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Opinion & Analysis
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Keller's Take
KELLER: WWE way off base in attempt to capitalize on one aspect of last night's UFC 91 PPV By Wade Keller, MMATorch supevising editor
Nov 16, 2008 - 6:34:33 PM
WWE’s reaction to last night’s UFC PPV shows they do not have their pulse on how MMA fans would react to last night’s show. Rather than keep their mouths shut, today at WWE.com they disparaged the event because the main event occurred about two hours into the three hour event (because the undercard matches all ended with decisive early knockouts or submissions).
WWE.com: “Critics have noted that many of the fights on the UFC pay-per-view ended in the first round, leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content. The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious under-card fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a ’crap shoot’ in regards to filling the full three hours.”
UFC fans do not buy a PPV because they want “three hours of entertainment” (which they got, by the way, but that’s another story). They watch PPVs to see fights. And the newsworthy aspect and excitement of a decisive finish more than makes up for the fight being shorter than average. Last night’s card is getting rave reviews (everyone here at MMATorch.com in their Roundtable Reviews of the PPV today gave the show an 8.5 or better score). And for a reason. It was a damn good show.
And the fact that the final hour of the three hour window consisted mainly of two strong preliminary fights taped earlier in the evening didn’t detract from the show. It was almost a welcome “cooling down” from the adrenaline rush that was the Lesnar-Couture fight.
It’s a criticism that makes WWE seem defensive about UFC as competition or oblivious to what UFC fans value when they order an event. To cling to the notion that they have matches of predictable lengths and are able to script the pacing of shows to usually fill nearly all three hours on PPV is hardly going to rally the pro-WWE fans to their side. Compelling storylines and characters they care passionately about is the key. That’s what made UFC’s Couture vs. Lesnar fight so anticipated and so exciting once it happened. Nobody who watched that card, after Lesnar beat Couture via TKO, had a fleeing thought of: “What a rip-off! Now what am I going to do for the next hour?”
WWE also touted that Lesnar was the first to win both the WWE World Title and UFC Hvt. Titles. “For Lesnar, the road to UFC gold proved surprisingly short,” wrote WWE. “Within roughly six months, the former WWE Superstar climbed to the top of the ultimate fighting heap, capping his ascent with the upset victory over Couture.”
WWE then credited its “WWE Universe” fanbase for helping create a star in Brock Lesnar, this coming after Lesnar claimed in various interviews throughout the weeks leading up to the UFC 91 fight that he wanted nothing to do with is pro wrestling background.
Wade, I totally agree. Plus, the UFC PPV at least actually went a full
three hours after showing the undercard. WWE PPVs typically only hit the 2
hour and 40 minute mark. If you cut the lame promos and downtime out of the
WWE PPV it would probably be about 2 hours of new content. This UFC PPV was
better than any WWE PPV in the past two years.
In the WWE there is no reason to fill a PPV up with half an hour of worth
of promos for the matches since there are very few viewers who are blindly
buying the event without watching RAW or Smackdown beforehand. We all know
that Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels "don't like each other"...don't waste
my PPV time with another 5 minute promo explaining this to me when you
could be showing a new backstage interview with one of the combatants.
Baminks
17 Nov 2008, 12:34
I agree with everything you said except the last paragraph. It doesn't
matter if Brock wants to distance himself from his past as a WWE performer
or not. WWE did indeed help create the star now known as Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar choosing not to acknowledge that past doesn't make it so. The buy
rates this fight will produce are helped dramatically from that fact. WWE
universe fans (who are not regular MMA fans) bought this fight in large
numbers.
Dana White was savvy enough to exploit it.
baminks
17 Nov 2008, 12:37
I agree with everything you said except the last paragraph. It doesn't
matter if Brock wants to distance himself from his past as a WWE performer
or not. WWE did indeed help create the star now known as Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar choosing not to acknowledge that past doesn't make it so. The buy
rates this fight will produce are helped dramatically from that fact. WWE
universe fans (who are not regular MMA fans) bought this fight in large
numbers.
WWE’s reaction to last night’s UFC PPV shows they do not have their pulse on how MMA fans would react to last night’s show. Rather than keep their mouths shut, today at WWE.com they disparaged the event because the main event occurred about two hours into the three hour event (because the undercard matches all ended with decisive early knockouts or submissions).