fleischmark Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicsGuy Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 can you say, hand-on-heart, that they are ready to produce a weekly tv show which will compare favourably with the types of shows on TWC, and with those that have already aired on Friendly tv?I think you're deliberately missing the point. Maybe the FWA are the only company NOW that's ready to make a weekly show. But in 1, 2, 3, 4 years time there may be others that decide to go down that route. If, as it initially seemed, the FWA were the sole UK promotion on TWC then it wouldn't matter if they were ready, or good enough.Johnnyboy, I ALREADY agreed with you on page 6 of this thread. but 5 years is a hell of a long time for other people to be frozen out as the initial wording of the press release would suggest.That I actually agree with. Five years is a LONG commitment. The supposed length of deal does smell fishy to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numberoneson Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 I will look forward to hearing Alex's explanation for the following direct quotes. The Frontier Wrestling Alliance is proud to announce that on March 4 th 2004, a five-year contract was signed to make the FWA the sole and exclusive UK promotion on the new Wrestling Channel. Full Details can be expected on the deal but Alex was very keen to stress that the FWA were not going to hold a monopoly over the channel in ANY way however we going to ensure that any british promotion shown on the Wrestling Channel meets or exceeds the standards that will be set by the FWA to uphold the integrity of British Wrestling.And I hope the explanation isn't just the FWA "Unsigned" thing. thought i'd bump this for anyone that missed it...incredibly good point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Linus Posted March 9, 2004 Paid Members Share Posted March 9, 2004 This whole production levels comment is such a grey area, it could be taken a number of ways.As a Promoter myself, I don't want pyro, a ramp, big letters up on the stage or six Americans getting the bums on seats. I promote a Scottish promotion, for Scottish fans and as an outlet for Scottish workers and "the best of the rest" around the UK to work and entertain the crowds we get. I'm not looking to run some sort of fantasy fed, where booking ability is overtaken by the fact 4 or 6 names are being brought in for absolutely no reason other than to get bums on seats.Looking at the bigger picture though, it's pretty obvious that the FWA are bigger and will remain so. In London, they have more possible fans than in the whole of Scotland. Even other major English Cities don't have the same pulling power on a prolonged basis. All I'm really looking at, or for, is a nice little 30 - 60 minute UK Scene magazine programme. TWC would take in tapes, even give their views on what production should be like and decide what to use...let's say they take 2 whole matches a week. Now, alongside that is a 5 minute segment giving who is running a show and where for that week. Something like this really shouldn't frighten the FWA and really shouldn't be a problem for TWC to show, indeed I'd think that they'd see it as a major part of their policy. Let's say that for the 2 shows TWC chose a match from, the shows both had crowds around the 200 mark. Well, that's 400 people maybe wanting to watch the show, watching TWC for more wrestling and everyone becomes a winner. The fact maybe 2,000 more Scots know SCW exists doesn't mean 2,000 more Scots will come and watch. In the same way that everyone in Torquay knowing there's a home match on Saturday doesn't mean that everyone in Torquay will go to the match. This is a perfect opportunity to get British wrestling on the whole to progress, it would just be nice to see it being done properly.Its very rare i agree with Kenny, But a UK magazine show would be good, showing snippets, matches of other promotions. Its a good idea, that would work and would make a difference.. And it's very rarer that I agree with Gary. A magazine-style show, along the like of Joe Pedicino's Pro-Wrestling This Week or Samurai TV's Occupation of the Indiez would be a great start.Then, as the other promotios proved their worth, they would spin out into their own shows. Not weekly, maybe monthly or bi-monthly.I'd nominate the guys at WAR Videos to put such a show together. Great production values and an eye for great wrestling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Psybro Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 This whole thing would work better if the FWA promoted some shows, with tickets and everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Astro Hollywood Posted March 10, 2004 Moderators Share Posted March 10, 2004 The magazine style program is a fucking great idea. Like a 21st Century Def II, or Anne and Nick, but about British wrestling and really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanshiro316 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I think the wrestling channel needs more shows about wolfmen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMC420 Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 If FWA is the only promotion on TWC then that is truly sad for British wrestling. The whole point of having TV is that you have the chance to expose your product, get people interested in it and get them to give you money. By only having the FWA on TWC that suggests that FWA is the only game in town and if you don't like it there is nothing else out there. Hell even if you do like it, it suggests that there is nothing else out there.The British wrestling scene is still very regional. The FWA is a company working out of southern England. How can the British wrestling scene grow when a southern company is the only one shown? (Yes I've heard about FWA's expansion plans, but we are a long way that coming off). The TWC is a chance for British wrestling promotions to showcase their product to wrestling fans in Britain. I would say that it is the TWC's duty to ensure that the channel is set up to maximise the potential for growth in the British wrestling scene. Not doing so defeats the principle of having the channel. I understand the production values point. However the FWA are a long way from being the standard bearer. Infact, they themselves need to improve every aspect of their production before they start to worry about how bad other companies are. It's like saying that no US indie should be on TV unless they have the production standards of RoH (FWA's equivilant in production standards). But that's ridiculous as RoH has loads they need to improve.Anyway, I'm wasting words. My point is that TWC should be a mutually beneficial opportunity to expand the British wrestling scene. By only having one (average) British promotion on the channel, it kills that ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbins Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 ^^^^^^^^What he said. FWA have clearly been planning these deals for months. They have put in all this time, money and effort. What have the other promotions been doing?Putting on wrestling shows? In a well publicised move, they shut down their business to 'refocus and prepare for 2004'.And they did such a good job of refocusing and preparing that we're two weeks out from their big comeback show, and we still haven't got a card booked or tickets on sale.Unless their idea of moving their business forward is to hold back other companies as much as possible (that show in Enfield doesn't seem like such a coincidence now), they don't seem to have done any real planning for the future.To be honest, their actions come across like a desparate company on their last legs, that have been spending beyond their means, fighting to survive by sabotaging their competitors.What a terrible waste it would be if TWC wasn't used to try and improve the state of the wrestling business in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve rayson Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I think it's relly cool thing to have the FWA on TWC but TWC need to bring more feds from the UK like: wZw and mybe even show's of All Star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vanhalen Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Alex Shane is a good man, I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicsGuy Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 FWA have clearly been planning these deals for months. They have put in all this time, money and effort. What have the other promotions been doing? Putting on wrestling shows?Yeah, and a fat lot of good that's done them and will do them in the long run. They didn't look at the big picture. They should have been focusing all their efforts on getting a tv deal like FWA. In a well publicised move, they shut down their business to 'refocus and prepare for 2004'. And they did such a good job of refocusing and preparing that we're two weeks out from their big comeback show, and we still haven't got a card booked or tickets on sale.So? That will mean nothing in the long run. They have a tv deal. That means everything. They can easily sort out a little ticketing and card problem.To be honest, their actions come across like a desparate company on their last legs, that have been spending beyond their means, fighting to survive by sabotaging their competitors.Yeah, that's what Jim Crockett said about WWF, leading into Wrestlemania 1. What a terrible waste it would be if TWC wasn't used to try and improve the state of the wrestling business in the UK.Why? TWC is in the business of getting viewers. Nothing more. Far more people rave about NOAH, ROH, MLW, TNA, and even FWA, than they do about UK promotions that have the occasional good show, but are a million miles away from being organised enough to produce weekly tv.I think a lot of people have a rather different idea of what this TWC is supposed to be about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hong Kong Dave Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Man is there a lot of bull on this thread or what.....if any other UK promotion had the opportunity to act as a gatekeeper for TWC do you seriously think they wouldn't?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Yeh, I'd imagine less people would be up in arms if it was only, say WZW as the British company on TWC.Also, as good as it would be to have more rival companies on the channel, they do have certain standards when it comes to production which have to be met. I can't really comment on companies like WZW and the Scottish feds, but shows like Allstar, if not just on FanCam, are done with one old camcorder, and that would never make it on to the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fadda Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 You gotta love the fact that in a British scene which is practically dead, instead of working together to benefit everyone in the long term, some promoters are already acting like old NWA promoters. Protecting their 'territory', aggressive attempts to control the market, just so they can be the biggest fish in a tiny, tiny pond. Put your egos aside and work together, you're not 'competing' with each other, and if you think you are, then it's pointless. Promotion initals mean nothing. For 99% of fans, wrestling means WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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