The General Wrestling Thread
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This is a sticky topic.
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Super Parka, LA Park (Adolfo Ibarra, the original of WCW fame), La Parka (new AAA version).
-Super Parka is LA Park's uncle.
-(New) La Parka is also known as La Parka Jr and AAA La Parka
LA Park is the original La Parka from AAA in the early '90s and the one who was in WCW and XPW. The rights to the gimmick of La Parka have been the subject of court battles since La Parka left AAA; so far, they've ruled that AAA owner Antonio Pena owns the name and the look, and LA Park can not use the "La Parka" on television in Mexico. (He's allowed to and does use La Parka in the US and elsewhere.) The name L.A. Park means, La Autentica ParK (Where the k is pronounces as ka), so the name means "The Authentic Parka"
-There is also this guy:
Hijo de LA Park, son of LA Park
-And this guy!:
Mini Park, storyline nephew of LA Park, but that's kayfabe. Works Lucha Libre USA and indies in Mexico.
But wait, there's more!
-The "original" La Parca (yes, with a "c")
...and more minis!
-La Parkita, the original mini version. This gets really confusing:
*The original La Parkita was murdered in 1999.
*La Parkita II is now Octigoncito. He dropped the La Parkita gimmick when La Parka (now LA Park) left AAA originally and Antonio Pena dropped the Parka gimmick.
*La Parkita III, the current La Parkita in AAA, since 1997, when Pena reintroduced the La Parka character (AAA La Parka/La Parka Jr).
LA Park returned to AAA two years ago, and beat La Parka for the rights to the La Parka name at TripleMania. However, the decision was reversed by the athletic commission, which did not stop LA Park from working as La Parka.
Got all that?
Basically, if you see a La Parka, and he's really good, it's the orginial (LA Park). If you see a shitty La Parka, and you are watching AAA, it's new La Parka. If you see a really shitty La Parka, it's Super Parka because he's old as fuck. If you see a mini, well, good luck with that. It's probably Mini Park, but who knows.Comment
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Someone elsewhere mentioned that they wouldn't bring up Russo winning the world title because it would be too close to McMahon winning the world title, and detract from their usual "bash WCW" segments.....Comment
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WWE smackdown
Its cable network can’t get off the mat
Vince McMahon’s plan to expand his Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment empire through a dedicated cable channel is on the ropes.
Although WWE’s TV shows draw big ratings, it has yet to strike a single deal with a cable or satellite-TV provider to carry its own cable channel, sources said.
WWE had timed the April 1 launch of the network in 40 million homes to coincide with its pay-per-view extravaganza, Wrestlemania. The company even had a clock counting down to the April launch date on its site, which has since disappeared.
The Stamford, Conn., company is also lagging when it comes to hiring experienced cable executives. It was expected to hire some 200 employees, including a general manager to run the channel.
“WWE has the programming and marketing muscle, but they just have no one with cable experience who can execute for them,” said one cable executive.
WWE swung to a loss in the fourth quarter on costs to launch the TV network and revamp its film division. The company lost $8.6 million, while revenue fell 7.8 percent to $122.5 million. WWE spent $4 million in the quarter to get the network off the ground.
While WWE still targets mostly 18-to-34 year-old men, the company has toned down its once raunchy programming in a bid to become more family friendly and broaden its appeal for advertisers.
"Distribution is a hard fought battle that takes time," said a WWE spokesman, adding that the company is "actively" in negotiations with pay-TV providers. "We have a seasoned executive staff of television veterans from such well-regarded companies as ESPN, Warner Brothers Television, Viacom, Fox and Discovery who are actively involved in the continued planning of the WWE Network, and we will continue to add top professionals from the cable industry.
"We are confident that WWE Network will be well received given our proven track record of developing top-rated PG cable programming."
WWE’s often raunchy programming targets mostly 18-to-34 year-old men, although the company has made efforts to become more family friendly and broaden its appeal for advertisers.
“Given the content issues, I think a whole channel would be a stretch,” said Gerri Donini, senior vice president broadcast at media-buying shop R.J. Palmer. “It is very limited in who it reaches.”
:brianwilson:
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Vince will never do it, because he's a stubborn old coot, but an obvious programming hook he should land for his network is MMA.
MMA is still a 'hot' TV property, and there are always promotions looking for exposure (Pro Elite comes to mind at the moment).
Wrestling has been a TV staple since the late 40's, and he owns the only brand that matters. But it's not hot enough right now to support a network on its own (read the last quote in the article). Throw in some MMA, and you have something else to present to potential partners.
What Vince fails to understand, is movies with his wrestlers, and TV shows with his wrestlers, might as well be wrestling in the eyes of advertisers and partners. His wrestlers are not the cross platform 'superstars' he thinks they are, because he lives in a bubble and is delusional. The biggest reason WWE Films has failed is because 'WWE Films' has an awful stigma attached to it. "That's a wrestling movie. No thanks." I sat down to watch "That's What I Am" the other day, which got good reviews and stars Ed Harris, but my GF rolled her eyes when that WWE Films logo flashed on the screen.
Anyway, they have wrestling content to fill thousands of hours, with new shows like Superstars and NXT that can be moved off of the internet, and all of the archive footage they own. They have about 20 or so movies they own the rights to, going all the way back to 'No Holds Barred'. They are filming Legend House as we speak. But that's all WRESTLING. And WRESTLING = eye rolls to the mainstream.Comment
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I still think its funny that the WWE Network can't get off the ground...Satellite is filled with shit television, nothing channels, but Vince' wrestling channel can't get picked up.Comment
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its the stigma
Vince is largely at fault. For all of his talk of saving 'wrasslin' from small smoke filled rooms, if you watch old wrestling footage, you see the well dressed sophisticates of the time in packed ballrooms and places like MSG, similar to the "it" crown of today that spend big money to sit ringside at big boxing matches.
Vince wasn't the first to promote to the lowest common denominator, but he sure pounded that hammer like no other.Comment
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They can't even get a former exec to take the damn job, its crazy at how much the product is seen like shit.Comment
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I had a back load of Pro Wrestling Ohio on the DVR, so I watched about four hours of it today.
They were doing a gimmick for about a year where a masked man kept jumping Johnny Gargano. The masked man finally promised to reveal himself. So he takes the hood off, and it was JIMMY JACOBS.
Problem was, none of the 50 people in the building knew who the fuck he was. When I say there was no pop when he took the mask off, that is an understatement. NO POP.
Recognizing the problem, the first words of Jacobs promo were "You may not know who I am, but..."
I felt bad for him. I haven't seen an angle tank this badly since Gobbledygooker.Comment
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I had a back load of Pro Wrestling Ohio on the DVR, so I watched about four hours of it today.
They were doing a gimmick for about a year where a masked man kept jumping Johnny Gargano. The masked man finally promised to reveal himself. So he takes the hood off, and it was JIMMY JACOBS.
Problem was, none of the 50 people in the building knew who the fuck he was. When I say there was no pop when he took the mask off, that is an understatement. NO POP.
Recognizing the problem, the first words of Jacobs promo were "You may not know who I am, but..."
I felt bad for him. I haven't seen an angle tank this badly since Gobbledygooker.Comment
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