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TI0 
Posts: 29
(7/6/02 13:19)
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Wrestling Federation Analogies.
I touched on this once on Moonsault Central, but I thought I'd look at it a bit further.
My original argument came as a result of why some talent could succeed in one Fed, but not in another, (mishandling aside).
The original premise was that the three Feds were like TV and Film. On TV, you've got actors/actresses who are hot TV stars, but fizzle on Film because they can't carry the Big Screen. Now, though, I'd like to elaborate.
ECW: the "TV" of wrestling, albeit cutting-edge, and not your commercial claptrap. ECW was more like one of these TV Shows which paves the way for the next generation of entertainment - the way "X-Files" spawned Sci-Fi imitators, the way "ER" spawned medical copies, etc.
WCW: the "Theatre" of Wrestling, where performers actually knew and employed their craft, and were found out when they couldn't. The accentuation on "wrestling" as a sport, science, art - or whatever you want to call it - was its figurehead, something Vince Russo should've realized.
WWF/E : bubblegum "Film" - the formulaic entertainment movie. Hey, I've got nothing against bubblegum film. I love films without pretenses about what they are. But it's important to look at the "sequel effect." Something like the original Letha or Indiana Jones or, hell, Police Academy was great and entertaining. Second-time around, so-so? Third-time around, you're looking tired, buddy. Fourth-time around? Ewww. And so on.
Now ECW-stars could go on to become great stars in either WCW or WWF, but they just as often fizzled - which is the way it is with real TV actors. For every Michael Douglas there's a Tom Selleck. Similarly with ECW; for every Mick Foley there's a Shane Douglas.
They can fill the metaphoric "small-screen" of ECW, but are found wanting on the bigger stage of "WCW" or the big screen of "WWF." Mishandling doesn't help; but this equivocates with actors who make poor career choices when they try to move to film.
On the other hand, the WCW wrestler had all the abilities to make it elsewhere, but often that got in their way. Even guys like Chris Benoit (via ECW, then WCW, admittedly) have had to cut down on their repertoire of actual wrestling in WWF/E and had to rely on "Sports-Entertainment" gimmicks.
Some have had a difficult time acclimatizing. Chris Jericho might've been a natural on the microphone, but Chris Benoit was not. However, he was able to persist and thrive. But then there's the likes of Dean Malenko and Saturn. Malenko thrived in WCW as a "wrestler", but withered in WWF as a "sports-entertainer." Saturn, almost as accomplished, found it difficult getting footing in WCW, and has found it impossible in WWF/E.
Lastly there's WWF/E. The one thing I'll give them is they put their new guys through their paces. But like the Film Actor who's been a Supporting Actor in one Film too many, some times they get stuck forever trying to prove themselves.
A step down to WCW often had them found out for actual ability, and going down to ECW found them unable to cope with the pace.
The point?
There used to be a nice balance. Pre-Russo, WCW/NWA provided the "theatre" of wrestling - actual wrestlers who relied on "wrestling." This was probably diminished when they signed Hulk Hogan, but the smarter fans always recognized the true talent, the guys like Benoit, Booker, Jericho, the Luchadores & Cruiserweights, etc.
ECW was a great feeding-ground for the other two, but still maintained its own stars, (such as the Sandman). Most of the time it continued to produce cutting-edge viewing and quality-matches, albeit the latter was often too touched with the hardcore (read "attitude") overcoat.
But now the balance is gone, and with the loss of the balance I think WWF/E doesn't even know where they're meant to be standing. In my opinion, as the "Film" of wrestling, WWF/E are on "Police Academy VI: Mission to Moscow" and looking, bravely but suicidally, at making Number VII.
How long will WWE persist with this formula? Not even the real producers of the actual Police Academy Series dared to try and make a Number 7, but WWE are obliviously steaming into that territory, just as blissfully ignorant as the Titanic[/b] was on the last night of her voyage.
If McMahon was smart, he'd take advantage of his extensive roster and set up a distinctive feeder-Fed to stand alone from WWE. While he has the marquee-names to carry WWE he's safe. But he needs to best utilize the actual "Theatre" and "TV" performers signed to WWE. Maybe with clever management they could even thrive on their own.
Unfortunately, I can't see it happening.
And with that as a threat, WWF/E could become so hackneyed that it suffers the fate of overly-formulaic Film - straight-to-video.
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Hugemon 
Posts: 213
(8/6/02 17:22)
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 Re: Wrestling Federation Analogies.
Great post, SILK! You've obviously put a lot of thought into this one.
However, I *do* believe that VKM already HAS a "feeder-Fed"...James E Cornette's Ohio Valley Wrestling, from which the WWE has already recruited Ron "H2O" Waterman, Brock "The Next BIG Thing" Lesnar, and most-recently, D-von's trained assassin -The Deacon-, who was known in OVW as LEVIATHAN.
I'm not sure where Jerry Jerret's NWA might sit in your scheme of Wrestling Federation analogies, but there are still several other Feds out there for VKM to recruit from, like CZW, which has been *plugging* their next show with Sabu =vs= Jerry Lynn as the headline match.
| Behold, a pale horse, and the man that sat on him was Death |
| ...and HELL followed with him |
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TI0
Posts: 36
(18/6/02 9:27)
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Feeder-Feds.
I was thinking more of ECW and WCW, since their guys got television coverage - like Jericho, Benoit, etc.
As for the NWA and Indy-Feds, if it's not on TV it won't exist here. It was hard enough getting WCW and WWF during their collective height!
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Hugemon
Posts: 259
(19/6/02 9:19)
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Re: Feeder-Feds.
The last thing that I heard about NWA was that they were going to have a weekly show on a PPV basis....I'll prolly order at least ONE, to see if it's any good. Supposed to be pretty cheap.
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