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GFW = Six Sides of Awesome

I’m not one to kick a guy when he’s down, but I’m pretty sure my daughter’s preschool graduation ceremony last night outdrew Jeff Jarrett. 

But more importantly, who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to use a six-sided ring when TNA already has the stench of death on them?  Unless he got a really smoking deal on the extra two sides for the price of four at Bob’s Bargain Wrestling Ring Emporium.  I just don’t even get what he expects to get out of this, honestly.  There’s no interest from any TV stations and it’s already been shown many times over that there’s no market for a touring company with no TV or PPV support.  What’s the point?

Comments

  1. The six sided ring is stupid, and just evokes TNA, but in defense of Jarrett, it's a 6,000 seat stadium, and per people in attendance they drew like 700 people. That'd fill any ROH hall.


    And the draw on a certain level doesn't matter to them. These are "sold shows"

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  2. Lancaster Championship Wrestling out draws these guys and they're running Shane Douglas on top.

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  3. I'll play devil's advocate and say that TNA stopped being unique when it ditched the six-sided ring in favour of the traditional squared circle so at the very least GFW will have a look that differentiates it from RAW should it ever get a tv deal. And while that picture doesn't inspire even an iota of confidence, it is a start, meagre though it may be...

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  4. I'd rather they just play baseball.

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  5. Is he fighting Amish Roadkill in the main event?

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  6. Agreed on the sold shows. I bring that up whenever talking about tna, but the pics do look bad.

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  7. You can make a solid argument that TNA shouldn't have dropped the six-sided ring. But for better or worse - it's been done. And for another company to use it doesn't make it unique anymore - it just means they're ripping off TNA.

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  8. Maybe Jeff can use GFW to launch his Country music career.

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  9. See, without the Clique around to hold him back Shane Douglas thrives.

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  10. Who's going to sign Sid as their ringer?

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  11. I like the idea of Global as a showcase/clearinghouse for international promotions to get US exposure (eg. WrestleKingdom) but as a touring act? No way.

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  12. Still more than TNA's house shows


    http://taimapedia.org/images/a/a5/TNA_House_Show.jpg

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  13. It's a used tna ring he had in the garage

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  14. What happened, weren't they supposed to do another one of those?

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  15. They drew one person for each side of the ring

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  16. I thought so, too. Otherwise, what are all the non-US companies getting out of the deal?

    Ideally, they'd run 3-4 of those a year, with a couple of US-based shows (out of smaller venues so you'd pack them) to pop of a buyrate. Wouldn't compete with WWE necessarily, but it would outdraw ROH and Dragon Gate, at least.

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  17. In fairness, Shane is giving out Target coupons to anyone that attends and the couponers always come out in full force...

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  18. I feel sorry for the guys sitting at the top of the bleachers. Eventually someone should say "Fuck It" and move down closer.

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  19. Jarrett is still hoping CMT is gonna hook him up. He's been talking about that for years.

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  20. Pretty sure Austin would put the kabosh on that, but image stone cold cross promotion on a gfw show.

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  21. Damn that makes Wrestlemania III look like a TNA Houseshow.

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  22. You know... it's not like they're making any money yet at this point anyways, so assuming they have a money mark, and these first shows are just to get the talent together and spread awareness for the company, then why not paper the hell out of the show? Assuming they put on a good show in the ring then having a big crowd will at least make them look good via social media.

    ... unless this is what they drew with heavy papering. In which case they're fucked.

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  23. They are making money.


    These are "sold shows."


    They're being paid a fee by the team/stadium to put on the show. The attendance doesn't matter to GFW in terms of what their take is out of this. Otherwise, they wouldn't be playing 6000 seat stadiums.

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  24. if it's broke, don't fix it

    Is there an advantage to the 6 side ring that I'm missing out on? Or a group of people that actually prefer it to the square?

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  25. Extant1979 - Extreme SuperstarJune 12, 2015 at 8:44 PM

    Geez, TNA had more people at the Basebrawl show I went to at Coney Island a couple years ago.

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  26. Jarrett's actually not a terrible business man at the end of the day. I mean, christ, he bilked Dixie out of how many millions just to keep TNA afloat, and arguably that company was at its only point of profitability when he was running it.

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  27. That is bad, but like the guy said below, it's more than TNA drew so I guess that extremely low bar was cleared.

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  28. Hm. Well then. There you have it.

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  29. Oh that's right--I forgot that deal they'd worked out with the ball fields.

    So how does that work then--the venue gets all the ticket profits, or are the shows free and they collect concessions money to cover the maintenance costs for running the shows? This was probably all explained when they announced the shows but I kinda blanked it out in favor of waiting for their TV tapings.

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  30. My guess is he sold them that he could get like 1000 people a night and that was worth it to these teams rather than the stadium sitting empty for a night.


    Someone on reddit there estimated they drew between 500-750 people for the show tonight. So he came up short, for sure.


    But if you look at the stadium's average attendance, they only draw like 2000-2500 a game for baseball despite it holding 6000.

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  31. I went to two of those. The ring at home plate caused us to double over in laughter

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  32. It's only advantage is "it's different." The negatives to them are numerous.

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  33. I believe the venue pays GFW a fee. GFW pays its talent and takes its profit from that.


    The venue sells the tickets and keeps the profit (if any) from the show. Venue probably takes all of the concessions. There's probably a split on the merch.

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  34. So it would have to be the venue that actually would have papered it, and with no incentive to do so they presumably didn't (save for maybe a few tickets given away in radio contests or such). Well... only the first show.

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  35. TNA drew like 500-700 except for a couple hotbed cities. GFW probably is somewhere in there tonight.


    Difference being this is Jarrett's first show with GFW and no press, and no real stars (seriously, Gallows & Anderson just main evented against the New Heavenly Bodies), whereas TNA was around for over a decade and had some pretty big stars for their Basebrawls.

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  36. I was watching the Periscope for a little bit and Jarrett came out to thank the fans and was thanking the Boys & Girls Club, and the Boy Scouts, and some local church group for coming out. So maybe they did give away tickets to some of those and that's still all they ended up with in the photo.


    Either way, I don't think GFW cares. Now if no one shows for their TV tapings, they're screwed, but that's in a small room, they should be able to sell tickets.

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  37. Starting a wrestling co or even just
    Promoting a one time event seems like such a a waste of effort and time considering the risk reward of it. They may make some but there are better ways to invest that capital. Like going to a casino and dumping it on red or black in roulette

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  38. It's an insane amount of risk. Even for a network who would be looking to start a wrestling company just for content (which is what El Rey/Lucha is about), because it's so expensive to produce.


    The only people who start companies are people who just do it as a labor of love, and the only people who fund them are morons.

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  39. Another pic

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHWR5bZUcAA7Rly.jpg

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  40. To be fair, Scott, your daughter's graduation had bigger names. Sure, they may be a little green now, but loads of potential.

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  41. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyJune 12, 2015 at 9:22 PM

    6 sides. Really?! Just crazy. It's a shit idea alone, then twin it with the fact TNA's switched back to it, too... It's a no brainer. FOUR SIDES.

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  42. Why is UFC so popular? Because EIGHT SIDES!


    GFW needs MORE sides, not less!

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  43. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyJune 12, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    Jesus, I was so embarrassingly wrong.

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  44. Jarrett is the ultimate businessman. He doesn't care how silly his ideas look, so long as they turn him a profit.

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  45. Jarrett should run the Silverdome.

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  46. If only they could figure out how to build circular ring ropes. INFINITY SIDES!!

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  47. Jarrett's a millionaire who made his money after he pissed off Vince.


    That tells you something at least.

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  48. They need a dodecagon for a ring. That's the ticket!

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  49. They need to come around my neck of the woods. My wife would be all over some free coupons!

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  50. Everyone in that photo looks sad as fuck..

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  51. Makes me wonder how broke those fans are if the best they can afford are those "upper deck" seats.

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  52. Amish Roadkill is nowhere to be found.

    Shane was riding some young kids coat tails in a tag match last week.

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  53. thats the 10 bell salute to Dusty

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  54. I love how Cornette's in that picture looking like an idiot. He went on and on about TNA running stadiums when they don't have matches for them and now there's his hypocritical ass standing in a ring in an empty stadium.

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  55. No television deal. No star power. Negligible penetration in a saturated marketplace.

    Yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead and call this one D.O.A.

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  56. That's the 10 bell salute to Dusty Rjodes.

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  57. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 12, 2015 at 10:32 PM

    The local indy I go to holds most of their shows in a fire hall. They get more people than this show here, assuming that's the whole crowd. Also, and forgive me if someone has already mentioned this, but stop doing shows in fucking baseball stadiums. Outside of the WM at Safeco it always just looks really bush league. Wrestling should be indoors unless it's a Mania.

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  58. I'm sorry if this sounds like a Jeff Jarrett apologist, but TNA had years of TV exposure and a solid roster and couldn't draw dick. GWF has a bunch of Indy guys and a few "names" that would make the bottom 10% of a WWE roster and no TV exposure. Them drawing 400 people to a minor league baseball stadium was expected.

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  59. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 12, 2015 at 10:36 PM

    Wrestlers hate it. It's more ridged so it's rougher to bump on and every wrestler ever (at least in the U.S.) trained in a normal ring and worked most of their matches in them.

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  60. Austin has ownership with the Country Music Television

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  61. Cornette said, "The best way to get 1 million dollars is to take 2 million dollars and start a wrestling promotion."

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  62. He has one of there highest rated shows. Your kidding yourself if you don't think he has some pull.

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  63. Also:

    1) Climbing the turnbuckles. Wrestlers are used to the ropes being at a 90° angle to grab onto. In the 6-sided ring the angle is 120°, meaning the ropes are a few inches farther apart than their muscle memory is used to. Also affects their stance when straddling the ropes in the corner.

    2) Running the ropes. The 6 sides make it impossible to do any traditional running-the-rope spots--or any spots that require the ropes and wrestlers moving at a 90° angle to one another. It also affects moves or spots that involve sliding into the ring, going over the ropes to the floor, etc, as there are basically two ringposts in the way.

    3) Hard camera. If you position the hard camera so that it's at a 90° angle to the entryway, so that you can film people entering the ring directly from the ramp (say during a run-in), then that means the hard camera is always pointed at a ringpost... meaning the wrestlers can't do a move off the ropes while directly facing the camera (imagine the People's Elbow done running out of a corner instead of off the ropes). If you aim the hard camera at the ropes then there is a post in the way from the entryway.

    4) Cameramen. You now have to coordinate your cameramen to be in place on 6 sides instead of 4.

    None of this is impossible to overcome, just takes time to get used to, and is a hurdle that the production people have to overcome.

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  64. Progress draws 700 people every show often selling out with no cards announced and with names that have never been on TV.

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  65. They are sold shows. The promotion is paid to run the stadium, regardless of fans drawn, instead of paying for a building.

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  66. THE CIRCLE CIRCLE

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  67. Guys gotta earn a living

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  68. Did you get to hear Macho Man music?

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  69. Of course it looks bush league. It's a bush league stadium.

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  70. Well, TNA lasted12 more years than anyone expected them to in similar conditions.

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  71. Well, in fairness preschool graduation is a pretty big deal.

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  72. I'm assuming that what wrestling audience exists by and large watches WWE Raw and SmackDown. The next tier down watch NXT, TNA, or Ring of Honor. Then below that are the niche television products like the aforementioned New Japan and Lucha Underground. Global Force, without television, is a fourth-tier promotion at a time when all but the WWE (and NXT as its developmental) struggle to survive.

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  73. 500-700 isn't neccessarily a disaster. The problem is that 700 at a PWG or ICW show indoors, in a small hall, creates an atmosphere that you're part of something and you can pimp the fact it was a "sell-out" before the next show. 700 in a chilly baseball field just makes everyone there feel like a loser. And I'm sure the wrestlers feed off that vibe as well. Even if its paid gig by the baseball ground owners I've got to say its a false economy.

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  74. Once in a lifetime!


    Well, unless she whiffs kindergarten so badly that they send her back.

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  75. "Ain't I Great?" is totally overdue for a remaster.

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  76. I bet Jim regrets having burned bridges at every promotion he's worked for.

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  77. Superdome, brother.

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  78. That's the saddest thing I've ever seen in wrestling...
    :looks at TNA:
    ...ok maybe GFW could be worse.

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  79. Doesn't AAA use this ring too?

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  80. Running these summer shows in southern baseball stadiums seems like a bad idea. Who wants to watch some random wrestling fed in 90+ degree humid saunas? No thanks.

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  81. Hell, he could have bought the Silverdome yesterday for 30.1 million.

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  82. This isnt bad. GFW is getting paid, TNA is so absurd they probably paid to run the show to half the crowds.

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  83. But if you are good at running a wrestling promotion and not good at anything else it is the beat way to invest capital. Also with it being perceived as high risk it means that cost of entry is low for an investor thus lowering the risk. It is totally worth doing if you have the capital to risk and you believe that there is an opportunity.

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  84. He could have bought it for under $600000 a couple years ago.

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  85. Beach shows looked cool for WCW.


    Lucha Underground could totally have like...a show shot from the top of a mountain.

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  86. I'm trying to think of a way to do it.


    ...maybe if I did better in trig.

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  87. Wasn't the appeal of wrestling that it's insanely cheap to produce?

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  88. A N sided ring has N ring posts. Will trig help us with infinite ring posts?

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  89. 'Ridged' - for her pleasure.

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  90. A pentagon. The champ would be known as 'The Ring General'.

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  91. But does anyone still gives a shit about what Cornette says (aside from his rage-fuelled rants why wrestling isn't in the idealized way he believes it used to be)? Dude's got knowledge and all that, but he's struck in a 70's/80's booking mentality, and his lack of success in booking SMW in the 90's, WWE in 96 and ROH just a few years ago prove that the only thing he has to offer now are his resents and grievances and the occasional funny story.

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  92. Well, amateur wrestling has a round area, but they have no ropes and not cage around. And I think if UFC would go to a ring, they would chose the 4 sided one, esepecially if they had to run into the ropes.

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  93. Aren't they synonymous with circus? That's what six sided looks like.

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  94. Yeah, but the TNA stink isn't on them there because AAA has actually been a competent promotion throughout its existence.

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  95. Chants you'll never hear at GFW:
    "You sold out!"

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  96. If GFW gets paid a fixed amount regardless of the gate, then I would think that nobody has much incentive to try particularly hard.

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  97. I don't know man, I got a 78%.

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  98. It's funny, and yet... Yeah it is a big deal.

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  99. Do you actually watch TNA though, or just giggle at second hand snark bait from wrestling website? Sure we all know it's RUN idiotically, but the actual show has really improved. Easily one of the best weekly wrestling shows of 2014.

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  100. In his book, Gary Hart said it was basically a waste of money to try to start a wrestling promotion. He said that he had numerous money marks who had $50K, $100K, etc come to him to try to start something up and he turned them down b/c it was just a fool's errand.

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  101. At least Gary Hart was a smart guy. Cornette on the other hand got himself a Money Mark (music producer of some sort) to start SMW, a promotion with no national presence that lasted only 4 years and never got to do PPV.
    Even Abrams got a PPV and national exposure for his laughable UWF promotion.

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  102. Someone should have yelled CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  103. The American InsomniacJune 13, 2015 at 5:40 AM

    I really believe that Jeff thought TNA would have gone under by now, and he could just get the roster and the TV deals on the cheap.

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  104. Maybe so, but he seems to be right about this.

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  105. This doesn't look great but probably isn't terrible for their first show...especially if they aren't paid based on the gate.

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  106. I don't know. I get your point, but these are people either trying to get somewhere for the first time or taking their last shot at relevance.

    If anybody phoned it in on the first show, that person should be fired immediately. I'd rathet have a crap worker who busts ass than a solid one who doesn't even try.

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  107. I don't understand why you would run shows at venues that make the crowd even smaller. Run it at a smaller 500 seat indoor venue so it gives the impression of a better crowd. This would be like WWE running a house show at an NFL stadium. Are the baseball stadiums cheaper to run?

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  108. Probably not. I think he believes that his disastrous ROH run was ROH's fault for not executing his vision properly and beyond that, he makes a tidy paycheck doing his shoots. He's also notorious for hating to travel.

    I mean, really, if he was willing to swallow his pride and verbally fellate Vince and HHH, he'd be a regular guest star on Old School Raws, a talking head on DVDs, etc. The guy COULD be doing more if he wanted.

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  109. True, but it doesn't change the fact that he's on the money on this.

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  110. Now that its on a channel I dont get, it's better. WHoop dee fucking doo.

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  111. Paul Heyman said on the Stone Cold podcast "I'd rather sell out a smaller venue than not fill a bigger one" or something to that effect for that very reason.

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  112. i think it just *looks* bad, and when you're trying to establish yourself and gain a public image... that's not a good one. Rightly or wrongly, people online are already making jokes about them. That ain't good. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

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  113. If the only thing one is good at is running a wrestling promotion and nothing else, and their name isn't McMahon, then they're most likely broke. Either way though, it's still a huge risk with virtually no upside. You could be the best in the world at it, but the cost of that capital isn't with the risk - better off investing it in something safe

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  114. There's no way they broke 200 fans there last night.

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  115. Those 12 people that showed up to this?

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  116. I mean, what else is Jarrett going to do? Wrestling is all he's ever done and all he knows. He's gonna try to find a way to stay in the business until he dies.

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  117. Yeah, I was gonna post something like this. Is Jarrett still wrestling in this one? I figure he just wants to throw SOME kind of Title onto himself.

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  118. Yeah, being a wrestling promoter is a waste of money. The fact that no big promotion has risen since the bunch created during the 50's is a testimony to that.

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  119. "Verbally fellate"

    Tremendous.

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  120. Joey Jo-Jo Junior ShabbadooJune 13, 2015 at 7:11 AM

    700 in a chilly baseball field just makes everyone there feel like a loser.

    Harsh, but true.

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  121. What a horrible setup for a wrestling ring. The people in the bottom right corner of the pic...what are they even looking at?

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  122. Joey Jo-Jo Junior ShabbadooJune 13, 2015 at 7:48 AM

    "i like me rspwfaq"

    SKYNET is getting smarter, guys.

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  123. I didn't know he had a show.

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  124. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 8:10 AM

    Shut the fuck up, skank.

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  125. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 8:11 AM

    Wanker.

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  126. Part of the reason it looks so awful is because the way to do a wrestling show at a baseball stadium is to actually put seats on the field. That way, the front row is actually front row and not sitting 15+ feet away. Of course, you can't put people on the field when you've only drawn 200 people.

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  127. ECW started in shit nightclubs and gradually moved their way forward. This could be the first step towards nothing or greatness, we have no idea. Jarrett is, however, giving wrestlers a chance to work and a pay check, which is always a good thing. But Jarrett is an asshole so I guess it's just easier to shit on it from day one.

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  128. Is that Emma Roberts? I like her.

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  129. Can't Karen just get a belt made for him and say he's Neighbourhood Champion or something?

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  130. The photo was obviously taken during the "dark match" as people were still parking their cars and trying to get inside the stadium. Maybe they only had one guy to take tickets and it held everyone up getting inside. That has to be it.

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  131. This is the wrestling boom Jarrett was talking about.

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  132. A nice goal for a promotion should be to attract a larger crowd than a local grocery store would have.

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  133. Maybe they should start selling groceries! There's already a G in the name! It's perfect. Ricker, you're hired.

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  134. Indie promotions need to stop running in ballparks. NXT could easily outdraw this and WWE still books NXT in 1000-seaters

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  135. SMW wasn't meant to be national, it was quite specifically designed to be a regional company.

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  136. That ring looks like it is the size of my bed.

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  137. Yes except gfw paid to rent the building just like TNA idiot

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  138. Who is going to start the LOLGFW thread on Taimapedia?

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  139. If you zoom in close enough, you find out the guy sitting at the merch table is Virgil.

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  140. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 12:32 PM

    Are they even going to last that long? There's no LOLWWA, rightfully so.

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  141. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    Wanker.

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  142. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 12:34 PM

    Or just not not do wrestling shows at baseball stadiums. They were designed for a very specific purpose, and it ain't wrestling.

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  143. so I'm a wanker because I enjoy a show? STAY MAD PONYBOY

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  144. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 13, 2015 at 12:37 PM

    I'm just fucking with you. Wanker.

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