WWE Hall Of Fame 2009
Media Man Australia Profiles
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
WWE
Website
WWE Hall of Fame
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wrestling with a crisis - Fairfax - 27th February 2009
The wrestling sector revealed this week that it has taken a body blow from the economic crisis. World Wrestling Entertainment reported a sharp slide in profits and then announced plans to sack 10 per cent of its workforce.
Apparently the number of people wanting to watch large lycra-clad men and women grappling one another fell in the December quarter, and net profit slid 37 per cent to $US13.6 million ($21 million). Pay-per-view and live attendances were down, ratings for the WWE television show SmackDown fell 25 per cent and DVD shipments fell 36 per cent.
The chief executive, Linda McMahon, said: "Over the past year we've seen a difficult economic environment, which deteriorated in the latter half of the year and became especially harsh in the fourth quarter."
With fears that the US stimulus package would not improve the situation enough, WWE said it would proceed with a $US20 million-a-year cost-cutting program.
"WWE may face more challenging trends in the near-term, and circumstances require us to operate in a smarter, more efficient way," McMahon said.
More disappointing was the group's full-year result, which contained $US17.6 million in impairments on two films, See No Evil and The Condemned. It is unclear why the latter, which stars the wrestler Steve "Stone Cold" Austin, was a commercial failure.
The Condemned received rave reviews in the US and narrowly missed out on a nomination for this week's Oscars. Rated R, it tells the story of a prisoner on death row, Jack Conrad, who is "purchased" by a wealthy producer to take part in an "illegal" reality TV game show. Conrad is pitted against nine other death-row inmates from other parts of the world in a fight to the death on a desert island.
A review in The New York Times said: "As one character lectures on the ethics of broadcasting heavily manipulated violence, it is clear the producers, World Wrestling Entertainment, are as ignorant of irony as they are of filmmaking."
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE Studios
The wrestling sector revealed this week that it has taken a body blow from the economic crisis. World Wrestling Entertainment reported a sharp slide in profits and then announced plans to sack 10 per cent of its workforce.
Apparently the number of people wanting to watch large lycra-clad men and women grappling one another fell in the December quarter, and net profit slid 37 per cent to $US13.6 million ($21 million). Pay-per-view and live attendances were down, ratings for the WWE television show SmackDown fell 25 per cent and DVD shipments fell 36 per cent.
The chief executive, Linda McMahon, said: "Over the past year we've seen a difficult economic environment, which deteriorated in the latter half of the year and became especially harsh in the fourth quarter."
With fears that the US stimulus package would not improve the situation enough, WWE said it would proceed with a $US20 million-a-year cost-cutting program.
"WWE may face more challenging trends in the near-term, and circumstances require us to operate in a smarter, more efficient way," McMahon said.
More disappointing was the group's full-year result, which contained $US17.6 million in impairments on two films, See No Evil and The Condemned. It is unclear why the latter, which stars the wrestler Steve "Stone Cold" Austin, was a commercial failure.
The Condemned received rave reviews in the US and narrowly missed out on a nomination for this week's Oscars. Rated R, it tells the story of a prisoner on death row, Jack Conrad, who is "purchased" by a wealthy producer to take part in an "illegal" reality TV game show. Conrad is pitted against nine other death-row inmates from other parts of the world in a fight to the death on a desert island.
A review in The New York Times said: "As one character lectures on the ethics of broadcasting heavily manipulated violence, it is clear the producers, World Wrestling Entertainment, are as ignorant of irony as they are of filmmaking."
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE Studios
WWE Hall of Fame, WrestleMania and 'The Wrestler'
Media Man Australia news story in development
Collaboration with News Limited
More details soon
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Websites
WWE Hall of Fame
WrestleMania
The Wrestler
Media Man Australia news story in development
Collaboration with News Limited
More details soon
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Websites
WWE Hall of Fame
WrestleMania
The Wrestler
Judge dismisses suit against WWE, by Monica Potts - The Advocate - 26th February 2009
STAMFORD -- A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. by former independent contract wrestlers who claimed the organization cheated them out of health care and other benefits.
The wrestlers -- Scott "Raven" Levy, Christopher "Kanyon" Klucsarits and "Above Average" Michael Sanders -- said the level of control exerted over them by the WWE qualified them as full-time employees.
They said they signed contracts that dictated their compensation, physical training regimens, dates and sites of matches, costumes and storylines for their wrestling personae. WWE also reserved the right to use their images and submitted them to drug screenings, the wrestlers said.
The WWE avoided withholding federal taxes from their paychecks by not classifying them as full-time employees, the suit said. The company did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, nor did it pay for performers' benefits such as health care and vacation time, the suit said.
The suit was filed in July in state Superior Court and then was moved to U.S. District Court for Connecticut. The plaintiffs also sought class-action status.
On Monday in New Haven, Senior U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey granted a WWE motion asking for dismissal. The suit was dismissed Tuesday.
The wrestlers' attorney, David Golub, said they would pursue the case and were considering their options. They could ask the judge to reconsider the decision or file.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
STAMFORD -- A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. by former independent contract wrestlers who claimed the organization cheated them out of health care and other benefits.
The wrestlers -- Scott "Raven" Levy, Christopher "Kanyon" Klucsarits and "Above Average" Michael Sanders -- said the level of control exerted over them by the WWE qualified them as full-time employees.
They said they signed contracts that dictated their compensation, physical training regimens, dates and sites of matches, costumes and storylines for their wrestling personae. WWE also reserved the right to use their images and submitted them to drug screenings, the wrestlers said.
The WWE avoided withholding federal taxes from their paychecks by not classifying them as full-time employees, the suit said. The company did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, nor did it pay for performers' benefits such as health care and vacation time, the suit said.
The suit was filed in July in state Superior Court and then was moved to U.S. District Court for Connecticut. The plaintiffs also sought class-action status.
On Monday in New Haven, Senior U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey granted a WWE motion asking for dismissal. The suit was dismissed Tuesday.
The wrestlers' attorney, David Golub, said they would pursue the case and were considering their options. They could ask the judge to reconsider the decision or file.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Friday, February 27, 2009
WWE Monday Night RAW Ratings Soar Over the Top Rope
Last Two Weeks on USA Nets Highest Ratings in Almost Seven Years
NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire -- The last two weeks on WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW have broken ground to ratings highs not seen in almost seven years for the year-round ratings titan. The 2/16 and 2/23 episodes have delivered an average of 6.015 million total viewers, 3.028 million in P18-49, 2.9 million in P25-54, 4.055 million households and a household coverage rating of 4.1.
"Charismatic characters, high production value, intricate storylines, action-adventure, soap opera, rock concert, comedy, athleticism, and drama are all a recipe for success. When combined with the partnership of USA Network, Monday Night RAW is the undisputed champion of cable television" said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production.
The two week delivery of 6 million total viewers for RAW was the first time that has happened in almost seven years -- since April 2002
RAW delivered over 3 million in P18-49 two weeks in a row, the first time that has happened in 6 /12 years -- since August 2002
This past week the 10pm hour USA was the #1 TV network among M18-34 (1.153 million) almost doubling the nearest competitor ABC. The 10pm RAW segment also drew in more M18-34 viewers for the night than Fox's 24 (9pm). USA was also #1 in the 10pm hour, above all TV channels, among M25-54 (2.262 million) and M18-49 (2.219 million) and beat CSI Miami among P18-49 (3.258 million). In the 9pm hour USA topped both ABC's The Bachelor and CBS among M18-34 (880,000) and beat The Bachelor among both M18-49 (1.1814 million) and M25-54 (1.951).
*Note: all weekly daypart and program data is Live+SD.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
Website: http://www.usanetwork.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Last Two Weeks on USA Nets Highest Ratings in Almost Seven Years
NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire -- The last two weeks on WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW have broken ground to ratings highs not seen in almost seven years for the year-round ratings titan. The 2/16 and 2/23 episodes have delivered an average of 6.015 million total viewers, 3.028 million in P18-49, 2.9 million in P25-54, 4.055 million households and a household coverage rating of 4.1.
"Charismatic characters, high production value, intricate storylines, action-adventure, soap opera, rock concert, comedy, athleticism, and drama are all a recipe for success. When combined with the partnership of USA Network, Monday Night RAW is the undisputed champion of cable television" said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production.
The two week delivery of 6 million total viewers for RAW was the first time that has happened in almost seven years -- since April 2002
RAW delivered over 3 million in P18-49 two weeks in a row, the first time that has happened in 6 /12 years -- since August 2002
This past week the 10pm hour USA was the #1 TV network among M18-34 (1.153 million) almost doubling the nearest competitor ABC. The 10pm RAW segment also drew in more M18-34 viewers for the night than Fox's 24 (9pm). USA was also #1 in the 10pm hour, above all TV channels, among M25-54 (2.262 million) and M18-49 (2.219 million) and beat CSI Miami among P18-49 (3.258 million). In the 9pm hour USA topped both ABC's The Bachelor and CBS among M18-34 (880,000) and beat The Bachelor among both M18-49 (1.1814 million) and M25-54 (1.951).
*Note: all weekly daypart and program data is Live+SD.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
Website: http://www.usanetwork.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Ultimate Bet Sponsors WWE WrestleMania, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s “Raw” against WCW’s “Nitro.” WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WrestleMania
Ultimate Bet
Poker News
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s “Raw” against WCW’s “Nitro.” WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WrestleMania
Ultimate Bet
Poker News
Sunday, February 15, 2009
WWE Hall Of Fame Inductees for 2009 Include:
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Von Erich Family
Gary Hart
More names soon
Website
WWE Hall Of Fame
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Von Erich Family
Gary Hart
More names soon
Website
WWE Hall Of Fame
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin™ ToO Be In WWE ® Hall Of Fame
January 13, 2009
STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who revolutionized an industry, holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.
Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.
Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide
Media Man Australia Profiles
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WWE
January 13, 2009
STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who revolutionized an industry, holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.
Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.
Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide
Media Man Australia Profiles
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WWE
Sunday, February 01, 2009
WWE News: JBL describes his biggest fear of ending up broke, like in "The Wrestler", By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor
In the current U.S. economic situation, diversifying where the money is coming from and where investment money is going is very important to maintain a healthy financial position.
Eventually we'll see how WWE's incoming revenue and outgoing investments fared in the fourth quarter 2008 and overall year, as the company is delayed in announcing revenue results for last quarter, but WWE Raw star JBL is taking the "diversification" route very seriously.
He reveals in his latest WWE Universe blog that it's partly out of fear for ending up broke, with real-life imitating art through the Shawn Michaels employment storyline.
JBL has diversified his income sources through the creation of Layfield Energy to distribute energy-related products in case the WWE career and financial analyst positions fall through. Yet, he remains haunted by a fear in the wrestling aspect of his job aspirations.
"My biggest fear is to end up broke," JBL said on WWE Universe. "I once saw an old wrestler who had made a lot of money working as the ground keeper at a Red Roof in Charlotte - that has haunted me to this day."
JBL points to his age as one reason why recently watching "The Wrestler" movie "scares me." Motivated partially by fear, JBL doesn't want end up like some of his peers.
"It's one reason I work so hard to not be him," JBL said. "Because there are a lot of guys who have made a lot of money who have ended up broke, and that is very sad."
Link: JBL blog on WWE Universe.
Caldwell's Analysis: It's tough to thrive in the current economic environment because it's easy to live in a state of fear about job security, not only in WWE, but in real-world jobs where valued workers are actually called employees, not bogus independent contractors. Every day, I hear about a friend who's living in fear of losing his or her job, or recently was laid off. I'm sure many of you Torch readers have experienced someone close being in that situation.
It's certainly not a WWE-only thing, but many wrestlers are considered to be paranoid by nature because they're competing for TV spots and PPV headlining-matches in a very subjective environment of deciding who gets those spots. So, when you see a wrestler protect his body in the ring or wrestle a soft match, don't think it's because the wrestler is trying to cheat the fans, but because he has to protect his investment on a constant basis, especially with WWE releasing talent left and right.
Which brings me to another point on the ultimate oxymoron in the world of an "independent contractor being released." How does someone who's considered "independent" of a company become released? WWE doesn't have any right to "release" someone, when the contractor - in the spirit of the law - should control the work he or she is to perform. It's completely ludicrous. End Rant.
Greg Tingle comment...
All respect to JBL for speaking on these things. My late father, who was mates (and workmates) with a few of the Australian pro wrestlers in the 1980s, thanks to the truck driving profession (where a few of the pro wrestlers got their real pay days) told me.. "balance is the key". I'm not certain the term had been coined back then, but he meant Mind, Body and Spirit. We said along the lines of "work on the body and work on the mind, and work hard".
It's in the best interests of the wrestlers (and their loved ones) that they do prepare for rainy day. As we know, the WWE business model can only allow for a certain amount of workers to be on the books at any one time. It's great the pro wrestling can offer huge exposure via the audience and to network big wigs and the like. Standing out from the pack and being very good or excellent at something else has proven to be a largely successful formula. The best wrestlers are usually very good actors, and they take that mainstream, sometimes with assistance from WWE Studios, sometimes in non WWE productions.
Wrestlers doing MMA, indy productions and "shoot interviews" has mixed results for their career path.
The bottom line is that the pro wrestler needs to do their best, in and out of the ring, to help ensure their livelihood for the day that they hang up their tights and are no longer wanted or needed by the world's top and highest paying pro wrestling promotions. The worker needs to protect their best interests, and that includes taking calculated risks and putting on the best show possible, that both promoter and fans will be happy with, but not killing themselves by getting banged up too badly in the progress.
Next time you think about giving a star rating to a pro wrestling match, think outside the square and take into consideration that the wrestler may be pacing themselves or be in the middle of a hectic travel schedule, or even be in great pain.
JBL's holistic approach - wrestling, financials, private business, commentating and the spot of writing, and intelligent choice of life and business partners, appears to be very sound, and would appear to be a good model for other pro wrestlers to follow. Of course, most pro wrestlers haven't got their pro wrestling to JBL's stage, but it sure the hell is something to aspire to.
I witnessed JBL wrestle in person at a roughhouse wrestling venue in Germany approx 15 years ago, and I had no idea he would make it as big as he has. Nothing stays the same forever... careers go in cycles - up and down. JBL was putting the work in way back then, and I had no idea that he was heading for greatness, but he sure worked hard in the match. JBL must have had a plan and a vision, and he knew where was heading - to the top of one of the the professions in the world.
Disclaimer: I joined JBL's Layfield Energy b2b program as a both a mark of respect and support for wrestlers who can see beyond the flashy lights and body slamming. Our website already has WWE, MBS and JBL content, and attracts over 1 million hits per month, so it was a perfect fit. If it makes some good money for me, that's a bonus, but I did as respect and to support JBL's smarts, guts and leadership. It's great to see that more pro wrestlers and starting to "get it", and much like (some) Australian NRL (National Rugby League) players and clubs, are taking steps to plan for the future, for when their bodies or desire won't be up to being just that "slice of meat" that the promoters hired them to be. The business needs more JBL's, and I would think the McMahon and other top promoters would be supportive. It also helps protect their investment and reputations. Here's to success on all levels.
(Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
John Bradshaw Layfield
Layfield's Energy
Wrestling
The Wrestler
In the current U.S. economic situation, diversifying where the money is coming from and where investment money is going is very important to maintain a healthy financial position.
Eventually we'll see how WWE's incoming revenue and outgoing investments fared in the fourth quarter 2008 and overall year, as the company is delayed in announcing revenue results for last quarter, but WWE Raw star JBL is taking the "diversification" route very seriously.
He reveals in his latest WWE Universe blog that it's partly out of fear for ending up broke, with real-life imitating art through the Shawn Michaels employment storyline.
JBL has diversified his income sources through the creation of Layfield Energy to distribute energy-related products in case the WWE career and financial analyst positions fall through. Yet, he remains haunted by a fear in the wrestling aspect of his job aspirations.
"My biggest fear is to end up broke," JBL said on WWE Universe. "I once saw an old wrestler who had made a lot of money working as the ground keeper at a Red Roof in Charlotte - that has haunted me to this day."
JBL points to his age as one reason why recently watching "The Wrestler" movie "scares me." Motivated partially by fear, JBL doesn't want end up like some of his peers.
"It's one reason I work so hard to not be him," JBL said. "Because there are a lot of guys who have made a lot of money who have ended up broke, and that is very sad."
Link: JBL blog on WWE Universe.
Caldwell's Analysis: It's tough to thrive in the current economic environment because it's easy to live in a state of fear about job security, not only in WWE, but in real-world jobs where valued workers are actually called employees, not bogus independent contractors. Every day, I hear about a friend who's living in fear of losing his or her job, or recently was laid off. I'm sure many of you Torch readers have experienced someone close being in that situation.
It's certainly not a WWE-only thing, but many wrestlers are considered to be paranoid by nature because they're competing for TV spots and PPV headlining-matches in a very subjective environment of deciding who gets those spots. So, when you see a wrestler protect his body in the ring or wrestle a soft match, don't think it's because the wrestler is trying to cheat the fans, but because he has to protect his investment on a constant basis, especially with WWE releasing talent left and right.
Which brings me to another point on the ultimate oxymoron in the world of an "independent contractor being released." How does someone who's considered "independent" of a company become released? WWE doesn't have any right to "release" someone, when the contractor - in the spirit of the law - should control the work he or she is to perform. It's completely ludicrous. End Rant.
Greg Tingle comment...
All respect to JBL for speaking on these things. My late father, who was mates (and workmates) with a few of the Australian pro wrestlers in the 1980s, thanks to the truck driving profession (where a few of the pro wrestlers got their real pay days) told me.. "balance is the key". I'm not certain the term had been coined back then, but he meant Mind, Body and Spirit. We said along the lines of "work on the body and work on the mind, and work hard".
It's in the best interests of the wrestlers (and their loved ones) that they do prepare for rainy day. As we know, the WWE business model can only allow for a certain amount of workers to be on the books at any one time. It's great the pro wrestling can offer huge exposure via the audience and to network big wigs and the like. Standing out from the pack and being very good or excellent at something else has proven to be a largely successful formula. The best wrestlers are usually very good actors, and they take that mainstream, sometimes with assistance from WWE Studios, sometimes in non WWE productions.
Wrestlers doing MMA, indy productions and "shoot interviews" has mixed results for their career path.
The bottom line is that the pro wrestler needs to do their best, in and out of the ring, to help ensure their livelihood for the day that they hang up their tights and are no longer wanted or needed by the world's top and highest paying pro wrestling promotions. The worker needs to protect their best interests, and that includes taking calculated risks and putting on the best show possible, that both promoter and fans will be happy with, but not killing themselves by getting banged up too badly in the progress.
Next time you think about giving a star rating to a pro wrestling match, think outside the square and take into consideration that the wrestler may be pacing themselves or be in the middle of a hectic travel schedule, or even be in great pain.
JBL's holistic approach - wrestling, financials, private business, commentating and the spot of writing, and intelligent choice of life and business partners, appears to be very sound, and would appear to be a good model for other pro wrestlers to follow. Of course, most pro wrestlers haven't got their pro wrestling to JBL's stage, but it sure the hell is something to aspire to.
I witnessed JBL wrestle in person at a roughhouse wrestling venue in Germany approx 15 years ago, and I had no idea he would make it as big as he has. Nothing stays the same forever... careers go in cycles - up and down. JBL was putting the work in way back then, and I had no idea that he was heading for greatness, but he sure worked hard in the match. JBL must have had a plan and a vision, and he knew where was heading - to the top of one of the the professions in the world.
Disclaimer: I joined JBL's Layfield Energy b2b program as a both a mark of respect and support for wrestlers who can see beyond the flashy lights and body slamming. Our website already has WWE, MBS and JBL content, and attracts over 1 million hits per month, so it was a perfect fit. If it makes some good money for me, that's a bonus, but I did as respect and to support JBL's smarts, guts and leadership. It's great to see that more pro wrestlers and starting to "get it", and much like (some) Australian NRL (National Rugby League) players and clubs, are taking steps to plan for the future, for when their bodies or desire won't be up to being just that "slice of meat" that the promoters hired them to be. The business needs more JBL's, and I would think the McMahon and other top promoters would be supportive. It also helps protect their investment and reputations. Here's to success on all levels.
(Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
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