In this weekly column, I will comment on the past week's goings-on in WOW, and whatever else it occurs to me to discuss :-) I also hope that a big part of the column will be printing and responding to your e-mails. So please send them in (the address is thatthing35@yahoo.com)!
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6/11/01: Letters from the Bereaved
Well, now that WOW can no longer use its web site to try to work its own fans, there is even less news than usual. WOW fan Deadly Scorpio has set up a new web board to replace the fallen WOW one. Poison, Charlie Davidson, and Jacklyn Hyde have shown up there, if you've got anything to talk to them about.
Also, please click on the links atop this column, and tell the WWF that you want Riot to be part of their program.
Last week, I discussed the possibility of WOW merging with GLOOW. One thing that suggested this possibility to me was a statement on the GLOOW web site that "G.L.O.O.W. Officials will be making a very BIG announcement sometime in the next few days! THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THE entire WRESTLING WORLD!!" Well, that statement is no longer there. There is an announcement up, stating that "G.L.O.O.W. will be invading NEW YORK CITY in the very near future... However, the details to what extent are unknown at this point." (By the way, does Vince Russo write their press releases? The capitalization of random words is so Russo.) Anyway, I think it's fair to say that this semi-announcement is not exactly earth-shattering in significance to most of us. But... the article is called "Announcement #1", implying that more announcements are to come. So I left a message on the GLOOW forum asking if the news about NYC was the promised "BIG announcement." Someone who presented himself as a GLOOW official responded that no, there would be more announcements soon. But then... that response was deleted! So, who knows. They seem about as organized as WOW was. By the way, my original article is up on their newsboard with no credit to me! Thanks a lot!! Anyway.
I've got nothing else as far as news goes. Basically, we still seem to be in the same situation WrestlingObserver.com's Bryan Alvarez recently summed up when asked about WOW on the Observer's message board: "The only reason it's not dead is because they haven't announced it's dead yet."
Let's hit the letters, most of which deal with the GLOOW rumor, which I will emphasize again is just a rumor, okay? It's just something that seems to fit together a few things I've seen in different places. Anyway, Bob Porrazzo writes:
"I'm taking these findings with a whole can of Morton salt. WOW and GLOOW joining forces? That may be the oddest couple since Felix and Oscar! These two are like apples and oranges. WOW has fun, positive action and the right amount of sex appeal and sizzle. GLOOW is a total 720 with so much T&A and gorey violence, it's no wonder it doesn't get a TVMA rating!"
You're right to take it with a can of salt. I haven't seen GLOOW myself, but their web site certainly makes it quite clear that they're going for mindless sex and violence, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they achieved it.
"Why doesn't WOW just fold up before it becomes like the WWF merging with WCW. If McLane does this, he'll have some BIG explaining to do."
Yeah, well, if he continues to owe $6 million without any way to pay it back, he'll have even more painful explaining to do.
Dan writes:
"Actually I had heard people speculating that WOW and GLOOW might merge also. Just speculation... I haven't heard anything that makes it a positive. Actually if it would come with a TV deal it might be a good thing for the workers who worked and wrestled their heart out for a federation that was clearly run by idiots."
GLOOW's TV is currently quite limited and regional. They are on obscure channels in Philadelphia and the immediately surrounding area (parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.) So I wouldn't call what they have right now a "TV deal", really.
" I know a league of all women wrestlers would be a hard sell under any circumstances but WWF wouldn't have survived the idiots who booked WOW. Sorry, but anyone who thought Terri Gold, Lana Star, and Patti Pizzazz were the talent to sell WOW to us, and that cartoony gimicks and one-dimensional plotlines made good TV clearly had no business booking a wrestling show in the new millennium."
Well, I certainly agree with you there. That is a big reason I started this site. I saw that WOW had a ton of potential, but would never get there the way it was doing things. So I wanted to do my little bit to try to let them know what, at least, one fan wanted.
"It would kind of be a shame though if it went to the T&A approach. I found it admirable that even coming from GLOW that WOW made an effort to provide family friendly show with the wrestlers sold more on their talent. It was done horribly and one of the reasons they failed I agree but it took a lot of guts to not take the easy way out (T&A, blood and catfights) and instead take the high road less traveled. I think a deal with GLOOW would buy them some time but I really don't see it getting more than a few years on TV at best."
I totally agree with that. I really, honestly, and truly feel that the best way to get women's wrestling over is to present it in pretty much the same way that the men's version is presented. I think women's wrestling can succeed for the same reason Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Tomb Raider have succeeded: because it shows women who are sexy and confident, who live in an "adventurous" world that appeals to young people, and who are presented in a way that you're not embarrassed to be their fan. Since it doesn't seem like GLOOW is willing to do that -- choosing instead to concentrate solely on the sex appeal -- I don't think it's going to succeed. I find it hard to believe that "G.I. Ho" is going to become a nationally beloved figure.
"It is hard for a promotion to make a national name for themselves, and besides WCW -- which when all was said and done, eventually fell toWWF -- the only one in recent years to ever come close is ECW... and in the end it still wasn't enough. A league of women wrestlers would, IMHO never be more than a cult following no matter how good the product. Women's wrestling hasn't been a large draw pretty much since the 1980's when Wendi Richter was the WWF champion and even then it had limited appeal."
I disagree that it must always be a cult. You're right that women's wrestling has yet to catch on in the U.S... but no one has tried to present it in the way I just described. It's either been presented as an excuse for T&A, or it's been the various McLane ventures that are more like sitcoms than wrestling. I personally think that, if the WWF had a decent women's division for her to be the champ of, Lita would be every bit as over right now as Wendi Richter. I am just amazed by how ridiculously over Lita is. And I think the fact that she can wrestle is an essential part of her appeal. I just can't believe she would be this popular if she just stood there and looked good. Same with Sable.
"That being said the part of me that liked that WOW tried to take the high ground would hate to see them sell all of that out and ultimately fail anyway. I felt the same way when Russo was rumored to be booking for WOW when they returned and I think it would be only slightly less true with GLOOW. Personally GLOOW looks like worse crap then the original GLOW. They may actually buy more credibility from WOW if your guesses are true but personally I think WOW would be better to just admit defeat and go under."
Well, that's two out of two writers to this column now who feel that way :-) It doesn't make much difference to me whether WOW merges with GLOOW or not. Since I don't expect GLOOW to succeed, I figure they'll be gone in a year or two either way. From McLane's perspective, though, he has to be willing to take something that has a 10% chance to make his investors their money back, because that's more than he's got right now.
The Terrorist writes:
"I was looking over your thoughts. I went to the GLOOW site. Maybe the big news is the arrival of Missy Hyatt and Dawn Marie, two women's wrestling "names.""
Could be. I would hope that when someone hypes something that will "affect the entire wrestling world", it would be something more earth-shattering than "we signed two has-beens" or "we may do a show in a big city". But who knows... these are wrestling promoters, after all.
"I did see the little blurb on the left side column about WOW wrestlers, but I guess we will have to wait for any developements there. Or it could be something that was mentioned about them going to New York. I'll bet you can't wait for that!"
Well, I'm not gonna go to their show. If they meant that they were gonna be on TV here -- which I personally doubt -- then yeah, sure, I'll watch. I don't expect it to be something I'd enjoy, but hey, it's free on TV :-)
"Also, I went to the video tape page and their two hour "Greatest Hits" tape, soon to be released, has a write up that takes numerous pokes at WOW."
Right, and WOW reps have taken shots at GLOOW too. That does make a merger seem a bit less likely, but of course, WCW did eventually merge with WWF after how many years of constant strife...
"Of course, the latest taping had a reported crowd of 700 in attendance. I don't know how much tickets to a show like their's cost, but they are still in business, so somehow the math works out. Oh, and their web site is still up, too. No board, however."
A message board is up now, for those who care.
"I still don't understand everyone complaining about the WOW shopzone. The people at Cafepress went out of their way to correct my problem and I received my order within one week. And I didn't even have to mention David's name! (That was a lame attempt at humor. The David comment, I mean. Sorry)"
Huh. Well, I hope your experience is the typical one and the screwups are exceptions. A couple of posters to the Death Valley Driver message board apparently had been waiting a very long time.
"Do you honestly think Riot has ANY chance of making it to the WWF? I just don't see it. You know my thoughts about that. Only two women there don't have enhancements, and both of their names are McMahon. Although Ivory's are very slight, therefore still maintaining a somewhat natural look. But she has been in the business for many years (15+) and paid her dues to get where she is today."
Well, I'm gonna write about that very soon, but to make a long story short... yeah, I do think she has a chance. Maybe not the best chance in WOW, but a chance. One very important thing in her favor is that she seems to want it very badly, and funny things happen when you're completely dedicated to a goal. And of course, she could always get the implants.
"Let me amend that last paragraph. If Riot goes to a smaller indy federation, perhaps a developemental league, and puts in some time refining her skills, and getting her name out more, then maybe down the road a bigger opportunity will come her way. But anyone in the world of show business will tell you---There are no guarantees. And there's nothing wrong with going lower, if she really wants to excel in the wrestling industry. Didn't Jerry Lawler and his wife take a "demotion" to stay in the business?"
I'm not sure it counts if the demotion is involuntary... or if you are already set for life financially... Lawler's situation doesn't have too much in common with the situation of the typical up-and-coming wrestler. But yeah, most commonly, wrestlers have to put in a couple years in the "minors" before making the "bigs". On the other hand, WOW was nationally televised and did a pay-per-view... even though it seems to have failed as a business, hopefully that would at least count as minor league experience in the WWF's eyes. I say "hopefully"... I have no idea whether it actually would or not.
I agree that any WOW wrestler who wanted to make the WWF would have to start off in their developmental leagues. None of them are ready to be on WWF TV right away, especially after four months off. Unfortunately, I don't think any WOW wrestler is an odds-on favorite to make the WWF... and working for the WWF is the only way that a wrestler can make a secure living in the U.S. Doing indy gigs for a handful of bucks, without ever knowing whether it will end up amounting to anything, must be a very tough way to live life. Riot might be devoted enough to the craft to do it, if she has to. But I'd imagine the great majority of former WOW wrestlers will pursue careers in acting or modeling, not wrestling.
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