New WWE territory system

[Ovaltine]

Since the demise of the territories main event level talent has diminished substantially. In the territory days a wrestler would move from territory to territory honing his craft to perfection (or damn near to perfection) and then they would be drafted by one of the big two (kind of- the specifics of what the NWA/WCW was during the 80s is complicated so I will just say WCW for now) However, these days there is little to no territory system. Now, WWE owns the rights to the biggest name brands in wrestling. WCW,WCCW,AWA, ECW, Mid Atlantic Championship wrestling, UWF and even smaller wrestling brands like Ohio, Smokey Mountain and a few more. Now, my thought (and I am not saying that I like it) is why doesn't the WWE make their own territory systems using these names. In some cases the territory would be much smaller than it originally was. I don't expect them to become as big as WCW. However, they can draw in fans because there will already be interest due the name recognition alone. The ECW territory can be in the Pennsylvania area, WCW can be in the Atlanta area, WCCW can be in the Texas area, AWA can be in the Minnesota area and so on. All of the titles can be revived and talent can be sent to different areas to gain different types of experience. To me (even if I don't really like the new usage of the names) this seams logical. Be advised that I am looking at this from a purely financial standpoint. Personally I believe that these federations should remain retired, but as I said before this expansion of a name brand territory system seems logical to me. Please feel free to discuss.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

I've written a recent thread about how one of the problems that can be solved by the WWE is to open training facilities in different parts of the country or world and have them ran similar to territories. Open up locations in California, Texas, Tennessee, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and other parts of the country that used to be wrestling hotbeds. The money they use on crap like Tout and WWE films could be used to get this off the ground.

It teaches the wrestlers how to work full time on the road, making bookings, and wrestling with jet lag, something WWE superstars do on an almost daily basis. I'd love to see a territory based training ground for wrestlers in order to teach them the ins and outs of the industry and still be under the WWE flag.

It's the best of both worlds.

 

[The Butcher]

I just don't see WWE spending that kind of money versus what probably won't be a great return when they could just keep letting the indies feed them for free. As it is now, WWE doesn't have to worry about the costs of running numerous local promotions, paying indy performers, or including indy performers in their wellness program. However, they still reap the benefits of the independent scene-- WWE's the only big money game in town. Local promotions sound good, but they wouldn't be very profitable and WWE would then be competing with itself, further dividing wrestling fans attention.

 

[Ovaltine]

Well, I think it would help them. The WWE only has two main event level guys. Cena (who I am not a fan of, but doesn't bother me) and CM Punk (who I hate) and that is it. Whereas when they were hiring guys from the (now defunct) territory system they had and over abundance of main event level talent. Savage, Million Dollar Man, Hennig, Piper, Warrior, Rude, Steamboat, Flair, Undertaker, Luger, Diesel, Razor, HBK, HHH, Austin the list goes on and on. Today they have Cena and Punk and that's it. And not to be rude, but I don't know if either of those guys could hang with the guys that I mentioned previously. I think Cena may have been able to just because of his look, but Punk? No F'ing way would he have made it to the main event in any other era except this one no matter how good people think he is. He would have been the modern equivalent to Eddie Gilbert. A great talent who didn't have to look to main event. WWE would be wise to invest in something to cultivate their talent because the current system isn't working. They have no one to bank their future on once Punk and Cena are gone. Who is going to buy a ticket to see Del Rio, Swagger, Kofi, Sheamus, Orton, Ziggler or anyone else that is currently on the roster? Not many. This is specifically why WWE is in the shape it is in today. Yeah it has its diehard fans and probably always will, but it hasn't grown in ten years and shows no signs that it will anytime soon. Something needs to be done or its audience will continue to shrink and it will truly become a niche product (even more so than it already is).

 

[The Butcher]

Well, I think it would help them. The WWE only has two main event level guys. Cena (who I am not a fan of, but doesn't bother me) and CM Punk (who I hate) and that is it. Whereas when they were hiring guys from the (now defunct) territory system they had and over abundance of main event level talent. Savage, Million Dollar Man, Hennig, Piper, Warrior, Rude, Steamboat, Flair, Undertaker, Luger, Diesel, Razor, HBK, HHH, Austin the list goes on and on. Today they have Cena and Punk and that's it. And not to be rude, but I don't know if either of those guys could hang with the guys that I mentioned previously. I think Cena may have been able to just because of his look, but Punk? No F'ing way would he have made it to the main event in any other era except this one no matter how good people think he is. He would have been the modern equivalent to Eddie Gilbert. A great talent who didn't have to look to main event. WWE would be wise to invest in something to cultivate their talent because the current system isn't working. They have no one to bank their future on once Punk and Cena are gone. Who is going to buy a ticket to see Del Rio, Swagger, Kofi, Sheamus, Orton, Ziggler or anyone else that is currently on the roster? Not many. This is specifically why WWE is in the shape it is in today. Yeah it has its diehard fans and probably always will, but it hasn't grown in ten years and shows no signs that it will anytime soon. Something needs to be done or its audience will continue to shrink and it will truly become a niche product (even more so than it already is).

You're working under the assumption that it would analogous to the old territory system, which is dead, buried, and nigh-impossible to resurrect. If WWE ran the entire system, they'd be doing so in hopes of bringing these guys up to their roster. That means they'd likely be teaching guys the "WWE style." Is that preferable to having guys work through the indies, ROH, TNA, and foreign promotions and getting varied experience? I really don't think so.

We can't turn back time. Wrestling has changed and to survive it's got to keep changing. For the majority of wrestling's history it has been a niche product, save for two exceptional eras. If WWE felt it was in crisis of seeing its audience taking a big nosedive, then I'm sure we'd see sweeping changes in their product or even a drastic move like the one you describe-- a self-sustained territory system.

Like I said in my prior post, though. Even if WWE could bring back the territories, they really shouldn't. They'll fracture their audience, spend a ton of money, and open themselves up to criticisms and harsh scrutiny should an indy performer do something really stupid on their watch. There would be a lot of red ink in the books if the promotions aren't themselves profitable, which many may not be. It's just not practical.

 

[Brahma_Bull9]

I've written a recent thread about how one of the problems that can be solved by the WWE is to open training facilities in different parts of the country or world and have them ran similar to territories. Open up locations in California, Texas, Tennessee, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and other parts of the country that used to be wrestling hotbeds. The money they use on crap like Tout and WWE films could be used to get this off the ground.

It teaches the wrestlers how to work full time on the road, making bookings, and wrestling with jet lag, something WWE superstars do on an almost daily basis. I'd love to see a territory based training ground for wrestlers in order to teach them the ins and outs of the industry and still be under the WWE flag.

It's the best of both worlds.

I mean I like the idea, but it is really impractical if you think that tout and the social media stuff stopping would offset the expenses of opening numerous facilities staffed by professionals. They are making money off of tout and all this social media crap, not to mention it really is no more money out of their pocket. They already have salary computer guys and then you have the morons that actually pay for and use this crap so I bet they are doing pretty well off that.

I mean could they afford it, I think so... but I just don't think they like to be as generous with their money to developing talent and the actual product because in the end it is business. You know, it's not Mark Cuban, the Steinbrenners, a buss family, or some EPL owner who is in it just because they like owning sports franchises. Those guys make their money else where, and well in the case of the Yankees and Lakers the franchise generates just absurd amounts of money lol.

This is what the McMahon's depend on and always will because while Vince was a smart businessman. He wasn't that smart, he was perceptive and born into the business. What I mean by that is he had so much life experience with it as he grew up, not that he was spoiled. Then you look at his wife, who is straight stupid, and I'm a conservative. His daughter doesn't show great potential and Vince is getting old.

They need to milk this thing for all they can as long as they can.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I've long thought this was a brilliant idea and something I could see HHH doing once he has complete control. In my mind WWE leaves money on the table. When some states are only run once a year, places that supported territories on a weekly/monthly basis, there is money out there providing there are resources to support it (indies don't have those resources). Keep in mind, most territories died because WWE killed them, not because they were not self-sufficient. Talent raids, predatory business practices (snaking TV and arena deals) killed the territory system. Now I don't think any new territory would ever grow to their previous incarnations success, but I think they could be completely self-sufficient over time and provide the unique feeder system that ultimately created the 80's and 90's boom.

I think there are a few key factors that would need to happen for it to accomplish something more than the current developmental system, which I would alter to make a combination school for new talent and graduate school before a guy moves up to the roster, so here's how I would set it up:

1) You contact guys guys with a background or mind for booking. Whether it's Jim Cornette, Kevin Sullivan, Dutch Mantell (once his run is finished of course), Jake Roberts, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, etc. and you propose a partnership. They will receive a downside guarantee and whatever money the promotion makes beyond that is theirs. They need complete creative control (that means if they want a few vets with no future, then that's their call) and the incentive to draw money using the talent they can find, whoever those wrestlers are. Let them be your scouts and talent development, with the intent of teaching guys to draw money however they see fit with no WWE interference. You initially agree to pay 14-20 wrestlers for each promotion at indie market value in guaranteed contracts (only at the start) that favor the territory, which means they can be fired.

2) WWE agrees to be a silent partner. They will provide a non-refundable investment to get started, a business manager to handle TV/Arena/etc, an accountant to manage the books/payoffs, a grassroots advertising/marketing guy (this could be an intern position staffed through local colleges) and trademarks where applicable (which WWE retains ownership of) and the agreement that WWE is never associated with the new promotions in any public advertisements or acknowledgments. This provides accountability to WWE and the assurance the territory will not be associated with WWE, negatively or positively. If possible, you might even look for investors/business partners for each territory from pre-existing business relationships. Essentially you want to set it up like the old territories, where the booker and investor own points in the office, while WWE keeps both a stake (dividend payments when the territory succeeds), control of trademarks, and access to talent.

3) You look at your numbers and see which parts of the country are your strongest states/regions/TV markets. Which places draw the best ratings and attendance, where do you ship the most merchandise, etc. Those will be where you avoid placing a new territory, instead focusing on markets where theoretically there exists a good/historical wrestling market not penetrated by WWE where new stars could develop and bring that audience to WWE when they move up (think Hogan taking the AWA fans to WWE). You run small venues, focusing on smaller cities that WWE does not visit, trying to keep the driving trips manageable withing an initial TV market, then trying to expand as business dictates.

4) You match your strongest trademarks as close to their historical strongholds as you can or you simply create new ones and you place bookers as close to their current homes as possible, where they may enjoy local fame/connections and keeps relocation costs down. Then WWE puts together a sales crew who will help open the booking office, arrange small venue deals, and identify local TV affiliates to get each territory TV with which to promote and agree to send 2-4 WWE Superstars to help get the show off the ground. After which, the Booker, business manager, accountant, and interns will run the territory and can only add staff as they can afford. If they grow, they grow.

5) You agree that you have right of first refusal on talent who agree to work in the territories, along with the promise that any talent you do take will give the territories a one month notice and WWE will provide a fresh investment to compensate for the territories loss, whether that's cash or a WWE superstar reassigned.

6) The territories will take 30 days off in the month before WWE visits a market for Raw/Smackdown. This will protect WWE's market strength and the new territories can plan around this each year or potentially work a co-promotion where the territory guys work locally advertised dark matches, either against each other or in angle with current WWE superstars who are sent down in the previous month to set it up on TV. Business can dictate this.

7) A talent share/send agreement. You not only want to take new talent, but you want to send it a well. Whether it's a new trainee or even a WWE guy who needs to be refreshed or repackaged. So when a Zack Ryder is about to be future endeavored, WWE can offer him a spot in the territories, with the promise he can leave whenever he wants providing WWE gets right of first refusal (should TNA come calling) and he gives 30 days notice.

8) An office intern agreement. WWE can use their corporate stature within academia to provide the territory access to free/cheap college interns for college credit in positions that could lead to a position in WWE. Aspiring writers, producers, cameramen, directors, etc can also gain unique on the job training that could benefit WWE down the line.

That's how I'd do it anyway...

 

[STFU Donnie]

I just don't see WWE spending that kind of money versus what probably won't be a great return when they could just keep letting the indies feed them for free. As it is now, WWE doesn't have to worry about the costs of running numerous local promotions, paying indy performers, or including indy performers in their wellness program. However, they still reap the benefits of the independent scene-- WWE's the only big money game in town. Local promotions sound good, but they wouldn't be very profitable and WWE would then be competing with itself, further dividing wrestling fans attention.

Well, I think the whole point of a new territory system would be to kill the independent promotions by starving them of talent and further monopolizing the wrestling industry, with the added benefit of staffing the new territories with people who understand how wrestlers draw money and work in the big leagues (I just don't think the indies prepare guys for mainstream wrestling, with a handful of exceptions) and instill those ideas in them, as opposed to the typical indie promoter/booker who are largely just fans who run barely break even shows precisely because they make shows that suits their tastes rather than a larger audience.

What I think a new territory system creates is ready made stars like they had in the 80's and 90's who didn't need to be broken of bad habits and had experienced a variety of styles (which HHH values...even if Vince doesn't). Hogan, Piper, Savage, Steamboat, Austin, Foley, HHH, etc were ready to go when they signed a contract and didn't need 6 months of "developmental" before they were ready for the spotlight. That's what a new developmental could help re-create.