What Can Be Learned from the Wrestle-Boom

With the massive upheaval in MMA at the end of July, Affliction has joined the ranks of EliteXC and IFL as potential number-two promotions. All three promotions made strong efforts to earn a name for themselves, signing well-known talent and promoting through the best vehicles possible. And yet, all three met the same fate.

Before going any further, I should note that being under the Zuffa umbrella, I consider WEC to be a branch of the Zuffa family and UFC as a whole. It's kinda like how Taco Bell and KFC are both owned by the same company. From a business standpoint, it's hard to consider them competition to one another.

Having said that, today's news that Strikeforce has signed Fedor Emelienenko seems to successfully establish them as the clear-cut second to UFC's dominance.

Of all the previous names mentioned, they seem to have the most potential for long term success. Strong, visible distribution (Showtime), a marketable mainstream star (Gina Carano), veteran names known to longtime MMA fans (Frank Shamrock and Andre Arlovski, who, even though both may be finished, have offered credibility with their presence), excellent competitors known to genuine MMA die-hards (Diaz, Lawler, Smith, Shields) and new stars just beginning to catch on and make their own name (Brett Rogers).

But that doesn't mean they're bulletproof by any means. You can throw all the money in the world you want at a promotion, but that doesn't mean it'll float. Just ask Mark Cuban and Donald Trump.

You could also ask Ted Turner. 20 years ago, he made a play that would ultimately distinguish him as owner of the top professional wrestling promotion in the world: World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Yet a mere 8 years ago, all of WCW's assets were acquired by Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE: World Wrestling Entertainment).

Let me make something clear: I acknowledge and agree with the fact that MMA and pro wrestling are technically worlds apart. I grew up a wrestling fan who evolved into an MMA fan, and just because there have been some competitors who crossed over and back (Brock Lesnar, Ken Shamrock), I am well aware of how different both worlds are in terms of the training, schedule and overall atmosphere.

However, you have to admit on a business level, they're pretty similar. Whether the fights are real or staged, both Dana White and Vince McMahon are in the business of selling competition. Plain and simple. Both have viable presences on pay per view and television. And both appeal to a similar demographic. I would also argue that they are what's known as "indirect competition." Red Bull is not a soda, it's an energy drink. But because it's a beverage that could be bought in a cooler at your local Mobil on the Run, it still competes with Coke. Same mindset for the MMA/wrestling connection.

You could also compare the rise in popularity of MMA to the second "wrestle-boom" from the late 90's. WWE was on the ropes at the time, struggling to survive. Through the stars seemingly aligning in just the right configuration, they quickly went from deathbed to overnight sensation. In my hometown back then, you'd be hard-pressed to stroll through a mall without seeing someone wearing a shirt bearing the likeness of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or the Rock.

Huge ratings, huge PPV buyrates, massive mainstream media success. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Also at this time, while WWE was clearly the dominant brand, the other big dog also experienced a surge in business, even though their numbers were frequently topped. Also, other promotions began to receive exposure and make their way onto pay per view and network TV. I'm speaking, of course, about the violent upstart fed out of Philadelphia, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).

From 1997 through 1999, all three promotions battled, cat-called one another, even co-promoted. Talent was swapped like so many mid-season baseball trades, production values increased and on-screen storylines got edgier.

But from 2000 into early 2001, WWE almost seemed like a standalone entity. WCW had fallen from grace, dragging its heels to keep up while ECW couldn't even make ends meet in a quickly over-saturated market. WCW left Turner's hands and went up for sale in January of 2001. By March, it was bought by Vince McMahon. ECW filed for bankruptcy one month later, shutting its doors and also finding itself assimilated into McMahon's monopoly.

Then there was but one.

These acquisitions sound hauntingly reminiscent of Zuffa's purchases of both WEC and Pride. The difference is, there are even more contenders chomping at the bit for a piece of the pie. Given some of the historic similarities, a few things could be learned from the wrestle-boom...

1. No matter how much money a backer has, you need a competent booker/matchmaker. WCW had the Ted Turner name attached and still went under. This was in large part due to who controlled the product. Multiple "chefs" anted up to ultimately spoil the soup, delivering programming that was stale and unimaginative. Despite their early success, rehashes of past winning ideas left fans jaded.

Evidence in MMA: Donald Trump's involvement in Adrenaline/Affliction. If his bucks can't elevate/save a promotion... well, you figure it out.

2. Don't focus on the stars of yesteryear. WCW initially rose to the top with a wave of former WWE superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Kevin Nash. This worked for the short-term, generating interest from long time fans who identified with those names. But without consistent development of new stars, this didn't last. There were a handful of previous unknowns who ultimately became very popular, but were underused. Unsurprisingly, they went onto become huge stars in WWE later on. (Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio, etc.) Fans grew to want a fresh product, and old names only hold up for so long. WCW's sole success in this category was Bill Goldberg (yeah, the dude who used to commentate for EliteXC), but even they botched that up. Pushing him aside for the aforementioned names, they continued to bring in a steady stream of big names past their prime. (Most notably the Ultimate Warrior in a universally decried booking flub) Had more emphasis been kept on Goldberg, things could have been different.

Evidence in MMA: Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes. I initially entertainted using Sapp vs. Lashley and/or Abbott vs. Kimbo for this example, but Royce Gracie's regrettable return to the Octagon serves us best. In a world where you can't control the outcome of a fight, there's no way to make old stars look good. Gracie helped kickstart the UFC in the early days, but the sport has evolved beyond just Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Hell, just take any of Ken Shamrock's fights between 2004 and 2008 for further evidence of this rule.

3. No one name is bigger than your promotion. Despite multiple world champions over the years, WCW always seemed to focus on one individual at the top... normally Hulk Hogan or Kevin Nash. This short-sighted approach didn't fare well as it left the remainder of the roster caught in perpetual limbo. It was very hard to make new stars after they had been down in the lower ranks for so long. It also devalued the championship due to an ongoing lack of credible competition. The lowered quality of champions led to a stigma that followed many of WCW's wrestlers well into their WWE careers. Some guys never were able to shake the stink of mediocrity.

Evidence in MMA: Fedor Emelienenko. Take your pick. I detailed the promotions that folded in my last post. This is a message that should be sent loud and clear to Scott Coker and company right now... don't put all your eggs in one basket. Despite a huge step forward in signing Fedor, they still need to maintain emphasis on the likes of Gina Carano and Brett Rogers. In doing so, they stand to enhance their own name as a unique brand. Kimbo Slice also comes to mind for the high profile fall of EliteXC. But Fedor has an actual track record, so he gets the unfortunate honor.

4. Don't try to copy the big dog. It never works. Ever. Being unique is extremely important, even if it doesn't necessarily equate to innovation. You need to develop your own identity. Even though they emerged after the beginning and end of the wrestle-boom, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) has found itself mired in a world of stagnation. In their infancy, TNA made its name by way of young, exciting stars and great action. There was still an emphasis on storytelling, but the stories themselves revolved more around competition than hokiness. Over the last two years, that's changed dramtically. TNA is now not only a prime example of Rule #2, but they are also guilty of recycling once-successful storylines. Their ratings aren't moving up, and have slowly begun to drop. Without fresh takes, this trend will likely continue. An addendum to this rule is Don't tout yourself against the competition. The second you mention the top dog, you've lost in your bid to be unique. Just be yourself.

Evidence in MMA: Affliction. The first ever pay per view featured four former UFC champions. Had things gone differently for them, Andre Arlovski and Tim Sylvia could have met for a mind-numbing fourth encounter. Affliction also drummed up press by negotiating with Tito Ortiz. The only stars in the promotion outside of Fedor seemed like UFC runoff. Not a formula for success. EliteXC also deserves recognition for their placement on major network television. It seemed like an attempt to overshadow UFC's distribution, as if to say, "Look at us and what we got that UFC didn't get." While the Kimbo vs. James Thompson match may have been the most watched MMA event in TV history, that's a mere drop in the water when you're talking about longevity.

5. Network TV deals help, but can't be leaned upon. While trying to get noticed more by the mainstream in the late 90's, ECW wound up landing a one-hour slot on The Nashville Network (TNN). After years of scant syndication in selected markets, this seemed like the big break the company needed to get adequate exposure. However, TNN demanded high production values and a toned-down product to satiate network executives. ECW wound up spending themselves in a hole to meet this needs, and ultimately filed for Chapter 11. In spite of being a highly influential promotion that undoubtedly shaped the course of WWE's boom period, ECW fell victim to the uncontrollable. Though their loss ironically became MMA's gain... TNN evolved into Spike TV, and after dabbling with the WWE, came across the UFC. The rest is TV history.

Evidence in MMA: EliteXC. Kimbo Slice's fight against James Thompson was the most watched fight in televised MMA history. More so than Griffin vs. Bonnar. But that doesn't mean much considering the final fate of the promotion. ECW was unable to live up to its known standards under TNN due to restrictions. EliteXC couldn't muster nearly enough stars or quality fights to keep people interested. The results speak for themselves.

6. Don't rely on gimmickry to grow. WCW was notorious for a rash of bad, bad gimmick matches toward the end of its run. This includes the often-mocked "Viagra on a Pole" match and putting the world championship on G-list actor David Arquette. None of the above (nor the countless other offenses) leant themselves to increasing ratings, revenues or acclaim. Each bad idea was another shovelful of soil onto a deepening grave. The focus was hardly kept on the actual wrestling, as "Shock TV" was the tactic of preference. In a business where steel cages and ladder matches are commonplace, such silliness wound up looking bush league.

Evidence in MMA: YAMMA Pitfighting. Hands down. In a business where ideas such as IFL's team approach and Adrenaline MMA's attempt at a hybrid boxing/MMA match, you gotta have a pretty shoddy gimmick to win this category. YAMMA, founded by original UFC co-creator Bob Meyrowitz, takes the cake. I'll use the description from Wikipedia since it best sums up the pit's design: "The YAMMA Pit arena was a large circular cage with a surrounding fence on the edges of a bowl-like floor with slanted edges. The stated purpose of the new structure was to prevent fighters from trapping their opponents into a corner: the rising edge of the YAMMA Pit was to prevent stalling and facilitate more action. This idea failed in practice, as the slanted edges would cause any fighter defending a takedown to lose their footing as soon as they were pushed towards it, which rendered any attempt to escape to their feet pointless as they'd just be taken down again. This led to a great deal of stalling with all but 1 of the tournament fights ending via decision (the other 3 finishes were non-tournament matches)." I think that says it all. Clearly the concept was never tested before being put into effect. Goes that outside of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, there's not much more innovation worth pursuing in the sport at this time.

With this list (let's call it the Sacred Six), I must say Strikeforce has done a solid job so far of positioning itself, and Scott Coker deserves a lot of credit. Heck, even Dana White has given the guy credit. They haven't over-relied on old stars, have kept building new ones, make an effort to put together solid cards and haven't relied on gimmickry or imitation to make them unique. They seem to be nicely carving out their own identity and will hopefully keep moving forward. I think it's good for business because it permits fighters a second home to grow and gain exposure if UFC doesn't make an offer.

Also, as simple as it sounds, competition breeds good business. Dana White has already shown how aggressive he's willing to get by offering a live event on cable opposite Affliction's inaugural pay-per-view. Running head-to-head was also a defining mark of the Monday Night Wars (the name for the years during which WWE's "Raw is War" flagship show went up against WCW's "Monday Nitro" every Monday night for six years), and led to some strong power plays by both companies.

However, Strikeforce needs to heed the above points of warning, as they have proven true with all of the fallen to come before. It's a growing sport, and there's room for another big promotion. But Scott Coker needs to tread carefully and not get ahead of himself. Or else there's a slowly growing MMA graveyard waiting hungrily for its next victim.