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Wait a minute...is it 2019 or 2001? Pro wrestling wars on TV suddenly heat up!

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MWmetalhead
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Wait a minute...is it 2019 or 2001? Pro wrestling wars on TV suddenly heat up!

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:51 pm

I was stunned when I saw promos during NFL football a few weeks ago on FOX promoting the arrival of "Friday Night Smackdown" on FOX.

I thought - "Wow. Either FOX must be desperate for programming *or* WWE must be desperate to generate renewed interest in what has become a stale, lame and unfocused product."

Perhaps its some of each?

Lo and behold - an upstart wrestling promotion has found its way to TNT. In prime time, no less! TNT is not some throwaway cable network like Spike, ESPN2, or AXS. It has incredibly strong brand equity and is home to marquee NBA basketball telecasts, March Madness, and great action / drama series.

More importantly, in a pro wrestling context, it is known as the former home of "WCW Monday Nitro," the one time pro wrestling ratings king.

The name of the upstart pro wrestling operation is AEW, or "All Elite Wrestling." This is no ECW, Ring of Honor, or Impact. Instead, this an extremely well funded company whose ownership consists of the same family who owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

Its inaugural Wednesday night broadcast on TNT wasn't from some dinky made-for-TV "arena" or a tiny performing arts theater. Instead, it was from a SOLD OUT Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The event sold out in 30 minutes.

Chris Jericho is supposedly the brains behind AEW, and a lot of guys (and gals) from other pro wrestling outfits are practically banging on his door begging to be signed.

AEW has drawn attention from USA Today, Forbes, and Deadspin.

Its inaugural broadcast on TNT drew great ratings. It was the highest rated debut of any series on TNT in at least five years.

As someone who grew up watching pro wrestling in his grade school and young adult years, I must say it was absolutely great hearing Tony Schiavone's voice on a pro wrestling telecast again!

That said, I really cannot tolerate the concept of pro wrestling very much now that I'm a crotchety middle aged man. LOL!

I watched about 30 minutes of the AEW telecast before calling it quits, which is 25 more minutes than I've spent with the WWE at any point during the past decade.



sfpcc
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Re: Wait a minute...is it 2019 or 2001? Pro wrestling wars on TV suddenly heat up!

Post by sfpcc » Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:23 pm

?

Lo and behold - an upstart wrestling promotion has found its way to TNT. In prime time, no less! TNT is not some throwaway cable network like Spike, ESPN2, or AXS. It has incredibly strong brand equity and is home to marquee NBA basketball telecasts, March Madness, and great action / drama series.

Actually AXS has some interesting stuff on it. Right now I'm watching a Motorhead concert from their final tour. They also have an interesting Interview program with Brian Johnson, (he's a pretty good talk show host.) They seem to show things MTV Classic stopped showing after they morphed from VH1 Classic.



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