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                    I Draw Wrestlers – Is COVID-19 Killing Wrestling

                    Is COVID-19 Killing Wrestling

                    I Draw Wrestlers – Is COVID-19 Killing Wrestling

                    “I Draw Wrestlers – Is COVID-19 Killing Wrestling” is contributed by Chris Guest. Each week Chris will discuss a topic, and do a drawing that represents that subject matter. This is all posted to his You Tube channel (embedded video below), but we’ve reproduced it here in written form. He would love to hear your reviews on the artwork he produces. If you draw, send him a link through the comments on his You Tube Channel .  The best way to support him is by subscribing to his You Tube channel and connecting with him on Instagram at @IdrawWrestlers. 

                    COVID-19

                    First off before we start we are by no means diminishing the tragic loss of life that has been brought about by the deadly COVID-19 Virus. World wide, the impact has been huge, the loss of life great, and the sacrifice made by key frontline workers immeasurable.

                    Casualties of this crisis though have not just been human, the impact on business has been huge and the entertainment industry has been hit hard. No cinemas, no theatre shows, no live events, no sports events – the list goes on and on. It’s not just the spectators. But the many workers behind the scenes including the crews, coaches and staff making all these events possible who have had their livelihoods decimated. At best, they have found themselves furloughed and at worst without any income whatsoever!

                    Wrestling

                    Wrestling has not gone unscathed; the impact of Covid 19 has been devastating to the point where it could be argued wrestling will never recover, or if it does it will emerge different, changed, never being the same again. WWE, AEW, NJPW, NWA have all had different strategies, but who will fare the best? Which company will prosper?

                    WWE in typical WWE fashion dealt with the Covid virus with blunt ignorance at first. It’s hardly surprising that with a chairman who sees sneezing as a weakness and who will keep a PPV going after horrific tragedies thought his wrestling company was invulnerable.

                    WrestleMania

                    They refused to cancel WrestleMania, spinning their response into the WWE offering entertainment in our darkest hour. Hardly the same as liberating France on D – Day.  Stephanie McMahon introduced it on the Network with a tone that suggested all of humanity were grateful.

                    What we got was like most of the COVID-19’s WWE television, soulless, empty arena matches; that rather than being shorter and concentrated were prolonged into a two day marathon! Some of the matches would have been outstanding if in a packed arena (Charlotte Vs Ria Ripley, Edge vs Orton). Each and every match missed the one ingredient that a live crowd brings – emotion. So desperate were the WWE that they borrowed from the Matt Hardy playbook and created the bone yard match which was considered the best match of the PPV. God help us all if wrestlers performing in a B movie horror flick mixed with Sons of Anarchy is great entertainment. AJ did his best, but it was far from phenomenal!

                    WWE Releases and Furloughs

                    Any idea that the WWE was our COVID savior further dashed in it’s response to how it has treated it’s staff. The WWE, realizing there would be a financial impact, furloughed many staff – but released over 30 employees. Many will struggle to find new employment as other promotions and industries are closed. They and their families are left in a financially perilous situation.

                    People may say that’s just business. But NJPW management handled the whole situation differently agreeing to take a temporary pay cut. Zero of their employees have been released.

                    You’d have thought that a billionaire run company, the very same company which was able to be classed as an essential industry (Thanks to their Hall of Famer friend in the White house), so it could continue making money would be a better employer to the very staff who help make it profitable in the first place.

                    Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn

                    Current WWE talents have also been treated horrendously too. Roman Reigns has been erased from history, with the WWE banning his name or the mere mention of the “Big Dog” on WWE programming. Has he been involved in some heinous act? Has he badmouthed the company? What terrible thing has he done you may ask?

                    He decided to stay at home as he has two young children and doesn’t want to increase their chances of catching the deadly virus. Put to one side that this man is a Cancer survivor and was willing to still work if it was not for his young children. It’s hardly Hannibal Lecter territory is it? What a terrible person Reigns must be for wanting to protect his family? I think not.

                    It’s not just “Hannibal Reigns” that has been treated badly either, Sami Zayn has been stripped of the title as he does not want to compete during this time.

                    Lack of Creativity

                    All this smacks of a sheer lack of creativity on WWE’s part. The WWE has footage in the can that would stretch to infinity and beyond. It has utilized none of this. WWE could have had top tens, sit down interviews, promos and vignettes. I know it’s probably only me, but I would have loved a revamped Prime Time Wrestling show with a panel sat discussing wrestling and interspersed with footage.

                    All this should have been seen as an opportunity for the WWE to really freshen up its format. But it has stubbornly continued to put on empty arena, three hour Raws and Smackdowns. Is it any wonder viewing figures and ratings have continued to plummet? By being hard nosed and pressing on regardless it is souring the taste of wrestling for any new viewer and by it’s awful treatment of it’s roster it has also angered faithful wrestling fans. When we return to normal, what of WWE will be left that isn’t tarnished in some way?

                    All Elite Wrestling (AEW)

                    Only now WWE is going to populate their arenas with its’ roster and you have AEW to thank for that.

                    AEW initially followed WWE and had empty arenas, but quickly shifted gear. They realized that it was boring, and for a new product, boredom is the death nail.  Instead, they have populated their arenas with their talent, taped shows to minimize the risk to their wrestlers. Best of all they’ve changed how they film their show – zooming in, changing the camera angles so that you don’t see the crowd and crucially micing those in attendance up so that they can be heard. It’s not quite a full house or a Road Warrior pop, but it creates an atmosphere that allows you to suspend your disbelief.

                    Others

                    It’s not just AEW offering something different either, NWA have introduced Carny land which is a bizarre road story show, but crucially it’s different, entertaining and while they can’t wrestle keeps the promotion alive in the minds of it’s viewers. NWA, ROH, Impact have also shared full PPVs in the downtime so that new content is on offer. It is the indy wrestlers who are affected the most. They don’t have guaranteed contracts, they don’t have mass media at their disposal, and yet in the face of such staggering odds, the wrestlers are trying to offer something different.

                    My Final Take – Is COVID-19 Killing Wrestling

                    For me the WWE has handled it all wrong; it has come across as an uncaring company, not concerned about the wellness of its employees. They have been seen to be too keen to make money in a situation were people are dying and have died. Their stubborn instinct to carry on regardless, for me is symptomatic of who runs the company – Vince McMahon.

                    COVID-19 may not be fatal to the WWE, but it has highlighted all their frailties, grubby vices and greedy obsessions. Perhaps this shows that the WWE and its practices are the most dangerous disease in wrestling at this time. Not COVID-19.

                    Agree? Disagree? I’d love to get your thoughts. As ever support I Draw Wrestlers, subscribe to our You Tube and follow us on Instagram for new weekly content and as ever – see you next week!

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