Email This Article - Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

|

TORCH MORNING POLL 5/4: If WWE added another show on Wednesdays, what should be the theme of the show? During last week's annual shareholders meeting, WWE chairman Vince McMahon said WWE is looking into creating a show on Wednesday nights to have TV programming every night of the week.

With WWE already stretched for talent on Mondays with Raw, Tuesdays with ECW, Thursdays with Superstars, and Fridays with Smackdown, WWE simply doesn't have the resource for another "Monday Night Wars era format" TV show.

Torch readers let us know they don't want to see the same formula WWE show either. The option for a show similar to RESS (Raw, ECW, Superstars, SD) received the least amount of votes from Torch readers.

So, what would Torch readers like to see in that Wednesday night timeslot if WWE were to create a fifth weekly TV show during the week?

Torch readers aren't exactly enthralled with the current product, as first-placing voting went to "Classics on Demand" to present old-school wrestling programming from their extensive video library. The result was pretty clear with 38 percent of the votes coming in for this option.

What we have is a situation where current wrestling fans are clamoring for the past when they became fans. They want to re-live what Larry Zbyszko would call the Glory Days. But, is something like that feasible?

WWE could make a weekly "Classics on Demand" show worthwhile if they utilized a commentator such as Jim Ross to host a weekly show where he gives context to each match or angle or storyline that is going to be presented.

WWE could include retrospective interviews with the relevant wrestlers involved in the angles or matches. Perhaps current WWE stars could comment on each storyline or match to give them some camera time. Older wrestling fans tuning in for the "COD" show could be exposed to the faces and stars of today's wrestling to perhaps entice them to watch RESS.

That's one potential option. Torch readers also liked the idea of creating a standalone WCW brand under the WWE umbrella. It would coincide nicely with the release of the upcoming "Rise and Fall of WCW" DVD - a/k/a WWE's latest revisionist history, according to Eric Bischoff.

WWE had a similar marketing scheme for the ECW brand. They booked a one-time-only ECW PPV party, had a DVD on the Rise and Fall of Paul Heyman's creation, and created an entire brand out of the name they acquired.

WWE hasn't exactly utilized the WCW brand on a mainstream level. Ever. They failed with the WWE-WCW Invasion angle in 2001. They created a "Monday Night Wars" DVD that looked at WWE vs. WCW, and they've run some other DVD/book projects through the WWE machine that loosely involved WCW, but they truly haven't tapped into the WCW name brand on weekly national TV.

Since Torch readers are feeling a bit nostalgic for this Wednesday show idea, 16 percent of the votes went to the WCW idea, which was good for second place. But, how feasible of an idea is it?

Looking at the current WWE roster, there aren't too many wrestlers left who have strong ties or at least spent a considerable amount of time in WCW. Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio certainly jump to mind. Big Show became a star as "The Giant" when he had hair and the one-arm singlet. Chavo Guerrero was a Cruiserweight champion. William Regal enjoyed several TV Title runs. As did Fit Finlay.

That is the extent of your WCW roster if WWE went the route of building around former WCW stars. You would have to look to the TNA roster to build a WCW brand, though, as they have Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Sting, etc.

WWE wouldn't have to start with former WCW wrestlers to build the brand, just like the ECW brand was built around C.M. Punk and Big Show when WWE re-launched Paul Heyman's creation. But, it would be nice since someone like RVD was a centerpiece star of the ECW re-launch.

Combining the Classics & WCW options, 54 percent of Torch readers voted for an old-school-related program. WWE apparently has worn out its welcome with the current programming format allotted to RESS.

The third-place option was buying TNA and shifting Impact to Wednesdays, which I threw out as a joke option because TNA is not for sale as far as I know. 10 percent of Torch readers liked the idea, though.

Fourth-place went to a Reality Show featuring WWE stars with 9 percent of the voting. Perhaps WWE could stick developmental wrestlers on an island to compete for a roster spot. First two eliminated are Future Endeavored.

There are numerous crazy ideas WWE could come up with, all of which I'm sure a network TV channel would pick up if WWE's eccentric wrestlers from the traveling circus with blown-up egos and heelish tendencies could create believable TV drama. No one likes a train wreck better than network TV executives trying to fill timeslots in prime time.

Poll Results as of 6:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday
Top Five picks
(1) Classics - old school WWE programming ... 38%
(2) Create WCW brand show ... 16%
(3) Buy TNA and shift Impact to Wednesday nights ... 10%
(4) Reality Show starring WWE stars ... 9%
(5) Talk Show format - Bring back Tuesday Night Titans ... 7%
-- Complete Poll Results.

Torch readers write back! How do you see the voting? Have additional thoughts on the poll results? Send in your feedback to pwtorch@gmail.com

Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET

For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.