Launch for new national wrestling promotion delayed
The start-up national wresting promotion based out of Florida that has been a topic of discussion on pro wrestling websites and newsletters over the past month has hit a “bump in the road.”
Worldwide Wrestling Promotions – which is being backed by entrepreneur Milton Wilpon, whose family owns the New York Mets – originally was scheduled for a fall launch, but the start date has been pushed back to early next year, according to various Internet reports that cited an e-mail from the company’s vice president to the wrestlers that have signed contracts with the group.
Here is an excerpt from the e-mail, which was published in its entirety on pwinsider.com:
“With WWP we are not just launching a new independent promotion or something that is going to be on the long list of fly by night wrestling companies that have come and gone. We are planning on being here for the long run and in becoming over the next decade the premiere wrestling company in the world. That obviously does not happen over night nor does it happen without hitting some bumps in the road.
"Well we have hit more than our fair share of bumps recently. To be honest there are many forces in the wrestling business doing whatever they can to sabotage everything we are trying to do and doing everything in their power to make sure that this company will never launch. I can promise you though that no matter how many hurdles we have to jump over that there are people here dedicated to doing everything they can to make sure this company WILL launch and we will be a long time player in this industry.
"That said guys this is a tough process and those working with us on the financing side realize now that there were mistakes made in setting things up and in order to guarantee that this company will not be one of the countless entities that have come out with a bang and have fizzled and burnt out before ever really leaving the ground we have had to make some painful decisions that we are not at all happy about. The most serious decision is that we have been told our original time table is not at all feasible.”
According to pwinsider.com, 50-65 wrestlers have signed contracts with WWP. Among the names that have been linked to the project are Booker T., Sean Waltman, Scott Steiner, Vader, Larry Zbyszko, Paul London, 2 Cold Scorpio, Super Crazy and Sonjay Dutt. It also has been reported that some top Ring of Honor talents may be on board as well.
WWP reportedly plans to do tapings and then attempt to find a national television outlet. One aspect of the group that makes it unique in the wrestling industry is that it is offering the talent medical benefits as well as 401K and stock options.
I wish the company the best of luck and it would certainly be good for wrestlers to have another viable place to work, but it’s going to be very difficult for a startup group (especially one that is recruiting wrestlers who are in their 40s and 50s) to even compete with TNA, the No. 2 U.S. promotion, much less WWE.
The fact that the launch is being delayed due to concerns from the financial backers doesn’t seem like a good sign, but time will tell.
Comments
I hope they make it, I really do. Competition is good for everyone -- keeps folks on their toes. 'course, I can't say I'm thrilled that we'll have to watch Sean Waltman, Booker T., Scott Steiner and the group, but perhaps this new promotion will do a better job of building the stars of tomorrow -- moreso than the WWE and TNA have done recently.
Posted by: Carroll | August 27, 2010 3:59 PM
Wrestling NEEDS more top promotions than just WWE and TNA. More compitition = Better shows. I know people are going to give the WWP alot of criticism for signing older guys, but thats what a new promotion NEEDS to do. New promotions absolutely need to have names that have already been established so they can draw crowds and help put over the younger guys when they're ready. It would be foolish to give an unknown the world title, in ANY situation, and be honest now, who is going to tune in to see a bunch of wrestlers that they've never heard of? Im not saying that they shouldn't ever push new guys, but not this early in the company's history.
Posted by: Eddie | August 27, 2010 6:38 PM
I think that Mr. Wilpon, instead of starting a wrestling organization from scratch, should invest in ROH. ROH is already established and respected, but lacks the financial strength to attract a larger viewing audience. ROH with stronger finance will be able to keep their top wrestlers that oftentimes leave for TNA or WWE, and will also negotiate for better TV contracts.
But I do support a new organization, which will result in more choices for fans and wrestlers alike.
Posted by: Frank King | August 27, 2010 9:17 PM
If WWP wants to be successful they need to sign Chubba The Humongous Embarrassment Sponge and have him call the fans a bunch of marks. Booker T and Scott Steiner still got game. I look forward to see what other legends they can pry from TNA. I refuse to call them by their new name but ECW should flee there and get the hell out of TNA.
Posted by: HollywoodHeLLegs | August 27, 2010 9:25 PM
I'll tune in if they have a company policy that bars anyone with the first name "Vince" and the last name "Russo" from writing anything and a "Hands off Hulk" banner in every venue that they perform in.
Posted by: rob | August 28, 2010 12:29 AM
Hmmm. If this starts out like the Mets started out...
Sounds like they're treating their talent more like employees than independant contractors. I wonder how that'll turn out.
Posted by: Marko50 | August 28, 2010 4:13 AM
frank king has got it rite, in my opinion, invest in ROH, the names that they threw out there as potential signers is nothing but a bunch of guys far beyond anything interesting, we all know ,as wrestling fans, that nobody does it better than mcmahon, look at NXT-- he has taken FCW personalities and made a bunch of them very popular and one angle ( the nexus) something real surprising and successful, this " new idea" sounds like a failure from go.
Posted by: dennis | August 29, 2010 9:52 PM
Wrestling just isn't hot enough in the United States to support another major group. Hell people don't even support TNA. Their live attendance and PPV buys are horrific.
Posted by: Elevation | August 30, 2010 12:06 AM