WWE launches new U.K. series - NXT UK

[The Dart]

37 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

Long answer - because someone finishing work at 5-6pm is going to struggle to get to the venue for 7pm bell-time, even if we assume that person already lives in central London, rather than (as many people do for PROGRESS) travelling from out of town. Most people would want to fit in getting something to eat, or changing out of their work clothes, rather than rushing straight from work to the venue. Assuming the show starts on time (which is a big If), you're looking at a 10pm finish. Factor in trains/transport home, again especially for out-of-towners, it's a late one for a Monday night. 

Say maybe you live in Plymouth (to pick a UK city at random) and fancy going to London for the wrestling. Except to get the train there in time, you'd probably have to set off mid-afternoon, so you're taking a half day to a day off work. And then the last train back is probably around 9pm, so you're either missing half the show, or staying overnight - so that's either an extremely early start the next day, or taking another day off. 

 

Short answer - for the same reason you don't see anyone else organising events on a Monday night.

(I do admittedly obsess over travel times etc. for this kind of thing, because that's my experience of events)

I think you're overestimating how many of the fans that go to the Progress shows in London don't live in London.  The ones that don't are hardcore fans enough that they'll book time off work for it.  I am sure they've done London shows on Mondays before once or twice for one reason or another and not had any problem filling the place.  They might have a slightly harder time, but it won't make a big difference.

[WyattSheepMask]

Have they announced any matches for that show yet? If not and assuming they can put a decent card together, or at the very least get a couple of popular names on the show, I imagine people will be pretty forgiving

[SuperBacon]

40 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

A fair point. I tend to think in comparison to live music, club nights etc., and not being a football fan at all, hadn't really considered it as a frame of reference.

 

I think you’re part-right but then all weekday nights are the same. The problem comes when, like you mention people that have travelled from far away. Progress have pulled a Premier League decision here and should’ve moved it to another weekend.

Take for instance Monday just gone. Man United at Chelsea. A long journey back to Manchester when you’re not getting to a “main” train station until around 10.30 if you’re lucky...apart from those United fans that live in Essex, AMIRIGHT PAT????

So you’re kind of stuck aren’t you?

Asking fans to sleep on train station floors or fork out for a Travelodge if they want to see your main event? Punk as fuck.

[LaGoosh]

On 2/17/2020 at 10:47 AM, DavidB6937 said:

PROGRESS could easily put on a show if they wanted. They've got plenty of talent that aren't featured on NXT UK, plus I imagine many UK fans won't want to travel to Dublin because they're lazy cunts.

I don't think not wanting to travel to a different fucking country to see a shitty wrestling show makes someone a lazy cunt...

[WyattSheepMask]

Is it time to put NXT UK out of it’s misery? They’ve been taping at Coventry Skydome tonight, and according to folks in attendance, drew around 800.

Now the Skydome isn’t a massive venue, I think it only holds about 3,000 for Ice Hockey, but something like wrestling you could probably fit another couple of hundred on the ice. But if you can’t even get the venue 1/3 full, is it really worth it? Or is the answer to start looking at running smaller venues? Places like the various O2 Academy’s perhaps? Fuck it, they’re practically Progress as it is, so why not just run Camden’s Electric Ballroom

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

36 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said:

Is it time to put NXT UK out of it’s misery? They’ve been taping at Coventry Skydome tonight, and according to folks in attendance, drew around 800.

Now the Skydome isn’t a massive venue, I think it only holds about 3,000 for Ice Hockey, but something like wrestling you could probably fit another couple of hundred on the ice. But if you can’t even get the venue 1/3 full, is it really worth it? Or is the answer to start looking at running smaller venues? Places like the various O2 Academy’s perhaps? Fuck it, they’re practically Progress as it is, so why not just run Camden’s Electric Ballroom

I've stopped watching it, outside of the Takeovers, because of the massive taping blocks they do meaning the results are out there for up to a month before they actually hit TV. Apparently they've changed the announce team yet again at these tapings

Andy Shepherd has moved from ring announcing to PBP alongside McGuinness with some new girl called Francesca Brown being given the ring duties

[AshC]

I caught some this week on Paramount (!) and it was alright! Kassius Ohno vs Jack Stars especially!

[PunkStep]

7 hours ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

Francesca Brown

Unless I'm mistaken she's the wife of Sebastian (of GZRS fame).

[Egg Shen]

8 hours ago, WyattSheepMask said:

Is it time to put NXT UK out of it’s misery? They’ve been taping at Coventry Skydome tonight, and according to folks in attendance, drew around 800.

 

i'm off to the tapings later (got some comp. tickets), i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

[Snitsky's back acne]

I went to the Hull tapings and the shows themselves are generally very good. I think its more paying WWE prices for local talent that you could see for less than half the price up until a few years ago that is the issue.

[TheBurningRed]

1 hour ago, PunkStep said:

Unless I'm mistaken she's the wife of Sebastian (of GZRS fame).

She is. She was also on that Lookalikes show a few years back as she’s a Katy Perry impersonator. 

[DavidB6937]

They haven't exactly gone out of their way to grow it or anything. They seem content just existing as they are at the moment. It's a decent enough show but I feel like I can watch the Takeover events and not miss anything in between.

[WyattSheepMask]

Just now, DavidB6937 said:

They haven't exactly gone out of their way to grow it or anything. They seem content just existing as they are at the moment. It's a decent enough show but I feel like I can watch the Takeover events and not miss anything in between.

I feel the same way. They even had to ship someone big over from NXT for these tapings (won’t spoil who it is for those going today) in a last second attempt to get people through the door.

Perception is everything, and having more empty seats and dark shadows than fans presents the show as a dead duck. Put it somewhere smaller were you can at least pretend “we’ve got a full house tonight as WALTER takes on Dave Mastiff” rather than “We’re in front of...some people, as Kassius Ohno takes on Trent Seven”

And if you’re going to claim a “sold out” crowd, show them. Look at this “sold out crowd” from Takeover:Cardiff

[Egg Shen]

I was at Takeover Cardiff and it was very close too, if not sold out. The lighting in that picture is definitely not like that to hide empty seats.

[WyattSheepMask]

1 hour ago, Egg Shen said:

I was at Takeover Cardiff and it was very close too, if not sold out. The lighting in that picture is definitely not like that to hide empty seats.

In which case, why would you not show that crowd? It’s something that AEW do well. Even when they’re not filling the venue, the crowd is usually quite well lit and they do a good job of hiding empty seats/sections most of the time