I don’t think I am. I’m just afraid of change and the unknown. I’m pretty happy with my career and the way things are going. Anything that “may” have a negative effect on that scares me. If an off-season rejuvenation would occur and business would be consistently hotter over the shorter annual season, then it would definitely be good. Annual incomes would not decrease, careers would not be lengthened by necessity, and perhaps dealing with ring rust and re-callusing my body would be worth the time at home with family.

 

The thing is, it’s such a huge if. If it had no effect or even a detrimental effect on interest a down cycle year would be financial ruin for the boys and the elusive year of retirement would be farther away than “Bin Laden/Hussein Appreciation Day” in the US.

 

Till next week

Lance Storm

[Styles 0]

Who would fund the wrestlers on their off-seasons?

 

Vince loses MILLIONS if he takes time off for any period.

 

Let's see...

--live gates

--house show gates.

--merchandising.

--PPV buyrates.

--PPV contracts.

--television contracts.

--sponsorship deals.

--overseas fanbase.

--media revenue.

Last I checked, he was losing money on all that already.

Look, I hate arguing online. I guess there's no point anyway, since it's just going to go on and on and on. I guess instead of recognizing that there's a serious problem and brainstorming solutions I should join in with the "oh, how sad! what a shock! RIP!" crap because Vince couldn't give Shane's PPV bonus to allow Spike Dudley proper time to heal. Let's see Shane become the next wrestling death...I bet that would change things...

[bob_barron 0]

Good job Bravesfan- I was looking for it just right now

[bob_barron 0]

Vince IS giving Spike Dudley time off to heal.

 

Spike's been having some neck problems and they immediately pulled him off shows.

 

And I've showed you examples where Vince PAID for the rehab of guys who weren't even under contract.

 

Ask William Regal about Vince not taking care of wrestlers

[Styles 0]

Fine. It's not feasible...what do you all suggest be done? That is, if you even think there's a serious problem here, because if you don't then there's no point arguing, and we might as well pre-RIP with a bunch of random names after it for the next few months...

[AndrewTS 0]

I don't think an "off-season" is the answer.

 

I don't know what the answer is, though, if any.

 

(Sadly, this topic is getting more activity than the SD thread...)

[Styles 0]

How about if wrestling was regulated by an independent athletic commision? Like boxing or MMA, "real" contact sports that have much less of a death rate?

[eiker_ir 0]

ok first, WTF?

 

second, damn this really suck, i'm shocked like when Hawk died, didn't expect it at all.

 

RIP man

[Guest Choken One]

Vince IS giving Spike Dudley time off to heal.

 

Spike's been having some neck problems and they immediately pulled him off shows.

 

And I've showed you examples where Vince PAID for the rehab of guys who weren't even under contract.

 

Ask William Regal about Vince not taking care of wrestlers

Bulldog

Eddy

Jeff

Regal

 

all got multiple chances...

[AndrewTS 0]

How about if wrestling was regulated by an independent athletic commision? Like boxing or MMA, "real" contact sports that have much less of a death rate?

By it's very nature, I don't think you could force any wrestling promotions to be regulated, because they aren't actual competitive sports at all.

[Styles 0]

Vince IS giving Spike Dudley time off to heal.

 

Spike's been having some neck problems and they immediately pulled him off shows.

 

And I've showed you examples where Vince PAID for the rehab of guys who weren't even under contract.

 

Ask William Regal about Vince not taking care of wrestlers

Bulldog

Eddy

Jeff

Regal

 

all got multiple chances...

But how did they get into that position to begin with?

[Styles 0]

Vince IS giving Spike Dudley time off to heal.

 

Spike's been having some neck problems and they immediately pulled him off shows.

 

And I've showed you examples where Vince PAID for the rehab of guys who weren't even under contract.

 

Ask William Regal about Vince not taking care of wrestlers

Bulldog

Eddy

Jeff

Regal

 

all got multiple chances...

But how did they get into that position to begin with?

Why not? They could be hands off in terms of match bookings and outcomes but could monitor health, etc.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

Since the house show buisness is doing terrible right now anyway, why not reduce the schedule? Make fewer house shows, so you may get more attendance on the ones that -do- come into town..because it may be a while before the next one hits.

 

I don't think an "off-season" is a good idea, but a month or two in the slow period of the year (Sept/Oct) with reduced shows may help.

[JN News 0]

I guess death truly does come in 3's in the world of Professional Wrestling.

 

 

 

1.Stu Hart

 

 

 

2.Road Warrior Hawk

 

 

 

3.Crash Holly/Mad Mikey

 

 

 

Yet another wrestling tradgety.

 

 

RIP

 

Micheal Lockwood

[Guest Choken One]

actually...This is a NEW run for the Deaths of three since Pitbull died not so long ago in the "wtf" role shortly before Stu and Hawk.

 

Crash will be the Drug/Alchohol death here...

 

So we have to have our Old Person and our SHOCKER/ODD death.

[Guest Nanks]

An off-season may not be the answer, but I think drug-testing sure as hell is. Think of ANY other business in any industry, if your employees are fucked up on whatever, be it roids or recreational drugs, that is going to be a bad thing. If there are guys doing roids or whatever to get themselves a better spot, that's a problem. It's one thing that their schedule is mind-bogglingly hard on their bodies, it's just compounding the problem when there's drugs on top of it

[Styles 0]

Since the house show buisness is doing terrible right now anyway, why not reduce the schedule? Make fewer house shows, so you may get more attendance on the ones that -do- come into town..because it may be a while before the next one hits.

 

I don't think an "off-season" is a good idea, but a month or two in the slow period of the year (Sept/Oct) with reduced shows may help.

That'd work too.

[Guest Choken One]

An off-season may not be the answer, but I think drug-testing sure as hell is. Think of ANY other business in any industry, if your employees are fucked up on whatever, be it roids or recreational drugs, that is going to be a bad thing. If there are guys doing roids or whatever to get themselves a better spot, that's a problem. It's one thing that their schedule is mind-bogglingly hard on their bodies, it's just compounding the problem when there's drugs on top of it

although every severe case in the recent years, McMahon has offered paid rehab for this people...

 

It's not like McMahon is a evil dicator here...

 

 

Lockwood, likely had this problem before his tenure with McMahon (as evident from the stories about his drunken escapades)

[Styles 0]

An off-season may not be the answer, but I think drug-testing sure as hell is.  Think of ANY other business in any industry, if your employees are fucked up on whatever, be it roids or recreational drugs, that is going to be a bad thing.  If there are guys doing roids or whatever to get themselves a better spot, that's a problem.  It's one thing that their schedule is mind-bogglingly hard on their bodies, it's just compounding the problem when there's drugs on top of it

although every severe case in the recent years, McMahon has offered paid rehab for this people...

 

It's not like McMahon is a evil dicator here...

 

 

Lockwood, likely had this problem before his tenure with McMahon (as evident from the stories about his drunken escapades)

What about steroids that contributes to this "enlarged heart" nonsense or cocaine?

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

Since the house show buisness is doing terrible right now anyway, why not reduce the schedule? Make fewer house shows, so you may get more attendance on the ones that -do- come into town..because it may be a while before the next one hits.

 

I don't think an "off-season" is a good idea, but a month or two in the slow period of the year (Sept/Oct) with reduced shows may help.

That'd work too.

It's more realistic than an actual off-season.

 

Sure, they know they're going to take some hits..but this way they'd still get the advertising money, which is the most important thing. Overexposure is one of their biggest problems, but a complete shutdown for two months wouldn't work.

[Enigma 0]

William Regal has credited Vince McMahon so much as to say he saved his life by sending him to and funding his rehab.

[Guest Choken One]

McMahon told him to do Cocaine?

 

Yeah, Blame McMahon here.

 

I don't see Benoit (whom works a more strenous schedule, snorting to handle the pressure)...