Gail Kim Backstage at 800th RAW
Honestly, when we read that RAW 800th episode would feature a 16 Diva Royal Rumble, we immediately thought that Gail Kim was about to debute on RAW. Then the Fabulous Moolah came out and our hopes were dashed- although it’s great to see the ‘First Goddess of the Squared circle’ still performing. Now our source is telling us that Gail Kim was backstage at the 800th taping and we’re happy to hear- apparantly- Gail’s ready to commit to WWE’s schedule (taking a break was a good idea for Kim, she’ll be working 300 days a year for the next three years).
On reflection, we realised that having Gail come out without a buildup would be a total letdown on what should be an eagerly anticipated- and rating boosting- event. The first official announcement for Gail’s return should be her Tron after a woman’s match and her appearance the following week, or implying a ‘mystery’ woman wrestler in a match while acknowledging her signing with WWE online. Point is, build it up- Ratings on TNA were boosted 300 000 viewers every time Gail wrestled and these viewers should be made aware of her first appearance on WWE! WWE will send a serious signal to viewers by either building Gail and setting aside ten minutes for her first match, or just throwing her into a quick match like an afterthought. Obviously, we’re encouraging the first option and praying WWE doesn’t screw up and go for the second option.
Okay, we’ll calm down. Time to be Zen and say, ‘We will see.’
This is a good time to bring up another thought about the wrestling market. Economic theory states that when demand increases for a product, the price of the product increases and consumers will go to a substitute product, increasing demand for the substitute, in turn shifting the price of the substitute and effecting the price of the first product, which will shift the demand for the first product, ect. ect. We think we wrote that right….
Point is, when demand increases for one product, the quantity demand increases for substitute products as well.
When talent crosses over from WWE to TNA or vice versa, it’s a big deal, which should in theory increase demand for both products. The RAW draft and cross-talent promotion is supposed to mimick this idea, but fails because everyone knows it’s all the same company and there’s no demand for that kind of kayfabe. Wrestling fans are asked to suspend reality to enjoy the matches and we think it’s a sticking point for wrestling fans when explaining their enthusiasm to non-believers. So, wrestling fans like to point out what’s real, the physicality and the competition between promotions. When a promotion scores talent from other promotions, it’s a big deal for fans.
Now, let’s be real for a moment before we continue and point out that WWE is like the ocean and TNA is like a river. TNA is a substitute to WWE, THE substitute and barring a major catastophic event, always will be.
So, why shouldn’t WWE promote TNA?
TNA could be the ‘paper tiger’ (read ‘The Prince’) that WWE needs to boost their ratings. If TNA could only grow their share of the market! TNA isn’t building market share on their own. TNA’s style of booking- turning any momentum the company builds into a swerve- is going to keep the company perpetually under the rader, until it folds. What TNA needs is a boost from WWE.
Is that crazy? Not at all- WWE is the ocean, TNA is the river. A rating boost from WWE could actually lift TNA to near parity with RAW’s low ratings, creating the illusion of an outside threat coming to bring down the ‘WWE Universe’ That sudden growth won’t do TNA a lick of good in the long run, because TNA lacks the resources to hold a sudden spike in their ratings (not that it wouldn’t benefit them) and what’s killing TNA isn’t the market, but their management. What it means for WWE is the ‘real’ competition between rival companies that created the ratings bonanza of the attitude era.
What I’m saying is, TNA needs WWE to do well to grow. WWE needs decent competition to grow. They need each other. Wrestling’s market share on cable is shrinking and that’s bad for both companies. If WWE folded tomorrow morning, TNA would fold tomorrow afternoon.
Now that the point had been made, here’s the contention: WWE is screwing up by refusing to acknowledge the existance of rival companies. ‘WWE Universe’ is a terrible idea because it reinforces an image that wrestling fans have come to associate with ’stale’ programming, that WWE is all there is to wrestling and there is no competition. That contention may stroke Vince’s ego, but, we’ll point out that it was Turner Broadcasting’s interference that cost WCW the war and not anything WWE was doing to win. It’s time Vince got off his laurels and picked a fight with someone!
That brings us back to Gail Kim (although this should apply to all WWE talent, coming in or going out). WWE should build Gail and acknowledge what she did for the TNA Knockouts and then gloat that they have her. WWE should recognize ROH and TNA and pick a fight with their competition. It wouldn’t cost anything to increase demand for TNA and pop them up above the radar for a week and the law of demand says they will in turn, harvest an increase in demand for WWE programming.
But don’t leave off there, WWE should also promote ROH. Let TNA fight for their niche market against ROH, while WWE protects their core market! Be honest, if Larry Sweeny popped up on RAW for a few weeks to cause trouble, wouldn’t you tune in?
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