The Goodness 01.09.07: Cut the Fat

Posted by  on 01.09.2007

A look at how the absurd number of pay-per-views is killing the WWE and the eerie parallels with the decline of interest in boxing.

First off, I want to apologize for my extended absence for about the past month. It was a perfect storm of holidays, family stuff and wilting under the pressure of my job that led to my little sabbatical. I hope y'all haven't missed me too much. I haven't been watching too much wrestling lately outside of the much-hyped K-Fed/John Cena match last week. I have to say it was pretty much what I expected and that was fine with me. I did not like how the whole 'Umaga can't touch Cena' storyline was inexplicably dropped so K-Fed could get the win. Johnny Nitro is standing right there! Why couldn't he cheat for Federline? It was a minor quibble but I'm tired of Umaga. It's like every Hulk Hogan storyline from the late 1980's/early 1990's and you know Cena's going to win. Who is Cena going to face at WrestleMania?

Edit: I wrote this Sunday afternoon and I really thought New Year's Resolution was next Sunday. Oops, I was right about Cena though...

The Goodness 01.09.07: Cut the Fat

There was a time in the not-so distant past where I could quickly rattle off the main events to every pay-per-view the WWF had ever put on. Now this isn't the type of skill that would win me a date but it was nice to know that I could trace the history of the WWF in a few minutes. And for full disclosure, this was something I did when I ran cross country or just ran to get into shape - it took my mind off of the crippling pain in my legs as I pushed my body to its limits.

What's the point of this little tangent? That time has long since passed. No longer can I rattle off the main event of every WWE pay-per-view from the last year - heck, I may not even be able to name all the shows. The pay-per-view market has become so over-saturated that the WWE has three different "brands" putting on shows throughout the year that it seems like - and at times, it actually is true - that there is a pay-per-view every Sunday.

I began thinking about the saturation of pay-per-views in wrestling last week as I was reading an article on boxing and its decline for the past ten or so years. One of the reasons cited for boxing's decline is the fact that nearly every title fight, regardless of the combatants, has made its way to pay-per-view. In the past, there were several television outlets including ESPN on Fridays, USA on Tuesdays, network television on weekends and premium channels like HBO and Showtime that would show fights on a consistent basis. Of those, only HBO and Showtime remain but in very limited numbers. Those fights that would have ended up on USA's Tuesday Night Fights are now on pay-per-view for $30. The point is simple - the average boxing fan doesn't have enough money to follow the sport year-round and has lost interest except for the 'event' fights.

It's almost startling to read something like that and see the obvious comparison to pro wrestling. What shows do the average wrestling fan pay for? They pay for WrestleMania. They pay for the Royal Rumble. They may pay for SummerSlam. And that's it. Those are the 'event' shows. Those are the shows that have been part of a wrestling fan's life for 20 years. It reminds them why they are wrestling fan. When the Royal Rumble match starts, as a fan, you're not only excited because of what's happening in front of you but how what will happen instantly becomes part of history. It's why millions of people watch the Rose Bowl each New Year's Day because it's part of a shared history. It's why millions watch the Masters every April and why some of those millions don't watch golf any other weekend of the year.

It's why with almost 20 pay-per-views a year, the WWE is drawing buyrates for most of their shows that could be classified as 'embarrassing'. There are about 150-200,000 people buying those minor shows like Unforgiven or New Year's Resolution, while the Royal Rumble does at least double that and WrestleMania does roughly five times that. The thing is the WWE has found a successful formula to make just enough money to make all those extra pay-per-views worth it. When you have even a poor buyrate of 150,000…well that's like selling out two dome shows in one night. Why would the WWE ever give that up? That's almost free money from wrestling fans who are quite simply addicted to it and don't care what's presented as that month's 'main event'.

To return to the boxing analogy, pay-per-view in that sport once far outnumbered any other pay-per-view numbers because only the big matches were shown. As time went on, rematches became more prevalent, there were questionable decisions and outcomes and boxing's pay-per-view market became overwrought. In wrestling terms, boxing gave fans nothing but screwjob endings for years and the well dried up.

I believe the WWE is dangerously close to crossing that precipice because the number of pay-per-views almost necessitates feuds that never end and matches that don't reach satisfying conclusions. I have written before about how wrestling no longer provides closure to angles, they just continue a never-ending circle of feuds that never stop. What is the point of paying $30 to a see a match when it is almost certainly going to happen again and, even more painfully, almost certain to happen again on free television?

When pro wrestling first discovered pay-per-view, there was a reason to buy those shows. When Andre took on Hogan in 1987, if you missed it, there was a good chance you would never see it again. When the Ultimate Warrior faced Hogan in 1990, it would be another eight years before they wrestled again and never in the WWF. The point is these matches were built for months, sometimes years, and you felt as a fan you HAD to watch. Today? Why do I care about Cena/Umaga when I've already seen it and will definitely see it again on Raw in the next couple of months? Why would I throw away $40?

Compare this to UFC and the Mixed-Martial Arts craze that is, reportedly, pulling insane buyrates. It's easy to see why. With one governing body, a company like UFC is what boxing and wrestling used to be. It's a match between two fighters and there will almost undoubtedly be a winner. Sometimes there are rematches and controversial endings but more often than not the consumer can be confident they will see a feud come to a head and there will be some conclusion. That's why people are plucking down their money for UFC. That's why it's the WWE's biggest competition right now.

So what's the answer? Cut the fat. It's simple. The number of pay-per-view shows needs to be drastically reduced if the WWE doesn't want to run the risk of not only alienating its own fans but being completely overrun by MMA. Reducing the number of pay-per-views may at first cost the WWE money but will, in the long run, contribute to a rebirth. With so many pay-per-views, there is no time to develop feuds or rivalries. Instead, pay-per-view matches are rushed and thrown together. Not only does this hurt the big shows, it hurts the weekly television shows. Save for K-Fed/Cena, when's the last big-time match the WWE promoted on Raw and SmackDown? They can't do that anymore because they need to save those to get those 150,000 people to pay $35 to watch No Mercy. SmackDown be damned!

In short, the number of pay-per-views has simply overwhelmed the WWE's product. There's no flow. There's no logic. There's no real reason to watch. A reduction in pay-per-views will allow the WWE to build up matches and you know what that means? More people buying those pay-per-views! The loss of four to six pay-per-views can be replaced quickly if the E gets it act together and draws the interest of wrestling fans.

Alas, I know this won't happen. If anything, there will be more pay-per-views added. It's just economics. If only 60,000 people order a show, well that's like selling out the Skydome in Toronto with a fraction of the cost. Buyrates will dwindle, television ratings will suffer but the E will continue to make its money. Who suffers? We do. The quality for a pay-per-view show just isn't there anymore and it's a shame. You can pay money to see Cena beat Umaga. I'll just wait for the replay on Raw in a couple weeks.