Lucha Underground’s Future – According to Dave Meltzer, the demise of Lucha Underground may be another season off. The company has apparently found a new source of income for the show, but the production budgets per show are said to be significantly cut back. The show cost around fifty million dollars to make, so cutting back isn’t that surprising. For a pro wrestling show, there’s a lot of CGI and thematic promos and sets. It should be noted though that a lot of the talent for the company are not happy with being there anymore. The seasoned contracts prevent wrestlers from competing anywhere in the U.S. that has other t.v. deals, and talents are told that they can’t book certain dates due to possibly being needed for tapings. It should also be noted that no one in the company has been paid in over a year, as they aren’t paid a baseline salary like WWE, IMPACT or the paystubs from your previous company. They’re only paid on the dates they work.
Ricochet has to wait another 90 days before he can work, and his deal isn’t like the WWE’s, where he’s getting paid to sit at home. Ricochet is not getting paid at all, was not fired, and simply had a 90 day penalty tacked onto his contract if he should not re-sign. This is causing a lot of contention with the company, as he’s not alone in this. The Young Bucks notably slaughtered the contract offer from Lucha Underground back in 2015, which should of been a warning for many.
Total Bella’s Down – Everything the WWE is producing or helping to produce t.v.-wise is suffering. E!’s awful show, Total Bella’s, is down again in ratings to 539,000, down over twenty-one thousand from the week before. Again, I point out the fact that the WWE shows across the board are losing ratings, which is not a thing you want to have happen when you’re up for renewal. E!, is owned by the same company that owns the USA Network. So for NBC Universal to see how the WWE is doing across it’s two biggest networks, it can’t be good.
Opinion: The WWE is either inept and stupid, or they’re putting so much ‘interesting’ content on the Network right now in preparation of it being their biggest financial provider after USA Network slashes their earnings on their next contract.
WarGames Returning? – The WWE announced last night that Sanity, The Undisputed era, The Authors and Pain and Roderick Strong will compete in a three team, three man, War Games match. The match will take place the night before Survivor Series, on one of the NXT: Takeovers. This is the first time the match will take place in 19 years, 17 if you count the triple caged WarGames match from Nitro in 2000. I don’t. No word yet if this means the return of the double ring. If it doesn’t, why call it a WarGames match? The event is being called NXT TakeOver: WarGames and will be held on November 18th, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Quick Hits – Jeff Hardy is going under the knife again, after his surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff revealed a torn labrum muscle as well. Jerry Lawler is taking on Buff Bagwell on October 19th in Memphis, Tennessee as part of Bagwell’s retirement tour. James Storm believes IMPACT should adopt the old formula of defined roles for certain wrestlers (Main eventers, upper mid card, mid card, lower mid card, opener, jobber), like they used to in the 80’s and 90’s. Candice Michelle is coming out of retirement to wrestle for House of Hardcore at the 36th event, “Blizzard Brawl: Homecoming”