Wrestling in the UK

[Guest Evil_dan]

Right now in the UK we have a very good chance to put on good wrestling shows and put UK wrestling back on TV, (assuming that most of the different promoters can put there differences aside and work together). We need to put on a legit supercard show with as many promotions as we can get involved. I would love to be involved in tht sort of thing, even if it meant all I did was was work the ring crew or steward the event. SCW had a chance with Hammerlock, FWA and BXW (and a few other promotions I can't remember the names of right now) to put on a good show, and they put on a blinder with wrestlers from a number of other promotions. Even with the few who bailed out with only a few days notice, SCW was still an excellent example of what can be done when different promotions put on a show together.

 

Just imagine a 2 or 3 day event with all the major UK promotions in 1 arena, trying to out do each other putting on the best matches they can with the best talent they can offer.

 

Who would like to see that supercard?

 

More to the point, who would want to be on that supercard?

 

And who has the balls to try and organise that show?

 

Revival has built us some momentum. Lets not waste it with politics, infighting and bitching. We can leave that sort of crap to football.

 

:devil

Edited February 23, 2002 by Evil_dan

[Guest Dean Douglas]

No matter how many promotions join together or how many big UK stars you'll be able to get the fact remains that not enough people will care for it to make any impact. UK wrestling is the domain of the internet fan and tape collectors, the masses that made the WWF popular here simply couldn't care less about UK wrestling no matter how good it might be.

 

I have little to no interest in the UK scene so what do you think the 8-16 demographic that wants flashy production and a WWF style prodct with WWF names on a WWF show will want?, Revival had to use ex WWF employees Eddy Guerrero and Brian Christopher to get slightly noticed and the Dynamite Kid who made his name in the WWF and Japan to create a reasonable buzz for the upcoming TV broadcast. Viewers have a choice and as you can see, they've chosen the WWF, if UK fans really want UK wrestling why aren't Sky Sports airing FWA events instead of WWF shows?. I know the main aim of shows like Revival is to kick start fan interest but when you look at all the variables I don't think it will, take a look at WrestleXpress, once the Great White Hope of British wrestling and now an embarassment to every UK promoter.

 

In the long run what will realisitically happen?, the UK product is simply not for the UK fans that want a US product, not a US style product but an actual US product.

 

In the words of a certain band....sad but true.

[Guest TsuMirren]

I was going to let this slide, but DEAN...that is utter crap...

 

There's far too many people who don't care about UK wrestling, ironic when you consider how patriotic people are about other sports...

 

I'm not going to go blowing my own trumpet here, but there was quite a diverse crowd at the SCW show last weekend and every one of them seemed to love it. Maybe everyone should look into wrestling in the UK and to a few of the better shows..by that I don't mean Allstars or the flaming tribute shows. Everyone talks about Allstar etc aiming for the children's market, put a few genuine stars on the show and you'd soon see fans flocking back and remove the tributes, you'd soon see TV looking. It wouldn't have to be nationwide TV after all, just local cable across the UK. Allstar could rule the roost tomorrow, absolutely no need for all the extra production during the shows and i'm sure they could afford someone to edit the shows for tape professionally also...if only someone would mention it to Brian Dixon!

 

WrestleXpress was the great white hope to non-internet fans, even quite a few internet fans were suckered into it all.

 

I'll say this, if I can draw 150+ to Linwood...then it is more than possible to draw 2,000 to London.

[Guest Dean Douglas]

Originally posted by TsuMirren

, put a few genuine stars on the show and you'd soon see fans flocking back and remove the tributes, you'd soon see TV looking.

 

 

Who do you mean by genuine stars?, do you mean the likes of Doug Williams, Alex Shane, Jody Fleisch, etc that have been the stars of FWA for quite some time that the WWF watchng masses couldn't care about and stil only draw miniscule numbers compared to the WWF and even ECW while that was up?. On the other had if you mean ex WWF, WCW and ECW wrestlers then I need not explain further.

 

To the best of my knowledge FWA and Hammerlock don't run tributes, both promotions still depend heavily on ex US stars and the best they've done is Hammerlock on a TV special on ITV2 and a crossover with "Faking It" that was more intended for non wrestling fans to laugh at. Would the TV networks really consider picking up something with a proven negligble fanbase and that was dropped from British TV when it failed to draw?. I also bring this one back to my previous post, to be big, UK wrestling needs big numbers of fans and the big numbers of fans want the WWF, not a product that they see as second rate and that doesn't interest or attract them, they've made their own choice on the matter and you can't expect to force them to like British wrestling simply because they are British.

[Guest Inno]

Nothing I read of / hear of makes me go "oooo I must get a hold of that and see for myself"

 

UK scene holds no interest for me, and I can't see that changing anytime soon. If my "attitude" offends anyone, tough.

 

Until something convinces me otherwise, UK wrestling is not for me.

[Guest TsuMirren]

The UK scene does as best it can with limited finances and the sparse crowds they do get. It's not the FWA's fault that more people don't go, same thing with Hammerlock.

 

There is very little money in the UK scene below Hammerlock and FWA, for the workers below that it's all off of their own back and they work for the love of the sport and the fans who care to go and watch them.

 

Just as a little example...a ring costs around 3 grand, a venue can cost from £300 upwards and to get £5 million public liability insurance for a capacity of 600 (okay, I should have set for 200) it cost me £525. There are no big sponsorship deals...

 

People want to see more, well go along and support the UK scene and help out. Be like the ECW fans and become an integral part of the product.

 

Saying that though, all the so cold major WWF fans were bitching like spoilt idiots when asked to buy the Royal Rumble...oooooh how dare Sky Sports charge extra, how dare WE pay what everyone in America is asked to pay.

 

I'm just as sick of "The UK scene doesn't interest me" as other people are of "Well, if you don't like it, then don't watch it"

 

I ask you all once again...are you WWF fans or are you wrestling fans? I'd also like to ask how you'd feel if you put as much effort as you can into something, only for people with no real knowledge of what's involved to comment on it so sweepingly.

 

Remember that the US scene has had almost a century of history behind it and that the UK scene today is no worse than the US scene around the time Backlund was Champion...oh, oops, there was probably too much wrestling, honour, dignity and respect back then.

[Guest Evil_dan]

Where the hell are you booking shows, we've been paying less than a hundred quid for venues, and some have been free!

 

Everything else seems about right.

 

But back to the subject. You need to tell people your having a event in a big way. And not just the marks online, but the locals as well. Get in the papers, get posters up, and above all, GET IN THERE FACE WITH THE FLyERS. Get some anticiption going. Plug your next events in the breaks in your show. And if anyone here tells me flyerinis waste of money then you need a good kicking. 10K of flyers will set you back £100 if you pay above the odds for glossy 2 sided colour. If your lucky,you might get 2.5% returns from that. But that doesn't stop nightclubs burning 10K worth of flyers for a night, because they get it back on the door.

 

We have plenty of good homegrwon stars. What we need are some stars from the WWFor WCW to get there attention. Put 1 big name yank on the card, and dazzle them with the british stars. You will soon be packing you halls.

 

And if you wnat to say it's not the promotions fault that they can hardly pack out the local public toilet, then your just plain stupid. You can do it if you promote the event properly.

 

We need to put on some big shows to et the attention of the UK media. If all the UK promotions could put on a supercard,and we got some big name yanks over, and promoted it properly then it would sell. If the Japenese can put something like this on, why can't we? Revival was a good start, so why can't it get built on. If they were expecting it to suceed, why hasn't the next big event been announced?

 

And to mr Dreamer, have you been watching the same WWF as me recently? it has been boring the hell out me. Althought the NWO seems to have picked things up a bit.

[Guest Dean Douglas]

Originally posted by Evil_dan

Where the hell are you booking shows, we've been paying less than a hundred quid for venues, and some have been free!

 

Everything else seems about right.

 

But back to the subject. You need to tell people your having a event in a big way. And not just the marks online, but the locals as well. Get in the papers, get posters up, and above all, GET IN THERE FACE WITH THE FLyERS. Get some anticiption going. Plug your next events in the breaks in your show. And if anyone here tells me flyerinis waste of money then you need a good kicking. 10K of flyers will set you back £100 if you pay above the odds for glossy 2 sided colour. If your lucky,you might get 2.5% returns from that. But that doesn't stop nightclubs burning 10K worth of flyers for a night, because they get it back on the door.

 

We have plenty of good homegrwon stars. What we need are some stars from the WWFor WCW to get there attention. Put 1 big name yank on the card, and dazzle them with the british stars. You will soon be packing you halls.

 

And if you wnat to say it's not the promotions fault that they can hardly pack out the local public toilet, then your just plain stupid. You can do it if you promote the event properly.

 

We need to put on some big shows to et the attention of the UK media. If all the UK promotions could put on a supercard,and we got some big name yanks over, and promoted it properly then it would sell. If the Japenese can put something like this on, why can't we? Revival was a good start, so why can't it get built on. If they were expecting it to suceed, why hasn't the next big event been announced?

 

And to mr Dreamer, have you been watching the same WWF as me recently? it has been boring the hell out me. Althought the NWO seems to have picked things up a bit.

 

Have you even been listening?, next to no one wants to see UK wrestling. Read my first reply without the aid of your rose tinted spectacles.

[Guest Dean Douglas]

Originally posted by TsuMirren

The UK scene does as best it can with limited finances and the sparse crowds they do get. It's not the FWA's fault that more people don't go, same thing with Hammerlock.

 

There is very little money in the UK scene below Hammerlock and FWA, for the workers below that it's all off of their own back and they work for the love of the sport and the fans who care to go and watch them.

 

Just as a little example...a ring costs around 3 grand, a venue can cost from £300 upwards and to get £5 million public liability insurance for a capacity of 600 (okay, I should have set for 200) it cost me £525. There are no big sponsorship deals...

 

People want to see more, well go along and support the UK scene and help out. Be like the ECW fans and become an integral part of the product.

 

Saying that though, all the so cold major WWF fans were bitching like spoilt idiots when asked to buy the Royal Rumble...oooooh how dare Sky Sports charge extra, how dare WE pay what everyone in America is asked to pay.

 

I'm just as sick of "The UK scene doesn't interest me" as other people are of "Well, if you don't like it, then don't watch it"

 

I ask you all once again...are you WWF fans or are you wrestling fans? I'd also like to ask how you'd feel if you put as much effort as you can into something, only for people with no real knowledge of what's involved to comment on it so sweepingly.

 

 

People want more, they see more of what they want in the WWF than in the UK, they have freedom of choice which is a basic human right. You can't start whinging and then demand that people support UK wrestling simply because you tell them to, ECW fans became an integral part of the product because they developed a genuine enthusiasm for the product, not because Tod Gordon and Paul Heyman told them to like it.

 

No matter how many, "we do it for the love of the sport and the fans", stories I hear none of them alter my point of view. When I hear about or see some British wrestling that appeals directly to me then I'll go and see it, in the meantime I'm not interested whatsoever and bleeding heart monologues won't change the situation.

 

You're sick of people saying, "The UK scene doesn't interest me" ?, the truth does hurt I suppose.

 

I am a wrestling fan, I just happen to be able to watch the WWF and not get uptight about it. I used to enjoy WCW and ECW while they were around and I catch some puro now and then but just because The Rock isn't throwing Dragon Suplexes or finishing matches with a Shining Wizard and they write some storylines certain people don't like doesn't mean I can't call myself a wrestling fan because I can relax and watch a TV show that features wrestling, a form of entertainment based on a worked sport, Sports Entertainment in other words.

[Guest SkinnyBoy]

You WWF marks make me want to PUKE! You have no interest in the UK scene? I bet your the first idiots to go running to a tribute show. OH WE WANT THE WWF!!! What age are you 5? Cuz thats what the WWF is for, 5 year olds. I stopped watching it months ago when Lance Storm was squashed by Edge in a 3 minute match up on RAW. I was like "screw this piece of crap programing that the general public think is wrestling." Get of yer arse's and go support your nearest promotion because there will be guys on there, and although they may not be big steriod enchanced superstars they will be guys that will put it all on the line for the fans and will do things that your heroes like The Rock and HHH wouldn't have the guts to do. You make me sick. Die die die die die die!

[Guest Dean Douglas]

Guess what that post makes me think of?. That post makes me think of intelligence, maturity, rationality, diplomacy and eloquence...and how they are so sorely lacking in some people.

[Guest Perfection]

Although i agree with Skinny Boy, what DD said had me in tears laughing. :lol

[Guest Inno]

Well, obviously I can't speak on this subject any more as I'm "just a WWF fan" so that obviously means that my opinion holds no point. Isn't the whole point of trying to put on a show to try and grab "us WWF fans" and make us want to watch the product being offered?

 

I'm a Celtic fan, have been for years, but since I moved, the nearest ground to me is Ibrox - should I go and support them because it's on my doorstep?

 

I'll "get off my arse and support the nearest promotion" if and when there's something that makes want to go see it, not because I'm told too.

 

And I think the so-called "WWF marks" are a damned site more intelligent than someone like Skinnyboy who goes around wishing people dead just because they watch a certain brand of wrestling, but hey, who am I to say? I'm not a wrestling fan, just a WWF fan...

[Guest Alliance Mark]

It's not the FWA's fault that more people don't go, same thing with Hammerlock.

 

Is it our fault when the ratings for Raw and Smackdown are low?

 

Is it wrestling fans fault that towards the end WCW offered a product that didn't interest fans?

 

Is it our fault ECW went bankrupt?

 

The answer is NO. Don't blame me if i don't want to travel at least an hour to watch a UK wrestling event when i can watch the WWF for free in the comfort of my own home, weekly.

 

You have no interest in the UK scene?

 

It is not UK wrestling fans fault that people dont want to go see a UK wrestling event. It is the promotion's fault. If you haven't got me interested then thats your fault not mine.

 

I'd love to see the UK wrestling scene take off but don't blame us just because we watch the WWF. The UK scene has got a tough job on their hands. It's not lack of hardwork or effort that has held the UK scene back, i don't know what it is but i'm sure the tribute shows dont help.

 

Their is an FWA event coming up in June i think, it's gonna take me at least an hour and half to get there and the same coming back.

I'm going to see it because im interested in seeing it.

[Guest Jayden]

Yeah, I posted recently, earlier today in fact saying that I genuinely hadn't seen anyone try and force their opinions on anyone else, well Skinny boy ruined that.

 

As it happens I'll make up my own mind as to whether I want to watch WWF, to say it's for 5 year olds is ludicrous. I doubt any of us go to tribute shows. We don't have to go to our local shows, I live in Reading, and haven't ever been to see them play.

 

As it happens I actually like the FWA (but hated your post), and have a few vids. But they haven't raised enough interest for me to go to a show. Hell I don't go and see the WWF every time they tour, so there's no chance of me getting excited about the FWA playing in Aldershot