WWE is Shutting Down FCW (Maybe)

[EmpireWF]

Meltzer

Officials from WWE told Bright House Sports network today, which airs the FCW shows in Florida, that they are closing down the promotion and will not be doing anymore television after the final three shows taped last week air.

WWE officials told Bright House Sports that they are folding the promotion, closing the gym, and moving everyone to Stamford, CT for the time being until they figure out what they are going to do with developmental.

Those in WWE also heard news today and were given the impression the company was going to do developmental out of Connecticut and possibly open a second developmental territory.

WWE Developmental has been fucked ever since they cut down to 1 place. In it's heyday, FCW had as many as 70 (if not more) guys there to learn and improve. Ridiculous.

Hopefully they open up no less than 2-3 places and give the guys a few places to improve instead of working in front of the same 500 people for years at a time.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Developmental as a whole is kind of FUBAR...but the actual roster for FCW is pretty damn good.

They need to have 2-3 developmental spots...West Coast, the South, Northeast. Let'em run that little circuit to "develop".

[Bigpapa42]

Its funny... just watched a Guest Booker with Al Snow where he talked about problems with the WWE development program. And having one location was something he hated. Having 3-4 different "territories" where talent would how to get over with different crowds and learn some slightly different styles of ring-work. That stuff doesn't matter so much with guys who have a fair bit of experience but with so many green workers coming through, it might make a difference.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think they should fund three or four indie groups, like you guys are saying spread all over the country (and maybe one international), and then have one more promotion that they control themselves which is the final step before you make the main roster.

This would best replicate the old territory system, which was the best way to have guys develop. Stay hands off on the indie groups, let those guys get booked and used however the indie groups see fit, and then when you think they are almost ready, bring them into the "home" developmental group for some final seasoning and WWE-style training.

The best and most well rounded workers on the roster right now learned on the indie/international circuit, and then learned to work in the WWE style stuff like four moves of doom and HHH style big match psychology. Same deal with the best guys in developmental right now (Hero, Castagnoli, Tyler Black, Ambrose, Steamboat). Why they fail to see this, and still attach the indie stigma to guys or complain about the Japanese style, is mind blowing in its ignorance. The WWE training method produces nothing but stiffs, aside from Ziggler, who if he wasnt such a Mr Perfect mark, would probably be Generic Guy #345267 too.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Oh, and they really need to embrace excursions and hook themselves up with a big Japanese or Mexican (or both) promotion.

Japanese guys come to the U.S. and Mexico, and always come back with more confidence and more well rounded. Likewise, in the last decade tons of U.S. indie guys toured Japan and were much better workers for having done so, whether its Bryan Danielson's New Japan/NOAH stuff or Matt Sydal in Dragon Gate, or what you are seeing now with Ricochet & Rich Swann, Chris Hero, Bobby Fish, Edddie Edwards, Davey, the list goes on and on. People like Benoit, Jericho, Guerrero, Malenko, that whole generation of great workers became great by taking long international tours and learning to do it all and round out their style.

[EmpireWF]

I wouldn't even send the type of guys your talking about overseas...or at least specifically Japan. For example, the Bautista looking dude could have been sent somewhere in Japan to learn how to work like a big man.

Instead, he's given the start/stop push on TV and other than that, he's working the same group of guys in front of the same audience down in Florida for years.

Meltzer's been talking about it for years, it's amazing how little this company invests in developing their talent considering the problems they usually have in finding new stars.

[Bigpapa42]

PWI now seems to be refuting the claims that FCW will be shut down.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

The WWE's developmental system is kind of fucked, because they just don't have guys creative enough to actually put together a good wrestling product. The best time in WWE Developmental was when you had Paul E. running OVW. Otherwise, its pretty much vanilla wrestling television/product that doesn't actually teach performers the art or wrestling at all...basically, its there to show workers how to work a WWE crowd, which is basically everything to the hard camera and all of the other meaningless stuff they do. This isn't awful for seasoned Indy guys...because there is an obvious adjustment...but for the green as grass dudes they bring in? You aren't actually making talent any better at this level.

They need a nice minor league system. Single A is in the south...Double A is in the west...Triple A is in the north east. Bring guys up to a D-show like they were developing ECW to be in...and boom, you have something that actually could develop talent.

[FirstTimer]

I think they should fund three or four indie groups, like you guys are saying spread all over the country (and maybe one international), and then have one more promotion that they control themselves which is the final step before you make the main roster.

This would best replicate the old territory system, which was the best way to have guys develop. Stay hands off on the indie groups, let those guys get booked and used however the indie groups see fit, and then when you think they are almost ready, bring them into the "home" developmental group for some final seasoning and WWE-style training.

The best and most well rounded workers on the roster right now learned on the indie/international circuit, and then learned to work in the WWE style stuff like four moves of doom and HHH style big match psychology. Same deal with the best guys in developmental right now (Hero, Castagnoli, Tyler Black, Ambrose, Steamboat). Why they fail to see this, and still attach the indie stigma to guys or complain about the Japanese style, is mind blowing in its ignorance. The WWE training method produces nothing but stiffs, aside from Ziggler, who if he wasnt such a Mr Perfect mark, would probably be Generic Guy #345267 too.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Black worked house shows last week, and it was said he got over doing his flashy moves despite nobody knowing who he was.

That's probably a negative, btw. How dare he get over! Stop the flippy do's and work the chinlock, kid.

[EmpireWF]

PWI now seems to be refuting the claims that FCW will be shut down.

The claim now is the company will continue but TV is ending.

huh?

[Warner2BruceTD]

The claim now is the company will continue but TV is ending.

huh?

They could continue without the WWE affiliation or TV.

OVW still operates without the affiliation. Actually, its a TNA dev group now.

The bottom line is FCW just doesnt work. Something has to change.

[EmpireWF]

Keep FCW, just add another place elsewhere in the country. WWE has the resources, money and influence to make it work. They can't be that hard up for money with the planned TV network expansion.

It's funny though...on the 24/7 Roundtables that Michael Hayes is on (most of them), he's obviously a smart business guy. He usually mentions a thing or two about things they do wrong in terms of talent development (not in those exact words obviously) or things that could be improved on in the business today. It's clear these people aren't stupid. So why the fuck don't they improve on the things they realize suck.

Vince can't be THAT retarded.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

They could continue without the WWE affiliation or TV.

OVW still operates without the affiliation. Actually, its a TNA dev group now.

The bottom line is FCW just doesnt work. Something has to change.

TNA uses OVW a little bit, but I don't think it is a full fledged TNA dev. Rob Terry works there a bit, IIRC.

One thing about the WWE Devs, they do send guys there a LOT if not to get yocals to come out to a show, to work with the talent either on screen or off. I'm not sure if TNA does that at all outside of Rob Terry, who is green as grass anyway.

TNA is a company that needs a legitimate developmental system, too. Of all places, TNA should have plucked a lot of talent from the Indies that they haven't yet, but otherwise, they basically work with the old guys or WWE rejects or some real no name yocal Indy guys (like when they pulled up Crimson and Gunner from random NWA affiliated companies and guys like that Sorensen kid).

[Warner2BruceTD]

TNA made a deal with OVW, but like most things, they have idea what they are doing with it and underutilize the asset.