It has been said that in war there are no winner or losers, only survivors. That saying holds especially true in the world of Professional Wrestling. Every time wrestling promotions go to war, it never ends well. In some of the bigger wars, we as fans were only left with one option. That option was usually that of a promotional super power, making it harder for new visions to make their way onto the radar for fans to see. It seems every few years we get another one of these wrestling wars, and the end result is rarely pretty.
2014 will be remembered for a number of things both good and bad, but one of the more positive aspects is the proliferation of smaller American wrestling companies getting a larger piece of the viewership pie. While not quite the territory days of old, wrestling fans now had options with what vision they wanted to see on television. While there was plenty of choices available for nights on which to air programming, both NXT and Lucha Underground chose to broadcast their shows on Wednesday nights. A smaller scale version of the former Monday Night War between World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation had begun. While it was fun to play up that aspect, recently a new force entered the war, and changed the landscape entirely.
Destination America announced that not only were they moving their flagship wrestling program Total Nonstop Action Wrestling to Wednesday nights, but they were adding another one hour wrestling program as a lead in. Despite being owned by Sinclair Broadcasting, Ring of Honor was announced as the new program, causing the internet wrestling community to explode with gossip and discussion. The Wednesday Night War had just added two new players, and become much more interesting. But who benefits or suffers from these additions? Who will have an edge above the others, and have the best chance of surviving this new war?
NXT
Some might look at NXT as a non-factor due to the fact that they are on the WWE Network, meaning that fans can watch their programing anytime they want. While this does give them an advantage in that sense, WWE Network is also a monthly subscription service, and if there are fans who subscribe to the network only for NXT, they may get their fill with free programming on Cable instead. Still, being a product of WWE, NXT has far more resources than any other show in the Wednesday Night War and that is an advantage that cannot be overstated.
Lucha Underground
When Lucha Undergound was first launched last year, there was a curiosity factor. Over time, Lucha Underground has established itself as a promotion with a clear vision, and because it was on Cable and not on demand, became must see TV for their live broadcasts. Things just became a lot more dangerous for Lucha Underground with the emergence of Destination America’s lineup. They will be working against a strong lead in from Ring of Honor, then go head to head against TNA. This becomes especially problematic when one considers that of all the shows broadcasting on Wednesdays, only Lucha Underground will take time off during the Summer, leaving the other shows the chance to pick up and hook new viewers.Lucha Underground has been praised for its innovative style and exciting in ring action. Lucha Underground will need to excel at both in order to survive this war.
Total Nonstop Action: Impact Wrestling
Destination America may have two armies in this war, but one of them has seen better days. TNA might be the most interesting promotion in this war because it has both a distinct advantage and disadvantage moving to Wednesday nights. TNA was having trouble getting big numbers in their Friday night spot. We know that Wednesday is a night on which people are watching wrestling. This alone could be the reason TNA gets a boost. Let’s not forget the fact that the only direct competition in terms of time is Lucha Underground, who may have experience to back them up, but are not as well known a product as TNA.
The lead in advantage with Ring of Honor cannot be stated enough. If fans are already hooked in by Ring of Honor, it would be a lot simpler to simply not change the channel rather than go on demand or search for El Rey Network. The other huge advantage they possess over both NXT and Lucha Underground is the fact that TNA offer two hours of programming each week. Having that time will encourage fans to keep watching TNA so as not to miss a moment of the action. Having an extra hour after 9:00 pm will also give them something to offer fans who choose to remain loyal to either Lucha Underground or NXT.
Of course, one must take into consideration the rumours regarding their contract issues with Destination America. Many believe the promotion is on thin ice and their pairing with ROH is only to get fans interested in ROH and leave TNA in the dust when their contract expires in September. While that is possible, if TNA can use this opportunity to produce the viewership and revenue Destination America wants to see, it could be their saving grace.
Ring of Honor
We are six months into the calendar year and Ring of Honor may have provided fans with the biggest shock of the year when it was announced that their weekly show would be added as a lead in to TNA Wednesday nights on Destination America. That buzz is something that they can try to exploit in order to get new eyes on their product. The fact that they will be paired up with TNA in a 3 hour block will also help them attract fans looking for the most bang for their bucks. The biggest hurdle they will need to overcome is the fact that starting an hour ahead of the other three programs may prove to be too much work for some fans who already have a particular viewing schedule. Of course, starting an hour early unopposed gives them a unique advantage no one else has either.
The Wednesday Night War: Analysis
It has been demonstrated that all four shows have unique advantages and disadvantages, but which program has the biggest advantage in the Wednesday Night War? In this case, the simplest answer is the best one. NXT has a leg up on the other competitors due to the fact that they have WWE and their network behind them. Even though it is a subscription service, it is incredibly competitive price wise and the on demand aspect gives those keeping up with the show the ability to watch when it is convenient to them. No one else holds such a unique advantage.
When it comes to a disadvantage, the promotion with the biggest chance of failure is Lucha Underground. They are heading into a new world, one in which they are being opposed for the first time. Although they were going against NXT in the past, it was never truly head to head. Combine this with the fact that they will be off the air while their competition continues to produce fresh programming, and Lucha Underground is in a truly unenviable position. While other companies will be able to rely on routine and loyalty to keep them tuning in, Lucha Underground will need to produce at the highest level. So far they have been doing that, but it is a difficult task for any organization.
So what about TNA? Upon first glance they certainly seem like the underdogs of this fight. However, history shows that men with their backs against the wall can come out swinging the hardest. That was the case for the WWF during the Monday Night War, and this could be the same situation for TNA. They have a special opportunity to come out way better than when they came in. Despite what most believe, TNA may get a huge bump from the ROH lead in and they will certainly benefit from having an additional hour to tell their story and get people hooked. That being said, their apparent issues with Destination America might have sealed their fate before they even entered the war. They are the true wild card in this war.
In the end, there is no crystal ball we can look into in order to see who thrives, who survives, and who gets left behind. In a best case scenario, this new wrestling war creates a better product from all four shows, leading to fans both old and new discovering or reacquainting themselves with pro wrestling on TV. Until then, as fans, all we can do is support the products we enjoy and hope that this wrestling war ends with the fans as the ultimate victors, and as few casualties as possible.
