The Quick Talkdown 7.29.06: New Wrestling Era Commences In Canadian Television
Posted by Phill Feltham on 07.29.2006
Wrestling in Canadian television gets face lift... Paul Heymen proves he's a corporate puppy... and some insightful comments on the Great American Bash.
Canadian wrestling fans like me are really excited over the major changes to wrestling on television. We haven't seen changes like this in years.
First, you have ECW on the Global Television Network. According to a press release on WWE's Corporate website ECW will air starting Friday, August 11 at Midnight.
For years, I cannot recall wrestling ever being on Global. This is a major deal because Global is one of Canada's major networks. 411's Stephen Randle used Fox as a poor comparison, but I'm thinking more along the lines of NBC.
ECW will also be shown on Xtreme on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 a.m. This is eastern standard time, folks.
That same WWE press release said that Global has committed to airing both
RAW and SmackDown! in Quebec. I can imagine the Quebecers chanting, "Magnifique!". Raw starts on August 7 at Midnight on CKMI. SmackDown! will air on Saturday nights at 12:30 a.m.. Also eastern standard time.
Now the biggest change comes from RAW moving to The Score. RAW has been on TSN for over a decade. In Canada, TSN has always been considered 'the sports network' (yes, it also literally means that). The Score came a generation after along with many other specialty television stations when TSN had already been on the air.
The WWE's beef with TSN was that RAW was always being pre-empted. It became the second to Canada's sport of sports, hockey. Go LEAFS Go!!
Trish Stratus at a Toronto Press Conference told Slam! Wrestling: "On a Monday night all over Canada, wrestling fans are watching hockey. Don't get me wrong, we love our hockey. But we really love our wrestling. ... Wrestling fans have been watching Raw at an ungodly hour, and it's caused side effects such as disgruntled parents, missed reruns of Seinfeld, and also, students have been known to stay up late to watch Raw and their grades are dropping."
The Toronto York University Graduate has some good points. I watched RAW at until later than two in the morning (sometimes later) following the big hockey game. This was, of course, before satellite came along, but it was always a pain getting up the next morning for those 8:00 morning classes.
Trish continues: "I'd like to thank The Score for providing a new home where wrestling fans, on a Monday night, can watch Monday Night Raw on a Monday night, not on Tuesday early morning. And for providing a place for me to continue to provide Stratusfaction."
No comments on the 'Stratusfaction' remark, but there is a luxury of watching wrestling around the same time when it airs. RAW will start an hour later on the Score when it's already live on USA. It's the long sought treat that Canadians have been deprived of for years.
TSN told SLAM! Wrestling that changes to move WWE was in the works for awhile. This was to add football to their line up. Of course, both TSN and WWE haven't ruled out working together in the future either.
The other sports station, The Score which claims it's 'the home for the hardcore' will start airing RAW in two weeks on August 7th. Mondays at 10 p.m. eastern time(repeats at 12:30 a.m. ET - 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time).
"The Score is truly the home for the hardcore now that we've united the RAW and SmackDown properties on the same channel, and introduced our new WWE program," said David Errington, VP and GM at The Score in a press release.
It's kind of exciting! No longer will the New VR shorten our two hour RAW into a one hour show and no longer will RAW take a back seat to the most important sport in the world, hockey. The new generation of television viewing in Canada is upon us. We proud Canadians can finally view our WWE programming as harmoniously as our American neighbours without boiling that extra cup of coffee just to stay awake. Let's watch on!
THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH
Not to mark out or anything, but last week's SmackDown PPV, kicked ass for all a variety of reasons.
The Punjabi Hell in a Cell encounter was original. The Undertaker stole the show, or should I say, 'killed the Show.'
Gregory Helms and Matt Hardy are two fantastic wrestlers and their match was awesome. Helms continues his rise to the top while Hardy's career continues to take a dirt nap.
Mr. Kennedy winning last Sunday was a nice touch. He was not another Batista kill job. Instead now, you have heat for a future match. Instead, Smackdown fans get to see Ken Kennedy killed on a future Friday night for free.
The Chavo Guerrero turn was predictable however gave Smackdown that serious push it needed. Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce to you... Booker T.... King Booker... (patata, patato) as the new World Heavyweight Champion. That's a slap in the face of bitter ex-WCW folk like Scott Steiner and Goldberg whose WWE tenures were shortlived.
Now we get to see a Chavo Guerrero/ Rey Mysterio program and I guarantee you, Eddie Guerrerro's death will be the catalyst that pushes this feud through. Eddie will be ready to kick some ass though looking for revenge in that big squared-circle in the sky.
RAW REAPS BENEFITS
Baby Aurora is born! I proudly predict the fourth generation of McMahons.. that is if she keeps the last name.
Edge and Johnny Nitro make a formidable tag team. Both guys have the look, think highly of themselves, have hot women and both wear gold. If the WWE is smart, this 'union' will continue.
Umaga... YAWN!! Just when the Spirit Squad start to die down, the WWE tries to replace them with Umaga. The former Jamal of the tag team Three Minute Warning has devestated Ric Flair and John Cena and now has moved onto DX. I admit that I'm impressed with the continued success of the 'Fatu' family but at this point in time, Umaga fails to impress me. Those who compare Samoa Joe to Umaga need to have some serious couch time to resolve their delusions of grandeur.
Final note.. Fifty bucks to the first person who pokes 'The Coach' realllly hard upside the head.
HEYMAN SPEAKS
Mr. Heyman has definitely turned into a corporate puppy. Not that this is a bad thing.
In a recent interview Paul had with the Sun Online proves this fact. "The bottom line is ECW is going to move forward with this audience or without, with Paul Heyman or without and with Rob Van Dam or without."
For Heyman to say the above must have been like swallowing marbles. ECW was Heyman's baby and if still belonged to Mr. Dangerously, he would be singing a different tune.
The best part about Heyman's interview though is that he is truely passionate about the new ECW. He acknowledges it won't be the same but claims it has the same culture. Be that as it may, I'm tuned in!
He had some really interesting remarks to say regarding those critical hardcore ECW fans.
"If the audience likes certain things it's in their best interest to let everybody know.
And if the audience don't like something they should also be very vocal about it.
But being vocal sitting on your couch doesn't help! And if the audience wants ECW to go in a certain direction you can't just sit at home and bitch about it. You've got to step up and let your feelings be known. Because it's going to move forward with us or without us."
Speak, corporate puppy, speak! Wanna beef?! Okay, here is one!
DROWNED WITH DISQUALIFICATIONS
I've had to edit many articles that contain profanity. It upsets the writer every time because the writer thinks his voice his being censored. Even I don't like it, but in the journalism industry, we are required to 'water down' articles not to offend the masses. This is different for ECW though.
ECW is a hardcore product. Blood, sweat, and tears, literally, must be soon to make the product good. But this week what we saw was blood, Tommy Dreamer and Paul Heyman kissing (last week) and disqualifications. It makes me want to spend hours and hours hugging a tiolet like a drunkard at three in the morning.
While the attempts to be hardcore are there, I want to see more than just the Big Slow and Kane going hardcore. The Test/ Mike Knox versus Sandman/ Tommy Dreamer is a nice touch... but I want it all... and I want it NOW!
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