Pro wrestling oversaturated?
While having a conversation Thursday with longtime friend and pro wrestling expert Darryl Grandy, we were discussing the sheer volume of pro wrestling shows that air each week.
Raw airs every Monday, as it has done since 1993, and AEW airs Elevation on YouTube. Tuesday features NXT as well as AEW’s Dark on YouTube. AEW airs Dynamite on Wednesday, Impact airs its self-titled show Thursday’s on AXS and NXT UK airs earlier in the afternoon on the WWE Network.
Smackdown is featured on Friday and 205 Live takes place on the WWE Network after Smackdown ends.
Not to be outdone, Ring of Honor airs its show in syndication several days of the week in different markets, MLW airs Fusion on YouTube and the NWA airs Power on www.fite.tv
Those are the in-ring shows and they combine for over 18 hours a week of first-run matches and storylines.
Now let’s add the shows that are not in-ring.
Sunday was the fourth week in a row that A&E has produced a biography on a former WWE star, with last night’s show featuring Booker T.
After the two-hour show ended at 10 p.m., WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures aired. More on those two shows in a bit.
Young Rock airs on NBC while Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring aired its third-season premier Thursday night, and Miz and Mrs. is in its third season with the show currently airing Monday nights after Raw ends.
The post-Raw timeslot is also when Straight Up Steve Austin airs, although that show is currently in between seasons.
That is a whole lot of pro wrestling for fans, but is it too much?
Speaking of too much, did anyone notice that WWE had nine straight days of programing during WrestleMania week?
Raw aired the Monday before, then the two-night NXT TakeOver aired Tuesday and Wednesday.
WWE’s 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies aired that Thursday and Smackdown was live Friday.
WrestleMania took place that Saturday and Sunday, Raw aired Monday and NXT Tuesday.
Yes, there are more viewing options in the pro wrestling than ever before, but when will enough be enough?
Dark Side of the Ring
Speaking of the previously mentioned Dark Side of the Ring series on Vice, the third season kicked off on Thursday with the first part of a two-show piece on Brian Pillman.
The piece was a good look back at Pillman and what he had brought to the world of pro wrestling.
The first episode ended with Pillman’s wreck where he shattered his ankle.
Despite being small in size, Pillman was magic on the mic and with him being under contract to WWF when he passed away as the promotion was headed into the Attitude Era, the guess here is that Pillman would have been a world champion and may have feuded over the title with his former tag team champion partner, Steve Austin.
A&E Biographies
As previously mentioned, The A&E Biography on Booker T aired Sunday night, after this column was written, but I assumed it was good.
It was to look at his past, including a stint in jail, before he turned his life around.
The debut episode on Austin didn’t share any new information about him that wasn’t already known. Roddy Piper’s biography was next and a solid piece, but last weeks on Randy Savage left a lot to be desired.
By the midway part of the second hour, the show was about Miss Elizabeth and Lex Luger and many fans are upset about this.
It was fine to discuss Elizabeth while she was married to Savage, but the show should have never taken the direction it did.
Savage is one of the best all-around performers of all-time and for the full two-hour show not to be focused on him and his career is wrong.
Why would a biography show about Savage turn to unfortunate happenings that did not involve him? A&E sure skimmed past transgressions of Austin from his past but included Liz and Luger.
Such a shame.
AEW touts success
Wednesday night’s edition of Dynamite was the highest-ranked program on cable TV for the 18-49 demographic.
The show, subtitled Blood and Guts, drew 1,090,000 viewers, which is up from the 889,000 from last week when AEW had to compete with President Biden’s speech.
This Day in History
In 1994, WWF holds a Royal Rumble event at Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan.
The Undertaker won an 18-man Royal Rumble match, although it is not recognized as an official Rumble match, thus leaving Taker with only one recognized Rumble win (2007).
This was during a break from WWF for Taker, as he had been written off of TV when he lost a Casket Match to WWF champion Yokozuna, thanks to help from 10 other wrestlers.
Taker would not return to WWF until SummerSlam more than three months later.
In 1999 at WCW Slamboree, Kevin Nash pinned Diamond Dallas Page to win the promotion’s heavyweight championship.
This week’s question
Is WrestleMania Backlash one of the dumbest PPV names in history? Rob from Mount Pleasant.
What a question!
Without a doubt, combing two PPV names into one, especially when one is WrestleMania, is ridiculous.
It is one thing when you give a show a bigger name like WWE did with the Greatest Royal Rumble show in Saudi Arabia, but to include Mania, it makes no sense.
WWE has used the Backlash name since 1998, so it isn’t like fans have never heard of the event.
As far as dumb PPV names, December to Dismember still ranks high on the list.
However, in asking friends for their opinions, Grandy’s choice takes the cake: WWE’s Great Balls of Fire.
Email questions/comments to powerhousehughes@gmail.com or tweet them to @BillHughes_III.