(26th Jun) Love Or Hate?

[leonp1981]

Vince McMahon

Is he an amazing businessman who revolutionised the pro-wrestling industry, allowing wrestlers to be seen on a world stage and earn more money than they could have dreamed of?  A man who has created a finely polished product containing the most talented athletes in the world?

OR

Is he responsible for the death of true pro-wrestling?  By destroying the territories and buying out any major competition, has he created a product that is both boring and repetitive?  Has he created an endless conveyor belt of identical wrestlers and storylines, all conforming to his ideals, stopping anyone fresh and unique from making a mark in this industry?

DISCUSS!

(I'll try and make this a weekly thing, so keep an eye out for the next one!)

[Playboy]

Vince McMahon

Is he an amazing businessman who revolutionised the pro-wrestling industry, allowing wrestlers to be seen on a world stage and earn more money than they could have dreamed of?  A man who has created a finely polished product containing the most talented athletes in the world?

OR

Is he responsible for the death of true pro-wrestling?  By destroying the territories and buying out any major competition, has he created a product that is both boring and repetitive?  Has he created an endless conveyor belt of identical wrestlers and storylines, all conforming to his ideals, stopping anyone fresh and unique from making a mark in this industry?

DISCUSS!

(I'll try and make this a weekly thing, so keep an eye out for the next one!)

Option A. He is a smart and very shrewd business man and that's why he is where he is today. His take home pay....45,100,000 dollars after taxes according to people magazine. He is a genius.

[leonp1981]

Option A. He is a smart and very shrewd business man and that's why he is where he is today. His take home pay....45,100,000 dollars after taxes according to people magazine. He is a genius.

He is definitely a very rich and successful businessman, but by creating the juggernaut that is the WWE, and removing all competition, has the product suffered?

[mass 04]

I think it is a little of both. He obviously is an incredible buisiness man but i do feel he is out of touch with the audience sometimes. I don't blame him for buying territories anyone Crockett or Gagne included would have done the same thing if they had the cash and vision to do so.

[leonp1981]

I think it is a little of both. He obviously is an incredible buisiness man but i do feel he is out of touch with the audience sometimes. I don't blame him for buying territories anyone Crockett or Gagne included would have done the same thing if they had the cash and vision to do so.

I think he takes too much control at times, and puts out a show that HE would want to watch, not necessarily what the audience wants to see.  No-one can blame him for what he's done, but is it best for the viewers?

[Montague]

Vince McMahon

Is he an amazing businessman who revolutionised the pro-wrestling industry, allowing wrestlers to be seen on a world stage and earn more money than they could have dreamed of?  A man who has created a finely polished product containing the most talented athletes in the world?

OR

Is he responsible for the death of true pro-wrestling?  By destroying the territories and buying out any major competition, has he created a product that is both boring and repetitive?  Has he created an endless conveyor belt of identical wrestlers and storylines, all conforming to his ideals, stopping anyone fresh and unique from making a mark in this industry?

He’s both.
One of the sharpest of double edged swords…

Part 1:

Groundbreaking admission when Vince publicly confirmed what everyone always knew (or at least suspected) all along: pro wrestling is a work; not competition. I think that took a lot of the sting out of the resentment people felt when it seemed as if promoters were insulting their intelligence by claiming it was “real.” 

Vince took wrestling out of the armories and county fairs and put in on MTV. The marketing of the LJN dolls action figures was revolutionary, and laid the groundwork for t-shirts, posters, etc. – something that Verne Gagne was too late in figuring out. Merchandise grew the WWF cash machine.

Vince provided a platform that showcased the best in the WORLD; not just a town.

WWF introduced the big money contracts.

WWF upped the ante for the rest of professional wrestling.

[Montague]

Part 2:

Vince’s acquisition of all the top talent along with his over the top productions ran almost all of the other territories out of business.
Those territories were breeding grounds for up and coming talent.
Guys had a place to hone their skills.

The territories also kept things fresh by exchanging talent. Who does Vince exchange with?

These days we have either “developmental territories,” which are basically WWE minor leagues, or there are independent promotions, which put guys in funny little outfits and have them “working” in high school gyms, occasionally bringing in past big names like Lord Zoltan or the Missing Link for nothing more than nostalgia.
Indies are paying local guys $20-$80/night in some places. What quality of workers are WWE talent scouts gonna find there, and how many guys will stick around for that money no matter how good they are?
It’s an all or nothing scenario right now. With the exception of MAYBE TNA, guys either make a living wrestling in WWE, or they wrestle twice a month for $50.

[Montague]

Part 3:

It took Vince to carry wrestling into the mainstream, but he needs some competition. He needs another Turner. You can learn from your competition’s mistakes. Right now Vince has to make all the mistakes.

I don’t place TNA on WWE’s level. I think of them as more of a “super-duper” indy fed. Most of their roster also works indy gigs anyway.

Vince needs a bigger pool from which to draw talent.
We need more guys who wrestle (and can afford to wrestle) full time.

There’s always some form of competition in the medium of other programming, but Vince needs some direct competition. He was at his best during the “Monday Night Wars.”

[leonp1981]

Part 3:

It took Vince to carry wrestling into the mainstream, but he needs some competition. He needs another Turner. You can learn from your competition’s mistakes. Right now Vince has to make all the mistakes.

I don’t place TNA on WWE’s level. I think of them as more of a “super-duper” indy fed. Most of their roster also works indy gigs anyway.

Vince needs a bigger pool from which to draw talent.
We need more guys who wrestle (and can afford to wrestle) full time.

There’s always some form of competition in the medium of other programming, but Vince needs some direct competition. He was at his best during the “Monday Night Wars.”

I definitely agrea that there needs to be som competition.  TNA is nowhere near on the level of WWE, and won't be for some time.  I can't see any other fed coming up in the near future.  You'd need someone with a lot of time money and ambition (Donald Trump!?) to start a completely new fed, or invest heavily in TNA.  But I can't see that happening.  The WWE is currently a victim of its own success.