Opinion

The Coldest Reality: It’s A Business First

Published

7 years ago

December 29, 2017

Much like any sport, wrestling’s ultimate intent is to entertain the fans. The goal of ‘sports entertainment’ is to provide wonderful storylines and ensure the paying customer goes home fairly happy. Happiness is relative of course, as we aren’t ensured that the fan favorites will always walk away victorious, as the struggle between good and bad has ups and downs and goes through storyline progression. In a nutshell, their goal is to put on a show. However, as has been seen and discussed lately, the crowds at many events, for example, Smackdown Live shows, appear small. This has been a surprising turn of events because, prior to the superstar shakeup, Smackdown Live was seen as the better program. It was written better, and those involved also had compelling storylines that toed the line between fantasy and reality. Attendance is never announced during these shows, but with the reduced crowds what money is being generated during these events? And if the events have smaller crowds, the volume of merchandise sold at the concession stands is also affected.

One argument is that the decline in attendance at some events is because the market is saturated with a number of options, leaving fans with alternatives to attending Smackdown Live. Over the next few months, we will see ratings for WWE, Raw, in particular, decline. Why is that? The primary reason is they are in direct competition with the NFL’s Monday Night Football. There could be a direct correlation between this anticipated decline and why The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose) have been reunited on Raw, as they were among the most popular factions in the company’s history. While a reincarnation isn’t usually as successful as the original, the nostalgia that the group brings has to be something the company is counting on to help them bring in audiences. Does it guarantee success? Not necessarily, but while the company has made recent cuts to the development of Network content, it doesn’t cost them any money to reassemble a faction that was hugely popular and generated some income.

Right now, they are stacked with a talent roster that, from top to bottom, should ensure segments are effective and money is generated. As fans, we often invest so much into the storylines and characters because we want to see the story develop in a way that is meaningful to us. However, while we are focused on that, there is a tendency to lose focus on the ultimate goal of the promotion, and that is to make money. This isn’t anything fans don’t already know, but it isn’t a primary focus when we watch the program. When it comes to movies, whether we know what the reviews are ahead of time or not, we often commit ourselves to paying whatever the cost is for a feature film in a theatre and decide afterwards whether we want to ask for our money back. When it comes to a WWE program, asking for your money back because you aren’t satisfied with the result is an exercise in futility. A fan that decides to run into the ring gets pummeled because that was the risk they took, and fans that purchase the monthly subscription to the WWE network run the risk of being pummelled with disappointment.

WWE strives to be good, like working with organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which raises funds for breast cancer research and they started Connor’s Cure to raise money for sick children, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the increased exposure gained through philanthropic efforts can stimulate interest and revenue, and that money is reinvested into the product to help build the brand and is dispersed within the business.

The company has clearly been committed to bringing in quality performers, road agents, trainers, plus experienced office personnel that are there to help build something special and impact the business. However, if these men and women aren’t helping make the company better by developing talent, one has to wonder if it hurts the company’s bottom line. One of the most prominent departments in the company is their creative staff, as that is where the storylines are scripted which the talent have to carry out, and in turn, fans decide whether to invest their time and money in them or not.

Look at the recent departure of Jimmy Jacobs, who left Ring of Honor to join WWE’s creative team about three years ago: was it a cost-cutting measure? It depends on who is telling the story, and who is listening. The common belief is that a picture Jacobs took with members of the Bullet Club led to his termination, representing a ‘last straw’. However, having Jacobs associate with members of the Bullet Club costing the company money? That is easy to scoff at, considering pictures were posted to social media by Kevin Owens of he and Adam Cole with their respective titles (Cole was the Ring of Honor world champion at the time). Not to mention both Owens and Sami Zayn have appeared on the Young Bucks’ ‘Being the Elite’ Youtube series in recent months. One theory would be that a connection is made informally between two promotions isn’t a necessarily a negative, and company could have thought at the time of Owens’ posting, “how can this monetarily benefit the business?” As it turns out, less than a year after that photo was taken Cole is now with WWE as part of their NXT brand. It ultimately worked out for all parties.

The harsh reality here is that much like any business WWE’s purpose is to make money. Their philanthropic and charitable work benefits society at large, and aids public relations, but if they weren’t a global entity drawing in as much money as they do, they wouldn’t be doing as much outreach as they are. Meanwhile, this past year there have been cost-cutting measures in areas of production such as cutting out pyrotechnics, and the aforementioned cancellation of programs on the WWE Network that cost a lot to produce. The company’s bottom line is to ensure that they remain on the plus side at the end of each quarter of the year–that’s business. They definitely aren’t treading water, and there is no suggestion that they are on the verge of having to sell assets, but a company that has made huge gains over the years won’t take any chance of taking steps backward.

John Cena Roman Reigns WWE Business

It was scoffed at, but at the time of his departure from WWE, Ryback mentioned that in the promotion there existed tiered payment for talent. Main event stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles would often receive greater pay than those lower on the card. From the company’s perspective, they will likely consider all variables like merchandise sales, fan engagement on social media and elsewhere, and overall appeal to help determine how they will pay their talent. This creates a problem for those tied to a specific ‘division,’ such as the Cruiserweights and even the women. In both instances, it appears that while greater opportunity and exposure have been offered in recent years that doesn’t necessarily result in greater earning for these particular groups. While we may have seen the cruiserweights and women featured in main events on Raw, does that mean they earn more for a given week depending on the rating for that segment? That seems unlikely, and regardless, there’s no assurance that WWE will commit to putting them in that spot over the long haul, unfortunately.

Another problem is that the pursuit of revenue can lead to a short-term business focus, rather than a making a longer-term investment in anticipation of future profits, like committing time and effort into the promotion of another talent to see if a successful segment will result in a long-term return. Fans will recall that Rey Mysterio’s merchandise did very well, and the bright colors and heroic nature of the character helped draw money in, and ultimately benefited the company. So perhaps Kalisto could generate a return through merchandise sales; maybe his own bright colours, his similarity to Rey Mysterio, could be enough for fans to support him on a weekly basis and lead to his drawing money. The harsh nature of the business is that if talent aren’t generating money for WWE, what purpose do the ultimately serve? It’s clear that not every man or woman can be a focal point. However, when they receive a push that is when they hope that their screen time will result in leaving a greater impression on the fans, which ultimately means more money for the business.

Neville WWE Business

Recent stories have surfaced about Neville being upset over not being included in the Wrestlemania DVD, and that he voiced his displeasure about this because it meant he did not earn as much money as he could. As much as WWE wants to earn as much as possible and build the product, the talent wants to earn as much as possible without having to take unnecessary risks to retain their jobs. Where does this put everyone? From the company’s perspective, they can and should take some risks given how big a roster they have, and see if they can generate revenue in an area that they could have overlooked.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheMarcMadison and Instagram @themarcmadison

Feel Free to like my Facebook page The Wrestle News Hub Magazine

Feel Free to check out my blog The Wrestling News Hub Magazine

The Wrestling News Hub Magazine Podcast to include interviews with ROH top prospect tournament entrant, Curt Stallion, Sebastian Suave, Ring of Honor’s Frankie Kazarian, “All Good” Anthony Greene, ‘The Green Machine’ Mike Orlando, Josh Briggs, ROH top prospect finalist John Skyler and current rising Ring of Honor star Flip Gordon.

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Up Next

Top 5: Japanese Wrestling Stars In America

Don't Miss

Dean Ambrose: His Future Might Be His Past

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

1 week ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY – 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY – POD is WAR (Los Tres Friends)

FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

iTunes | iHeart Radio | Google Play | Spotify
Listen, like, subscribe, and share!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1