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FORUM HOME > Wrestling > US Independents
ROH is coming to PPV!
| The Empress | Posted on 05/03/07 at 06:13:44 I got this from www.gerweck.net INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING PHENOMENON RING OF HONOR INKS STATESIDE TELEVISION DEALSThe only thing that bothers me is that, in the video, Austin Aries is not featured or advertised as being part of the event. Is there more going on with him than the TNA incident? |
| Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 05/03/07 at 07:30:23 Gentlemen, I think we see now why TNA talent has quietly been on its way out of Ring of Honor for the past 3 months or so. It would not surprise me at all if this was something that ROH and TNA have been aware of for some time. A large independent that runs a successful interenet DVD business is not competition to a nationally televised promotion with a PPV product, but this is something totally differnt. Also interesting to note is the fact that ROH has apparently signed a number of wrestlers to written deals - it looks like about 10 of them. This allows them to build around a solid core of talent who will not be vulnerable to being signed away to TNA or WWE at a moment's notice. Based on the video, it looks like this core roster will consist of: Nigel McGuinness, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Bryan Danielson, Delirious, Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, Rocky Romero, BJ Whitmer, Claudio Castangnoli, Brent Albright and Erick Stevens. Add Morishima, KENTA, and Marufuji to that as recurring foreign talents, some big indy names, plus a lot of the undercard that is unlikely to be signed away, and you've got a very solid roster. You can also be sure that ROH will be keeping an eye on WWE and TNA to try to snap up any talented wrestlers released from their contracts - Brent Albright is the most recent example of this. I am officially stoked, and plan to order the first PPV as soon as it is available. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
| The Empress | Posted on 05/03/07 at 09:59:46 July 1 is the date it should be on. No mention yet of the price, though I assume it will be below the price of a TNA PPV. Probably close to the price of old ECW PPVs. Still, I don't suppose you know why Austin Aries was left out of the promotional package? He gets heat from TNA because of his loyalty to ROH. So is there something else going on behind the scenes? I was looking forward to seeing him in his element when I first heard of the PPV. |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 05/03/07 at 13:53:11 Not on DirecTV, so this doesn't matter to the other half of America that has the small dish (the half that doesn't have the ATT owned Dish Network). Sorry to say this, but I doubt that RoH has the deep pocket backing that TNA has, so it's PPV attempt could be as disastrous as Verne's AWA's was. Just remember every time you see an increase in gas prices at the pumps, it's all Jeff Jarrett and TNA's fault, since that's where a LOT of the extra oil money is going these days. :) |
| Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 05/04/07 at 04:36:11 Actually, because ROH's PPVs are not being presented live, the expense to ROH above and beyond a regular show is basically editing it to 2 hours in length and overnighting DVDs to the providors. There is thus little to no financial risk to ROH - I expect the providors take a cut of each PPV sale. According to everything I've seen, the PPVs are expected to be about $10-$15 each - lower production costs and no live sattelite linkup means cheaper shows for the viewing public. Austin Aries was left out of the promotional package because TNA has officially pulled all of its talent (including Homicide and Aries) from ROH shows. Interestingly, they also pulled them from PWG shows at the same time for an unrelated reason. Given his often stormy relationship with TNA, I wouldn't be that surprised to see Austin Aries decline to resign when the opportunity arises, but since ROH will be promoting a rival PPV product, even on a vastly smaller scale, TNA has every right to pull all of its talent. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 05/04/07 at 05:30:23Interestingly, they also pulled them from PWG shows at the same time for an unrelated reason.Possibly because of Wrestling Society X and PWG's affiliation? And the fact that while MTV may have killed WSX, that Kevin Kleinrock is still shopping WSX around to other networks including Fox Sports Net at the moment? As for the PPV's you can drop the price all you want, but until you get clearance on DirecTV, you are still missing half the US satellite market, most of whom have DirecTV because of their superior sports packs to that of DISH. Hopefully Gabe and the gang smarten up and end up like the weekly TNA PPV's being aired on DirecTV a few years ago... with a last minute "the fan's demanded it" moment. |
| Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 05/04/07 at 06:51:17 The prevailing thought on the ROH boards seems to be that DirecTV is likely to follow 6 months or so behind the other networks if the PPVs prove to be profitable. DirecTV is definately a contract that they will want to pursue if this limited PPV plan is to be successful. At least for the moment, the PPVs seem designed for a dual purpose - to bring in another revenue stream, and to create new fans to buy DVDs and increase attendence, which will correspondingly make it easier to expand into new markets. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
| psz | Posted on 05/04/07 at 14:12:56 Bring in Paul E. (KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE MONEY) as a mouth piece at the first PPV, and watch the ratings soar. Actually, if VinnyMac *CARED* about TNA at all, he just might allow that :-P (As a way to push ROH over TNA) |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 05/04/07 at 14:41:33 nah... just Foley and Steamboat back to RoH. :) |
| Zedja - TNMWA Champion | Posted on 05/04/07 at 20:29:50 So soon ROH will turn into TNA-light and TNA is already WWE-light. I doubt that is a good thing. |
| Critic of the Dawn | Posted on 05/05/07 at 04:16:44 I'm not particularly worried that a dilution in the quality of the product and a move towards a feeling of TNA on the cheap is likely. All the interviews I've seen and heard seem to indicate that ROH is well aware that they're not going to be able to compete by emphasizing WWE-style sports entertainment, pyro, expensive production, etc. Even if the fanbase wanted that (which they don't), ROH would end up bankrupting itself in short order if they tried it. Ring of Honor knows the strengths of its product. Gabe is a smart enough booker and Cary Silken a smart enough businessman to emphasize these strengths and allow plenty of time to grow in a sustainable manner rather than giving up a tried, tested, and most importantly profitable product in favor of a "New Coke" style sports entertainment schtick. Eric "Critic of the Dawn" |
| rey619 | Posted on 05/17/07 at 18:43:05On 05/04/07 at 20:29:50, Zedja - TNMWA Champion wrote:So soon ROH will turn into TNA-light and TNA is already WWE-light. I doubt that is a good thing.ROH would never, ever in a gazillion years degrade itself to Sports Entertainment. This PPV-venture doesn't cost all that much either, as it is pre-recorded. I don't want ROH to compete with WWE and TNA business-wise. It is enough for me that they have defeated them in-ring wise. |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 05/18/07 at 01:33:20 better, lesser, or different? which of the three would RoH fall into to? Obviously their path of choice is different than the others. And it is a wise choice, because it would be impossible for them to be better than WWE as far as production values and mainstream recognition at this point. Lesser than is total death to them.... and different than is what they accel at with the RoH product. Just one of many questions pondered by a Mr. Bischoff when he took over at the helm of WCW. |