Shining a Spotlight 8.21.08: Moving About

Posted by Michael Weyer on 08.21.2008

Inspired by my recent move, a quick column on how moving to a different company can affect worker and promotion.

Well, I had thought I'd spend this week's column finishing my little "wrestling library" series with a bit on wrestling books. However, besides the usual chaos of my move, I've also had to deal with the unexpected crash of my old PC, just got myself a new one. Not too bad, I had saved my old files but annoying that I have to figure out how to reset all my old favorite online pages.

So far, the move hasn't been too bad as I've managed to settle in better than expected. It did get me thinking to a small subject. It's not as in-depth as some of my past due to time but it get me to thinking exactly how wrestlers adjust to moving. I don't mean as much in location but when they jump to a different promotion as well.

I've written before about how wrestlers are put through a travel grind even ballplayers can't touch. The majority spend so much time on the road, they barely get to stay at their actual homes that much. It's a lot of living out of suitcases, going to different states and countries, mostly hotels, not the easiest way to live but it's part of the job. Of course, as they get more famous and successful, they can afford much nicer places and it's interesting how so many of them almost immediately jump right to the mansion idea, even if they can't afford it all the way. Then again, we all know how money changes a person and if you're out to be a pro wrestler, you automatically have a drive to want to be better than anyone so you might as well live that way.

But it's not actual homes that get me thinking but rather the "home" of work. It's different than it used to be, that's so obvious. In the old days (and yes, I feel much older than I am writing that and even older able to remember it), moving from promotion to promotion was something of a big deal and especially when the expansion started to kick in. Back in the 1960's and ‘70's, when TV wasn't as all-important as it would become, moving about territories wasn't that unusual. Sure, plenty of places had home-grown and loyal stars but you would see guys under the NWA banner moving about.

But when the expansion began and the lines started to be drawn, seeing a wrestler jumping to a new company became a bigger deal. Naturally, the majority were jumping to Vince and the AWA was the big loser in that regard. The AWA DVD has them all talking of how damaging it was to see guys like Hogan, Andre, Gene Okerlund and more showing up on WWF programming. One of the most brilliant moves Vince did was position his top picks on TV to help his product out. How could the lesser-knowns Gagne had compete with these larger-than-life characters fans could see across the country? It wasn't long before Jim Crockett got into the act and started to put his promotion over the others of the NWA, aided by his cushy TBS slot. Bill Watts also made some strides in his direction when he changed Mid-South to the UWF and got half of the stars of World Class to go with him.

The reason they made these jumps is obvious: Money and fame and a chance to achieve more of both than they could ever dream. It's why you saw more "cartoonish" stuff in the ‘80's, it was a way to make your mark in a wild time and keep on top. And for the most part it worked , although you still had guys feeling out of sorts where they were, which would lead to some talent jumping about. It was small at first like the Road Warriors going to the AWA and then the NWA, making a huge impact in both. Canadian fans watched the stars of Stampede like the British Bulldogs and Bret Hart go to WWF while some guys flocked to Crockett. But it wasn't until 1988 that you got a defection that made everyone sit right up and take notice: Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson going to WWF. These were two mainstays of Crockett, the tag team champions only weeks before, the nexus of the Four Horsemen, suddenly deciding that McMahon was a better boss to work for. It was a huge shock, followed up when Dusty Rhodes also went to WWF a year later and suddenly, you realized times really were changing and the impact of someone jumping promotions could be huge.

The early ‘90's would have a few such defections. At first, the WWF were the winners as Flair would go to them along with the LOD and the Steiners. WCW would manage to get some good with Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts but not until 1994 would they really hit it with Hulk Hogan. It's harder for recent fans to truly grasp how huge a deal it was for the man who'd been the embodiment of WWF for so many years going to its more "realistic" competition. Of course, Hogan's entry would soon see WCW in some ridiculous cartoonish antics that hurt the company to a low point just in time for Hall and Nash to arrive in 1996. Their arrival was brilliantly done as they were presented as "invaders" with many honestly believing the two still worked for WWF. They'd use their real names but the same characters that made them famous so it was wild seeing them showing up with the newly heel Hogan to give WCW a new push with the NWO.

WCW would add to the defections such as Bret Hart, another mainstay it was wild to see on their shows. But of course, the pendulum swung back with Sean Waltman not only leaving but cutting a great promo upon his WWF arrival. That was topped by Jericho's entrance and then the Radicals blowing everyone away showing up together. With WCW dying out, you haven't seen as many of these big moves since although TNA did hit us with a huge one with nabbing Angle two years back. But it's not just the moves themselves that got your attention, although they were big. It was their effects, not just the performer but the environment around them.

For the guys jumping to WCW, some were able to work it better than others. Those someones were guys like Hogan and Nash, men who knew how to play politics. Indeed, I've long felt Hogan may well be the greatest backstage player the business has ever known, a true master of managing to get things his way and making himself seem invaluable to his company. Nash wasn't too far behind, aided by his personal charm so that even folks who hated what he did to hurt the company coulnd't help but like being around the guy. In contrast, Bret took wrestling far more seriously and was seemingly lost in the chaos of WCW's politics. People may complain about Vince McMahon's vision but at least WWF had one guy able to cut through and be the boss while in WCW you literally had no idea who was in charge any given day.

WWF did seem to offer more freedom than WCW at that time period, the "glass ceiling" not as obvious (or as old) as with WCW continuing to push Hogan, Savage, Luger, Hall, Nash and others rather than use the plethora of younger talent they had. That was a key reason some guys like Jericho jumped over, they could see they'd get a better chance at advancement than WCW was offering. True, some were held back as Vince has always shown reluctance giving a push to characters he didn't help create. But considering who would end up winning the Monday Night War, Vince did have a good understanding of how to make new hires feel welcome while WCW took a star like Bret and pushed him as far from the spotlight as possible to placate Hogan.

ECW was another unique case of how a move could change performers. The key to the company's success was how Paul Heyman was able to accentuate the strengths of his guys in the small promotion, making the wrestlers look much better than they truly were. Look at how a lot of the ECW alumn struggled outside of Heyman's protective booking like Public Enemy and Sabu in ECW or Sandman and Dreamer in WWF. These wrestlers looked lost outside of ECW and when some returned, they were seen as truly "coming home" and no doubt felt the same way.

Today, jumping a promotion is a big deal as there's only two big options besides WWE. We may complain about TNA getting WWE leftovers but nabbing Angle was a huge move for them and getting Booker and Christian Cage were also giant additions that have helped them out. I do think these guys are drawn to TNA due to the lighter schedule and nice Florida setting. Not since the fall of the territories has a company had such a tight base of operations as Orlando and that's helped create some sense of belonging that allows workers to put up with the sometime wild booking of the company.

Now we haven't seen guys jumping over to ROH yet but if a WWE guy were to go over, it'd be a huge deal. And we haven't seen guys much going from TNA to WWE (except for Jeff Hardy but that was more of a return). Some ROH guys have jumped, the big ones Joe and Punk, both of whom have done pretty well for themselves. Of course, each has had to do what a lot of wrestlers do when they move companies, which is switch styles. Punk has had to "dumb down" for WWE while Joe has also shifted his moveset for TNA. It's a common move to have to change things up when you go to another promotion. Although no one's really said it, I do think it takes a bit for some WWE guys to get a handle on TNA's six-sided ring and how to perform inside it. They may also need to shift things to adjust to a different audience as TNA and WWE do cater to different fanbases a bit. That's an old problem as Hogan never quite grasped how WCW's audiences wouldn't respond as well to his Superman act as WWF ones did while Vince has made lots of mistakes trying to pull audiences to certain performers.

That's always been a big problem for workers when they make this move, whether or not it will work out. They have to deal with promoters who won't understand, bad booking, backstage politics and the always impossible to predict fanbase. It's like a move for any of us, a huge undertaking and you just don't know what the future will bring. But it can lead to better success and new life so maybe it can work out. But until that move comes, you never know for sure nor of the overall effects. You just have to roll with it no matter the cost.

A bit abbreviated, I know but we all have our off weeks. If you want better content:

Column of Honor does a great list of the best ROH moments.

Chin talks the Importance of stables.

The Bard imagines Cena vs Austin.

Evolution Schematic continues the history of the Undertaker.

Bond asks us not to hate the Great Khali.

Merholz examines if SummerSlam was Worth Your Wealth.

Geoff Eubanks debuts Pieces of My Mind.

Thoughts From the Top Rope discusses gimmick matches.

Piledriver Report examines Edge.

Brooklyn Brawlin talks about the loss of the slow build.

Don't forget Ask 411, Fact or Fiction, Triple Threat, 3 R's and the rest.


Next week continues the wrestling library collection. For now, the spotlight is off.