WWE looks to change landscape of pro wrestling after historic Crown Jewel press conference
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WWE held a press conference this week to promote WWE Crown Jewel taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31.
Inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Triple H announced the colossal matches taking place this Halloween on WWE Network. Fans around the world will see Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the WWE Championship. Braun Strowman vs. Tyson Fury was also announced for WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia.
"WWE will once again reinvent the term 'sports-entertainment' when we put on a show like nothing the world has ever seen before."@TripleH is ready for #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/4ddx10dqMC
— WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2019
For many WWE fans, this set up may be new. But for Boxing and MMA fans around the world, what Triple H did looked very familiar. Since this historic conference took place inside T-Mobile Arena, it could only mean one thing: WWE is taking this shift to FOX seriously and running the promotion much like Dana White does with the UFC.
A Slight Shift from Pro Wrestling.
Many heard Vince McMahon talk about WWE being “too pro wrestling.” So the shift makes sense, especially with Fox asking for a more organic feel once they made the network move.
This is huge.
@BraunStrowman vs. @Tyson_Fury. October 31. It's going down at #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/KcuKGthpyA
— WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2019
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez seems to be the card’s headliner, while Strowman vs. Fury is the co-main event. If this pattern continues, it leaves fans with more questions than answers.
Will we have more Press Conferences?
I think so. There’s no way WWE stops with Crown Jewel, especially with AEW bringing the heat every week.
This may not be their first conference, but this shift could make WWE stand out and differentiate from its current competition. It also gives the promotion that true sports feel. The fact this conference took place in Vegas, the fight capital of the world, could make people wonder the direction the company is headed.
I’m sure the T-Mobile Arena was extremely symbolic of a new era in WWE.
Will Champions defend at every PPV?
From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem likely. WWE has so many champions and talent across all brands. This gives them a chance re-invent their mid and main card talent. They also have a chance to make it more about the wrestling, instead of all the extra segments they do backstage currently.
#WWEChampion @BrockLesnar vs. @cainmma.
It's official, and it's happening on Oct. 31 at #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/FE0SeNOVFZ
— WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2019
If WWE played their cards right, their wrestlers could actually have time away from “work”. They could also promote the card like UFC does with 5 main card matches and matches in the early prelims and preliminary card.
Imagine every card had 11-13 matches like they do in UFC? They can develop more stars and storylines. Not every champion will need to defend, and you could incorporate athletes from other sports like they are doing now.
It could be genius if WWE does it properly and every championship could truly be represented for once.
Is this disrespectful to Boxing and MMA?
No. Not at all, and people need to look at this differently. Both Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez wanted to do this. Cain was already planning his full-time pro wrestling career. If anything, this is better for both when and if they decide to go back to their respective sports.
Moves like this could make them into household names rather than a one-sport stars. We as fans should be okay with this, cause it also benefits the wrestlers we love to watch every week.
For those who want a product that is strictly pro wrestling — luckily this is the best time to be a pro wrestling fan — you have AEW now.
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Joel Torres is a co-owner of The Scrap and its current CEO. Torres is obsessed with MMA and holds a Masters of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology from University of Southern California. Make sure to follow Joel on Twitter (@joelisacoolkid).
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