Wrestling Society X (WSX)

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

http://www.stormwrestling.com/021207.html

 

Wrestle Society X

 

February 12, 2007

 

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about Wrestle Society X, the new wrestling program on MTV. While I don’t get MTV or Wrestle Society X in Calgary I have managed to watch some of the product online thanks to YouTube. Thus far I’ve watched the entire first episode as well as the 6 Pac vs. Vampiro WSX Title match from the second episode.

 

I think it is way to early to come to any solid conclusions about the product I think I’ve seen enough to give you a fair assessment and general opinion of the show, at least thus far. While the product certainly isn’t my preferred style of wrestling I think there is definitely an appeal to it and I could see there being a large enough fan base for the “crash and burn” high spot based wrestling matches for it to become a success.

 

The stunt feel to the show is like watching extreme sport wipeout videos and everyone enjoys a good death-defying stunt. The opening match of the first episode between Sydel and Evans had several “Oh My God” type moments that keep things exciting. The show is short, fast and to the point. You get a couple matches a bunch of dives and spots, not a lot of talking, holds or angles. It is very much what TNA advertises itself to be as far as “Non-Stop Action” and a 30 rather than 60 Minute “adrenaline rush”.

 

I like the fact that the show is just 30 minutes. I’m not sure I could take a full hour at this pace. Much like an overly sugary desert some times a smaller dose is better. The shorter show may also be an advantage when you consider the amount of wrestling on TV each week. With WSX now there is 6 ½ hours of pro-wrestling to watch each week and it is a lot easier to invest 30 minutes to follow WSX than committing 1-hour for TNA or ECW, or 2-hours for RAW or SD. I also like the warehouse atmosphere to the show. It has a completely different look and feel to other wrestling shows and does accomplish a bit of an “underground” atmosphere, which is unique.

 

There are a few negatives to the show as well. With it being almost all action thus far, you may not develop an attachment to any of the individual personalities and without strong angles either there may not be as much of a “hook” to get you tuning in each week. It could be like MXC on Spike TV. I love the show and enjoy all the crash and burn wipeouts, but it is a show I only catch if it happens to be on while I’m watching TV, I never make a point of catching it specifically. WSX may fall into this category for a lot of viewers.

 

I think there is a real chance that the show might climax and burnout quickly also. When you go balls out with spots, not selling much of anything, you might get to a point where nothing seems to matter and after the first couple dozen dives everything may seem the same. The explosions and electrocution type special effects for example where already wearing thin on me by the second episode. WSX can’t rely too heavily on the explosion gimmicks and if they use them every show they will get dull very fast.

 

Their announcing needs some work. I don’t think people realize how difficult that job is. There is a reason JR has been King for so long, announcing is a skill not easily mastered. JR is the Mohammad Ali of wrestling announcers. The Ring Announcer guy they have needs to relax too he is so over the top he was getting on my nerves by the second match; he makes Don West sound like Steven Wright (The Comedian).

 

The real interesting thing about WSX is that it is a completely different business concept to anything else we’ve seen in wrestling. To be a success it only has to be worth watching enough to draw satisfactory ratings. The show is produced by MTV strictly as a TV show. It is budgeted, taped and aired. They are not trying to convince viewers to attend live events, or order PPV. They don’t have to build to anything else or worry about drawing money. Their only goal is to make us want to watch the program, and with it only being a 30-minute investment of our time, that should be a lot easier. With it also being almost entirely an action based show, the product won’t be hurt by a constant turn over of talent so they should be able to keep the talent budget fairly low and the roster fresh. There are lots of Indy guys wanting to get some TV exposure.

 

I doubt I will be searching YouTube every week trying to keep up with the product, but if WSX starts airing in Canada, which I believe it is going to I will likely check it out more often than not, since it’s only 30 minutes out of my week.

 

Lance Storm

[daileyxplanet 0]

Somebody should tell Storm you can watch it on MTV.com's Overdrive in better quality...

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

Somebody should tell Storm you can watch it on MTV.com's Overdrive in better quality...

 

Canadians are blocked out of MTV's American website and the US version of Overdrive.

[daileyxplanet 0]

O rly? Well I think The Fight Network's getting it anyways.

[razazteca 0]

WSX appeals to the Jackass, Viva La Bam, Wildboys fanbase who only want to see pure violence and stupid drunken stunts. It starts with the ring announcer running around the ring on the Mountain Dew rush and the unconceivable guest music act joining the commentators at the booth. The wrestlers themselves are a motley collection of deathmatch guys trained by the XPW Legend Supreme! or high school gymnasts or circus sideshow freaks. WSX is more extreme than WWECW and is truely total nonstop action! I don't tune in to see wrestlers work armbars, headlocks, or submissions cause we all know it isn't going to happen nor should I have any expectations to see any. I wanna see Luke do a 450 off the balcony onto a stack of tables, I wanna see Teddy Hart do 1080 onto exploding barbed wire spider webs of death, I wanna see Kriss Kloss say XPW a million times!

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'm not saying this in a malicious way, but I think I remember the name M Dogg 20 from a Best of Backyard Wrestling DVD.

[King Cucaracha 0]

The wrestlers themselves are a motley collection of deathmatch guys trained by the XPW Legend Supreme! or high school gymnasts or circus sideshow freaks.

 

And wrestlers from no-name backyard federations like Ring Of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Dragon Gate, AAA, Combat Zone Wrestling, right?

[razazteca 0]

Come on this is XPW on national tv! They always bring in some people who are legit workers like the guys from Dragon Gate, ROH, AAA but come on its being promoted as a death match fed. I don't expect a 2-out-3 pinfall match that will last 15 minutes happening anytime soon showcasing the legit workers all I expect to see is big bumps on exploding shit and maybe some light tubes being used as weapons. PWG vs Dragon Gate was a fun match and change of pace CZW thats the fed that is responsible for this deathmatch indy shit to begin with what should I expect from them...Necro Butcher coming in to take every single bump possible bleeding like a stuck pig then make the baby face comeback showing FIGHTING SPIRIT?!?!?! WSX is bringing in some big indy names to expand its deathmatch fanbase but who are we kidding here its still a garbage hardcore fed.

 

Oh yeah I'm dying to see Banderas vs Vampiro for the belt!

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

Thursday, February 08, 2007

 

WSX Episode 3 Preview!

 

Last week:

 

Vamprio survived his war with 6-Pac, who was blown to hell in Vampiro's casket as Vampiro became the first ever Wrestling Society X Champion!

 

Team Dragon Gate, all the way from the land of the rising sun, debuted, but were defeated by That 70s Team despite Joey Ryan's asthma handicap.

 

And, Human Tornado scored a pinfall victory over Luke, but that wouldn't be the end of Luke's action as Aaron "Jesus" Aguilera jumped him after the match in an attempt to make it up to his tag team partner Kaos for not being there for him in the WSX Rumble and allowing Luke and Alkatrazz to eliminate him into a box of live electric wires. Unfortunately, for Kaos, in the end he fell victim to the prison bound duo and ended up getting kicked off of the top rope and through a table as Aguilera flirted with the "mamacitas" at ringside. To say that Kaos was upset would be an understatement!

 

World championship matches, exploding coffins, lightening quick Japanese wrestlers, and the mamacitas, how can Wrestling Society X possibly top last week's episode?

 

Simple, by bringing in the tables, ladders, cerveza, a trailer, a prince, a masked man, "White Trash" Johnny Webb, and the Filth and Fury! Wow. There ain't no party like a WSX party, and this week, that WSX party don't stop!

 

Tag Team Action: The Trailer Park Boyz vs. The Filth & The Fury

Witness the television debut of two more of WSX's deep lineup of fine tag teams. First off, from Trailer Park City, USA (better known as "any damn trailer they please") comes "Spyder" Nate Webb and Josh "Jug" Raymond, the Trailer Park Boyz. They came up to live in their Uncle "White Trash" Johnny Webb's trailer in order to escape their surroundings and are now in WSX working for the American dream: a sweet double wide! After meeting up with Three-6 Mafia on WSXtra last week, we saw Spyder & Jug aren't just here for a ho-down, they're here to kick ass, take names, and eat something other then Grandma Raymond's "critters." Yes, they want to live the high life, but standing in their way is the debut of the much anticipated tag-team of the Filth & the Fury. The Filth: Cleveland Ohio's favorite son Matt "M-Dogg 20" Cross, byw legend, and amazing high flyer. The Fury: From Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the third generation of the legendary Hart wrestling family, the one and only Teddy Hart. Known for his brashness and fury in and out of the ring, Teddy is an amazingly talented athlete. He's also confident they are the BEST TAG TEAM IN THE WORLD! This week, they get a chance to prove it. It's more than a culture clash; it's a battle for the next generation of tag team wrestling!

 

High Flying Dogfight: "The Prince Of Parkland" Jack Evans vs. El Hombre Blanco Enmascarado

By popular demand, Jack is back! Yes, Jack Evans (from the heavens) steps back inside the WSX Bunker for another wrestling highlight film. This week, he's facing a man from just a little north of the border, the mysterious El Hombre Blanco Enmascarado. El Hombre is a seasoned veteran of Lucha Libre, the Mexican art of professional wrestling as he's watched El Santo vs. the Vampire Women at least 100 times! However, he'll need more then the savage Vampire Women to defeat the aerial emperor, the admiral of aviation, and the man who put P-Town Washington on the map, Jack Evans. Witness the quickness, as these two men battle on the mat, in the air, and all over the WSX bunker!

 

Tables Ladders & Cerveza: Los Pochos Guapos (Joey "Kaos" Muñoz & Aaron "Jesus" Aguilera) vs. Luke Hawx & Alkatrazz

As seen on WSXtra last week, Kaos still suffering from the effects of being put thru a table was upset at his partner Aguilera for not being focused and thinking about the mamacitas as opposed what was going on inside the ring. Kaos was so irate he threw his partners own delicious cerveza down. That's ice cold! Aguilera, feeling he NOW had the way to make it up to Kaos, decided that they should challenge the out of control and out of bail duo of Luke Hawx & the monster Alkatrazz to pro wrestling's first ever Tables Ladders & Cerveza match. The tables are legal. The ladders are legal! And the Cerveza (since both teams are above the legal drinking age in the state of California) are legal! Can Los Ponchos Guapos find their focus? Or will Luke & Alkatrazz send them back to penitentiary?

 

Plus special musical guests Sparta perform!

 

Don't forget about the second half of the WSX Experience - WSXtra hosted by the lovely Lacey and Fabian Kaelin. This week! The Award Winning Scorpio Sky debuts, America's favorite masked man - Matt Classic returns for a WSX encore, and the loveable emo boys of "Angry" Tyler Black & "Sensitive" Jimmy Jacobs of D.I.F.H. attempt to stop That 70's Team (Joey "Magnum" Ryan & Disco Machine) winning ways. Will that 70's Team have a nice day or will they witness an emotional explosion? Check out what some are calling THE BEST WRESTLING INTERNET SHOW EVER - WSXtra on WSX.MTV.COM

[daileyxplanet 0]

Man, there's a lot of Oldschool being talked about tonight. Sparta gets some respect points.

 

Also... I like how WSX stole 'Adrenaline Rush' from TNA...

[BorneAgain 0]

Love that quote by Kaos.

 

"Getting sent through a table... that shirt hurts!"

[razazteca 0]

WTF was WSX thinking when they decided to have Hart electrocute Trailer Park Boy? Like the double twist flip off the balcony onto the table was not enough to stop Nate Webb? DAMN!

 

BAWHAHAHAHAHAH Matt Classic is great!

[daileyxplanet 0]

Ahh, Matt Classic.

[razazteca 0]

This week was brought to you by Subway.

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

Also... I like how WSX stole 'Adrenaline Rush' from TNA...

 

Incorrect - Filth and the Fury first used the song during the February 2006 WSX taping, two weeks before TNA started using the song.

[daileyxplanet 0]

It was too sincere anyways, it was more of an observation than anything.

[razazteca 0]

Out of the guest music acts as announcer I'll put Sparta #1 for the Von Erich and Dusty Rhodes love.

[BorneAgain 0]

The Matt Classic match on the website is a must see. The mannierisms are a joy to watch as is his clear nervousness when going for a jump off the bottom (yes the bottom) rope.

 

One of the announcers even busted out a Mosoon like line of "Classic dropping him like yesterday's newspaper."

[LucharesuFan619 0]

The wrestlers themselves are a motley collection of deathmatch guys trained by the XPW Legend Supreme! or high school gymnasts or circus sideshow freaks.

 

And don't forget Deathmatch legend as well.

[King Cucaracha 0]

'Matt Classic' is Cabana, right?

[Hasbeen1 0]

For what it is, not bad. I was surprised that I liked it overall. I don't usually like that style of nonstop high spots and risks since they're such a danger to wrestlers, especially in small independents where the wrestlers are barely getting paid, much less have enough for medical expenses and lost money if theyre hurt. It's certainly on the right network.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I'm not saying this in a malicious way, but I think I remember the name M Dogg 20 from a Best of Backyard Wrestling DVD.

True. M-Dogg 20 and Josh Prohibition were the stars of the Best of Backyard Wrestling series. Both trained after high school and did the indy's, most notably CZW and XPW (the latter of which where they were tag team champions, and actually there's a damn decent match of them vs. Damien 666 and Halloween). I'm surprised TNA hasn't picked up Josh Prohibition. He's got the CM Punk vibe with a bit of Piper thrown in, but he's not really that great in the ring. M-Dogg makes Amazing Red (pre-knee injury) look like Abismo Negro by comparison, and that's a good thing.

[Mecca 0]

'Matt Classic' is Cabana, right?

 

Yes it's Cabana, he's doing the Matt Classic gimmick because he understands he's likely close to being signed by WWE and didn't want MTV coming to him saying he couldn't have his Cabana gimmick because they copyrighted it.......probably didn't want his face to be seen on something the WWE considers competition either, but that's just me guessing.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Yet, when he did the dark match run last they said he couldn't be called Colt Cabana anyway, right? Although, I guess if Carlito is in the doghouse it's not an issue anymore. Anyway, fingers crossed it falls through. I'm surprised Colt would even want to go to WWE if the stories about Punk are anything to go by, I guess he's done everything else worth doing.

[cabbageboy 0]

Matt Classic is awesome. Why do they not have him on the actual TV show, but just on the website?

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'm not saying this in a malicious way, but I think I remember the name M Dogg 20 from a Best of Backyard Wrestling DVD.

True. M-Dogg 20 and Josh Prohibition were the stars of the Best of Backyard Wrestling series. Both trained after high school and did the indy's, most notably CZW and XPW (the latter of which where they were tag team champions, and actually there's a damn decent match of them vs. Damien 666 and Halloween). I'm surprised TNA hasn't picked up Josh Prohibition. He's got the CM Punk vibe with a bit of Piper thrown in, but he's not really that great in the ring. M-Dogg makes Amazing Red (pre-knee injury) look like Abismo Negro by comparison, and that's a good thing.

Hey, that's pretty neat. They were both guys I saw on there who made me think "you know, if they had some actual training they could do this for real." That balcony dive from M-Dogg was crazy on that video, 'specially since he struck the awesome "grab your feet behind your back" pose on the way down.

[Corkscrew_Senton 0]

The TV show, I'd grade a C. I mean, it has its moments and it's better than Raw or ECW...but is that really saying anything? The Teddy Hart livewire shock was beyond lame, and the matches are so short.

 

I'd give the website cast an A-...great matches, seemed more like a wrestling show than a video game. If the TV program was more like the webcast I'd be really pumped about this promotion. Matt Classic is a great gimmick.

 

Lacey gets an A for looking sooooo fine. GQ Money does fine in his studio role with Lacey, but man is he awful as ring announcer. Bret Ernst is the single worst announcer in wrestling history. Just fucking awful. He doesn't know wrestling at all, he called Tyler Black "Matt Classic" at one point, and he's just obnoxious. I mean, I'd rather have 10 Mark Maddens than 1 Bret Ernst. Fucking horrible.

 

Last thing-- one of the MTV plants in the audience looked like a girl I lived across the way from in an apartment complex during college two years ago. I wonder if it's the same chick...

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/i...t.asp?aID=18667

 

2/15/2007 1:27:00 PM

 

Alex Marvez interviews Wrestling Society X producer Kevin Kleinrock

 

Email: [email protected]

 

As producer and co-creator of pro wrestling’s most innovative new promotion, Kevin Kleinrock is hoping that MTV’s Wrestling Society X doesn’t remain a secret one. The 28-year-old Kleinrock, who once worked with the now-defunct Xtreme Pro Wrestling group out of Southern California, has tried to create a product that features a new generation of high-flying wrestlers that also appeals to more traditional fans.

 

In the following interview conducted February 12, Kleinrock discusses the origins of WSX, his own background and goals for the promotion. A copy of my column on WSX can be found at http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?acti...LING15-02-15-07.

 

Q: How did this project come about?

 

Kleinrock: “All the way back when I was working for XPW, we were eventually distributed by a home video company called Xtreme Entertainment Group. One of the founders and owners of that company was a guy named Houston Curtis. Years later after XPW was done, Houston and I met up again and he was running Big Vision Entertainment. I went to go work for him for his home video and television production/distribution company. We went to MTV to pitch them on another show. He used to be an MTV executive as well before. He was going to MTV to pitch them on a different television show and I mentioned I had an idea for a new take on rock and wrestling. He said we should sit down and discuss developing the show for MTV and take a pitch to them. We did a pilot for it in February 2006 and they gave us the green light over the summer and we filmed the rest of it in November.”

 

Q: What was your inspiration for this?

 

Kleinrock: “My two passions growing up in life -- other than my family at this point – have always been wrestling and music. I grew up wanting to work in one industry or another. I went back and forth a lot with what I wanted to do with my life. After pursuing wrestling and working with Big Vision, it kind of kept my career in entertainment going. I was always looking forward to bringing those two worlds together again. Throughout my time working with XPW, I met so many bands and artists who liked wrestling and were fans of XPW. A lot of them were great punk rock bands people I listened to. It was surreal for Rancid to show up at an XPW event. To have these bands be fans of our product was just amazing. There were so many bands who were fans of wrestling who would potentially love to get involved in the project.

 

“I was trying to figure out how I could blend that into a new style of wrestling that hopefully not just appeal to the current fan that is into wrestling but reach a whole new generation of fans and people who don’t realty get what pro wrestling is now because in their minds it’s two 300 pound-plus guys doing leg drops or chin locks. They haven’t been exposed to a whole next generation of wrestlers like Matt Sydal or Ruckus and the guys we’re putting in there. They’re putting on matches unlike most of the world has seen before.”

 

Q: For whatever reason, it just seemed like this project took a long time to get off the ground after the pilot was shot.

 

Kleinrock: “I think a lot of that had to do with just the natural progression that comes with launching a TV show, which is exactly the opposite of how every wrestling company had been launching up until now. Generally, the standard rule in wrestling is to start small, try to get local TV and expand regionally and hope and pray for a national spot … To the best of my knowledge, syndication projects aside, there was never a wrestling company or program that launched straight onto network television like this. Because of that, we were not in position to move this thing along any faster. Despite the fact that it did by wrestling industry standards take a long time, from the time we pitched the show to when the first episode aired was by TV standards not that long a time at all. It was average, if not maybe slightly faster, than what it usually takes for a new show to be developed and make it to the air. It was an experience for all of us. I know it was definitely confusing or trying the patience of a lot of wrestlers because they were basically under an exclusive TV contract with us from the time we did the pilot. But all of them have told me since then that it was well worth the wait and are excited about what’s next for WSX.”

 

Q: How much has the product changed from what you originally had in mind?

 

Kleinrock: “The big difference really came between the pilot episode and the rest of them. There’s a difference between an air-able pilot for a normal show and a wrestling show … We knew from day one we had two things we had to do: 1) Convince MTV that this was a show for them and make sure the groundwork was laid for the storylines to progress from there. We had to give them the most over-the-top, spectacular product that they had never seen before in pro wrestling. That’s what the pilot was. I think we went out and put on a great high flying match-up with Matt Sydal and Jack Evans and did an over-the-top WSX rumble, which did what it was supposed to do, which was convince MTV to take the show to the air. We even heard when this pilot was screened along with some other pilots for that there MTV executives heard cheering and hooting and hollering from the audience. We heard the executives were really into the show. That was really good for us. They know it tested really well especially among males, which is one reason why they wanted to put it on because they want to capture some more of the male TV audience that they weren’t getting with some other programs. But people who saw from week one to week two and future weeks is definitely more focused on the in-ring action and a little more on angle and storylines. But we’ve only got 20 minutes -- actually 19 1/2 minutes – and that includes a 30-second musical performance. So we’ve got 20 minutes a week to convince people to tune back in and watch us again and follow along. Given the time restraints, we’re giving exactly what we want to be delivering, especially when you combine it with the view that our web site provides a larger sense of the storylines and angles and characters. Angles that you might not have time to set up on TV you can most likely find on the site. All of these little intricacies that were not part of the pilot should give you a broader sense of what we’re doing and make the show much more than, ‘Let’s get out there and look at some high flying and crazy stunts.’ There are actual storylines that arc and drama that wasn’t necessarily there in the pilot.”

 

Q: What was it like not only assembling the roster but keeping everyone happy?

 

Kleinrock: “The hardest part for us was keeping this roster together. I definitely worried considering we did the pilot in February. The guys who did the pilot were under contract, but I still had the sense to try getting it on the air as soon as possible because I wanted to keep everybody happy and working. A number of guys who made it to the show for the season I had all intention of bringing in from day one but there wasn’t enough space and time on the pilot to do so. There was uncertainty of what was going on and when things would happen. We worked really hard putting the roster together and keeping things on the down-low because we didn’t want another organization picking off the guys we were in negotiation with. A number of guys either I or others had seen or were familiar with following the indy circuits and watching tapes of ROH and PWG and other organizations. And then [Dr.] Keith Lipinski really came on board as the head of talent scouting. He would send input with his reports and footage of other guys we had heard of and read results of but had never seen like Tyler Black and Josh Abercrombie. Once I saw those guys, you could see they fit in perfectly with what we’re trying to do. Even with the roster we’d assembled, when we got to the taping and did the matches, MTV was blown away. We felt some of the matches went above and beyond what they were expecting and hoping for because this is a group of guys who had never been together before. They just gelled so well. Out of the 40 matches that we filmed, 35 of them exceeded expectations.”

 

Q: Obviously, this is not a traditional wrestling product. How concerned are you about alienating long-time fans with the presentation or does that even matter at this point because you could be tapping into a whole different audience?

 

Kleinrock: “One of the major focuses we’re trying to maintain on the show is not to alienate the current wrestling fans. That comes from the fact people behind the scenes are wrestling fans. We’re not about creating a spin-off of pro wrestling. This is about creating a new presentation of pro wrestling. Even with MTV, there are times where something would come up and we would say, ‘What if we do this?’ and MTV always ends with the sentence, ‘Would it turn off wrestling fans or go against what the traditional audience wants?’ They’re very cognizant of not offending the sensibilities of the current fans. That does not mean we don’t take some exceptions, like when we use explosions or the Jack Evans-Matt Sydal match only goes 3 ½ minutes. But again, with the timing of this thing, you have to look at having 19 minutes a week to try and provide the most action-packed 19 minutes you’ve ever seen. I’ve seen multiple newspaper articles and reviews that in our 30 minutes we get just as much wrestling in as on Impact every week and sometimes as much as Raw. As far as the stunts and explosions, we’re just looking to do what others have done in wrestling before and take it to the next level. For example, in Episode Three, there’s a spot that I can see some traditional fans would think a little above and beyond. However, my thinking on the spot was it was a spot that WWE had done before in some form and we went and delivered it in a much more spectacular way. I stand by it being a very cool moment on the show.

 

“Definitely, the ability to sell moves has to be limited when you’re dealing with a 3 ½-minute match. You’re forced to create a new psychology of a wrestling match where you don’t want guys to go out there and just do high spots with no storytelling of a match or sense of believability. But you’re just forced with the time restraint to do something different. But even with the stunts and explosions, it’s not like somebody is standing up 30 seconds later and no-selling a big thing. Yes, maybe on another program when a guy hits a moonsault you see a longer sell. But when you see our program, it’s the nature of the beast.”

 

Q: How surprised were you to see WWE appear to so aggressively try to counter-program against WSX with ECW?

 

Kleinrock: “It was definitely interesting. I had kind of heard rumblings and reports from other people – and they were published now elsewhere – about how Vince [McMahon] never got this worked up about anything that TNA ever did. That was kind of interesting to me. I think two things. If WSX can be successful, it’s good for the entire wrestling industry. One problem the industry has had in the last number of years is bringing new fans to the table. Ever since WCW closed, there are millions of less people watching on a weekly basis even with the little surges of popularity you see now and then. The industry, especially TNA, is struggling to bring new fans to the table. We at WSX look at this as a chance not only to put our show over but help revitalize the industry as a whole. If you can get a few million new fans who don’t watch wrestling and watch our product on a weekly basis, the next thing is they become fans of wrestling and can watch the other shows. It’s a great chance for them to discover WWE and TNA. I think it’s only going to be beneficial to the industry as a whole to see us excel and survive. But anyone knows and has studied Vince [McMahon] and sees what he sees in the business is the dollar that fans are willing to spend. He wants to make sure he and the WWE are receiving every cent of that dollar they can whether from a business or ego sense in trying to crush everything else that comes along. I guess that’s kind of what got to him was the fact we didn’t launch on pay-per-view or a small network. We launched on the biggest network in the world. Viacom has the ability to put this show in more countries than WWE is currently on. That’s just the scope of what WSX and MTV can do together. Obviously, that’s something in the back of his head.”

 

Q: Obviously, Spike TV is owned by Viacom. How does this affect what WSX does with another Viacom-owned network like MTV?

 

Kleinrock: “Despite the fact both are network-owned -- Spike actually falls under the MTV network division – by the same company, each network is responsible for creating programming to bring in viewers. One network on a day-to-day basis doesn’t deal with the other network. The program and decision-makers are completely separate. And it’s much a different situation with how both wrestling companies are set up. TNA is a privately owned company that Spike puts on the air. WSX, at this point, is a TV program that Big Vision Entertainment produces for MTV but the business of WSX at this point is a collaborative effort between Big Vision and MTV. It comes down to the fact MTV and Spike are out there to get the best rating possible for the network and see wrestling as one way to do so.”

 

Q: What are the short- and long-term goals for WSX?

 

Kleinrock: “The short-term goal is to have the first season be as successful as possible and have MTV bring the show back on the air after the 10 episodes are done as quickly as possible. MTV’s traditional model is not to re-run seasons back to back. They take normal TV breaks between seasons. The question now is where does WSX fit into that and what kind of break, if any, is there going to be between season one and season two. In terms of the long-term goals, we’re really looking to expand the WSX brand. All of our focus has been on the television shows and putting our efforts into what airs on TV. But obviously, the words pay-pew-view and tour and merchandise and video games all have been discussed, at least across the lunch table at this point. We’re really looking to work with MTV to build this brand and bring WSX into the pop culture conversation worldwide. Guys who six months ago were relatively unheard of within the general population in a few months to be in position, and I’m pretty confident of this, better known than guys like Umaga and the Great Khali and guys they’re pushing in WWE as well as be better know that all of the TNA roster except for a Sting or a Kurt Angle. This is a huge opportunity to have this roster kind of break through and be heralded as the new generation of pro wrestling.”

 

Alex Marvez's weekly pro wrestling column can be found in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Biloxi Sun-Herald, Abilene Reporter, Boulder Daily Camera, San Angelo Standard-Times, The Oklahoman, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and other select newspapers that subscribe to the Scripps-Howard News Service.

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=23086&p=1

 

MTV WRESTLING SOCIETY X NOTES & NEWS

by Mike Johnson @ 11:30:00 AM on 2/24/2007

 

MTV's Wrestling Society X will return this Tuesday at 10:30 PM with the following announced:

 

*Matt Sydal (with Lizzie Valentine) vs. Scorpio Sky

*El Hombre Blanco Enmascarado vs. The Human Tornado

*Keepin' It Gangsta (Ruckus & Babi Slymm), WSX champion Vampiro, Sean Waltman and more will appear.

*Musical guests Clipse will perform.

 

A few readers with Comcast cable sent word that MTV's Video on Demand channel is airing WSX and WSXtra Episodes.

 

There's no word yet on WSX being picked up for a second season although if it is, I would expect a timeslot change to move it away from ECW on SciFi.

 

Sean Waltman is available for a limited number of bookings through [email protected]

 

There are plans to market "Matt Classic" T-shirts.

 

For more information on MTV's Wrestling Society X, visit WSX.mtv.com

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Matt Classic is the best thing about WSX!