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Have you ever spoken with Tony Khan? If so, how did the conversation go?
I would have flat out said no I haven’t but since there was a dust up started by a wrestling podcast host last year, who lost his mind because I didn’t remember him sitting near me in the bleachers at the ECW Arena 30 years ago, and since I know I was at ECW events that Tony also attended, I will just say that if I did I don’t remember it. I have not talked to him since he started AEW. If we did speak, I don’t think he would hear a word I said. We have diametrically opposed visions of the wrestling business.
I think WWE was smart to start their own post-PLE media scrums. Not only is it a good PR move to tout business achievements, but WWE is creating low cost, insider content - which "smart" or "hardcore" fans eat up - thereby creating another revenue stream to keep viewers on their streaming-partner's platforms. Do you agree that it's smart business for WWE to monetize the insider interest of hardcore fans - by giving us hardcore fans the behind-the-scenes insight for non-storyline or canon content. Your thoughts?
I think you just made a good case as to why they do it. If it creates engagement at a low cost it’s a smart business move, for sure.
So TNA Wrestling is running the Galen Center for Rebellion in April and the UBS Arena in July for Slammiversary. Pretty big swings from the company with such small media market share that they get with AXS TV. Do you think they will sell out the arenas?
My hunch is that since they have signed the deal with WWE that they very well may get some help from the company with talent on the show. It will be interesting to follow.
So Corey Graves goes from lead announcer of Smackdown, back to color commentator with Cole, now he’s the third wheel on NXT as color commentator. Wade Barrett has picked up his game, McAfee is great as usual, Booker T has his usual antics and now seems to be shouting over Graves. Corey seems to be kind of floundering. Is the company souring on Corey Graves?
It was not that they were souring on him when the moves were made. Netflix wanted the team of Michael Cole and Pat McAfee for Raw. TKO had the opportunity to sign Joe Tessitore, who has mainstream credibility and he committed to becoming really good, really fast, as a play-by-play man. Corey was just the odd man out and he should have, in my view, realized that it wasn’t personal. He should have realized that Michael Cole and Tess are in their 50s and aren’t going to do this forever and bided his time, doing what the company needed him to do. After he made the ranting tweets? I have talked to people in the company that told me that the brass was not happy with how Graves acted. Some have told me they were surprised that he wasn’t fired. I hope he learned from it.
Do you share all of your thoughts about pro wrestling on PWInsider?
If you count the Elite site, yes I do. I share some thoughts on the free site but if I am being honest, I don’t share them all here. We do all we can to provide as much content for free as possible but the fact of the matter is that the Elite members are what keep us in business. As such, they deserve all of the extra content that we can provide them.
You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com.
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