Extinct Wrestling Concepts (That need to be resurrected)
Chapter Three: The Local Promo
#PWHS #Article #ExtinctWrestlingConcepts #EWC #Wrestling #ProWrestling #Promo
The television era brought about many changes in professional wrestling. Being televised every week caused many promoters to scramble for ideas. No longer could they present the same basic matches and match-ups week-after-week. That strategy risked a drop in television viewers, which would in turn lead to a drop of attendance at the shows held around the territory. In that day and age, promoters depended on the house attendance for the majority of their income.
Promoters also discovered quickly that if they showed main event caliber matches on television, people would stay away from the live matches as well. They could see top tier matches and feuds from the comfort of their homes, at a very reasonable price (free).
So televised wrestling soon adopted a pattern that was held for many years until the WWF expansion of the mid-1980's. Squash matches were presented were a start, or star-to-be was matched up against an opponent who clearly was outclassed. The matches became vehicles to promote an individual wrestler's character, persona and style, rather than to present an athletic competition of equals.
To keep fans from becoming bored with the predictable match-ups, promoters made sure to have angles running where confrontations – either verbal or physical – would occur on a regular basis in front of the cameras. These confrontations would usually be between two wrestlers at the same point on the ladder, and would hint at mayhem to follow.
But never on the television. If fans wanted to see Hero A seek revenge on the evil actions of Villain A, then they would have to go to their local arena and pay money to buy a ticket.
This is where the local promo became omnipotent to the success or failure in terms of fan attendance. A babyface would come on camera and earnestly explain the situation (to any fan who may have missed the incident), and then would declare that he would seek vengeance-not only for his own pride, but of course, for the people who support him.
The heel (often accompanied by a mouthpiece/manager-especially if the heel was not a gifted speaker), would then not only defend his actions (often basking in his accomplishments), but would also promise to "finish what he started".
All the fan had to do was hurry down to their local hall or arena and purchase a ticket so they wouldn't miss the epic battle that would surely occur.|
If done correctly, it almost guaranteed a sellout every single week.
In modern wrestling, the local promo is all but dead. When Vince McMahon decided to make the WWF bigger than any single star, and make the event more important than the individual matches, then the need for local promos died. Most of the current wrestling promotions also do not use local promos. The promos may be pushing an upcoming PPV, or Supershow-but the entire "in your very own town!!" aspect of wrestling is all but unknown today.
Since the major companies that exist today come to a town at best-twice a year – there is no longer seen a need to give fans a reason to attend. "WWE is coming to town!! Yeah? –Who's on the card? Who cares?! It's WWE!!"
But the local promo is a lost art. Art? Yes. Imagine a wrestler who is so convincing, so compelling, or so irritating that you feel the need to go and see them in person. Imagine a Dusty Rhodes weaving a tale of woe and injustice, and then vowing revenge. Imagine High Chief Peter Maivia, having just turned heel on Bob Backlund, spewing forth vile, hate filled words that clearly show resentment and disdain.
And these guys are coming to YOUR town!!! How could you not buy a ticket?
For those who were born after the local promo died, I give you some video links to hopefully let you understand why this lost art was so vital to the life of a successful promotion:
Bruno Sammartino and Larry Zbyszko promo their upcoming match at Madison Square Garden. This was a week or so after Zbyszko had turned on his mentor and become a full fledged heel. 1980:
Promoters also discovered quickly that if they showed main event caliber matches on television, people would stay away from the live matches as well. They could see top tier matches and feuds from the comfort of their homes, at a very reasonable price (free).
So televised wrestling soon adopted a pattern that was held for many years until the WWF expansion of the mid-1980's. Squash matches were presented were a start, or star-to-be was matched up against an opponent who clearly was outclassed. The matches became vehicles to promote an individual wrestler's character, persona and style, rather than to present an athletic competition of equals.
To keep fans from becoming bored with the predictable match-ups, promoters made sure to have angles running where confrontations – either verbal or physical – would occur on a regular basis in front of the cameras. These confrontations would usually be between two wrestlers at the same point on the ladder, and would hint at mayhem to follow.
But never on the television. If fans wanted to see Hero A seek revenge on the evil actions of Villain A, then they would have to go to their local arena and pay money to buy a ticket.
This is where the local promo became omnipotent to the success or failure in terms of fan attendance. A babyface would come on camera and earnestly explain the situation (to any fan who may have missed the incident), and then would declare that he would seek vengeance-not only for his own pride, but of course, for the people who support him.
The heel (often accompanied by a mouthpiece/manager-especially if the heel was not a gifted speaker), would then not only defend his actions (often basking in his accomplishments), but would also promise to "finish what he started".
All the fan had to do was hurry down to their local hall or arena and purchase a ticket so they wouldn't miss the epic battle that would surely occur.|
If done correctly, it almost guaranteed a sellout every single week.
In modern wrestling, the local promo is all but dead. When Vince McMahon decided to make the WWF bigger than any single star, and make the event more important than the individual matches, then the need for local promos died. Most of the current wrestling promotions also do not use local promos. The promos may be pushing an upcoming PPV, or Supershow-but the entire "in your very own town!!" aspect of wrestling is all but unknown today.
Since the major companies that exist today come to a town at best-twice a year – there is no longer seen a need to give fans a reason to attend. "WWE is coming to town!! Yeah? –Who's on the card? Who cares?! It's WWE!!"
But the local promo is a lost art. Art? Yes. Imagine a wrestler who is so convincing, so compelling, or so irritating that you feel the need to go and see them in person. Imagine a Dusty Rhodes weaving a tale of woe and injustice, and then vowing revenge. Imagine High Chief Peter Maivia, having just turned heel on Bob Backlund, spewing forth vile, hate filled words that clearly show resentment and disdain.
And these guys are coming to YOUR town!!! How could you not buy a ticket?
For those who were born after the local promo died, I give you some video links to hopefully let you understand why this lost art was so vital to the life of a successful promotion:
Bruno Sammartino and Larry Zbyszko promo their upcoming match at Madison Square Garden. This was a week or so after Zbyszko had turned on his mentor and become a full fledged heel. 1980:
Dusty Rhodes and Sonny King give dueling promos for the upcoming card at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida-1978:
Terry Funk promotes his upcoming Toronto, Canada appearance by discussing his own genealogy in a unique babyface/heel promo simultaneously-c.1982:
Now if you heard any of those men talking, and you knew that they were coming to YOUR town...would you have been able to resist the temptation to buy a ticket?
I never was able to resist. Most of us couldn't resist. It was like being serenaded by pied pipers.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Extinct Wrestling Concepts: Chapter Three.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: July 15, 2019.
Article: #222.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Extinct Wrestling Concepts: Chapter Three.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: July 15, 2019.
Article: #222.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Extinct Wrestling Concepts: Chapter Two - Read Here.
Other articles by Harry can be Read Here.