Who is on your ideal booking team?

[Guest HTQ]

Inspired by something jdw posted in the GC thread, I'd like to throw out the question and ask who is on your ideal booking team? There can be a lot of people or a few, and it can be a committee who votes or a group of people with one leader who has the final say.

 

I'll elaborate later, but people on my ideal booking team would include Cornette, Heyman, Tenay, Lance Storm, Sapolsky and for a wildcard to think way outside the box, Ian Rotten or Vince Russo, though I'm leaning towards Rotten.

[Bix]

Holy shit Tenay? Just go all the way and pick D'Amore.

[Guest HTQ]

You don't like Tenay?

[Loss]

Dave Meltzer.

[Loss]

Actually, I say that and then wonder if I should. I don't think I'd want Meltzer booking for his personal tastes, as it would be a strange combination of innovative spotfests, shootfights and "This-is-awesome"-style match layouts. If he booked what he thought would work, not necessarily what he would like the most, I think he could be really terrific.

[jdw]

I don't know exactly the "whos" as much anymore since I tend to think most of the people in the business have lost their minds.

 

I think more in terms of "slots" rather than who. If I had a large bucket promotion rather than a multibrand clusterfuck like the WWE, I'd want people with some of the following general responsibilities:

 

(a) Head Booker

 

You need one guy at the top who ties into your own vision of where the company is headed. Big picture guy. Willing to delegate lesser details. Open to a variety of wrestling rather than a narrow "this is the right way". Loads of other things such as not looking to get his best friends into the company, etc.

 

( b ) Assistant Booker

 

I think a Head needs a strong Assistant who can pull together the various details, making sure various things up and down the roster aren't conflicting. For example, you don't want to have Rey's good buddy Juve turning on him the same week (or even month) that you're running your Hogan-Orndorff turn. The Head has been working on and planning this Orndorff turn on Hogan for three months, and might not have the details of the Rey-Juve storyline in his head. The Assistant Booker needs to pull it together and tell the Juniors Booker that this is a bad time. Stretch it for next month, and redesign it so that it doesn't look like the exact same thing as Hogan-Orndorff. Etc.

 

After that, it depends on the type of company you're running:

 

© Tag Team Division

 

I really like to see a vibrant tag division. I know that there are cost reasons why owners prefer 2 guys doing the work they would have to pay 4 to do. But when you watch a good old tag match, they are terrific and *easy* ways to fill space on TV and cards. They also allow other wise difficult to use wrestlers to be combined in a way where the parts are better than the whole. It's a division where wrestlers can be put to grow as workers and in getting over with the crowd. It's also a place where wrestlers can drop down into in a way to work a short storyline that explodes them back out of it, such as Lex-Barry.

 

The thing is... you really need someone who is focused on keeping storylines going for your "six teams", of which 3-4 may be long term while the other 2-3 may be passing through, "thrown together" for storyline reasons, etc. You need a guy running it who, when the Head asks, "What are your long term plans for the Hart Foundation?" in mid-1985, he's got an answer. You need someone who also can take it when the Assistant comes to you and says:

 

"The Head doesn't have a slot for Steve Williams right now, and he's got some issues as a worker as well. But he is high on him long term if he proves he can work and get over. Can you do something with him?"

 

Can come back with:

 

"Well, we've got Ted DiBiase, Mike Rotundo and Terry Gordy who can work their ass off in tags and are the sort of ring generals that Doc might learn from. None of them seems to have much of a program going at the moment. If you can get me one of those guys, I think it would be a good match. Ted can do interviews for both. If it's Rotundo or Gordy, we probably need a manager for them. With Rotundo, we might go the College Wrestler route, so maybe a "coach" or something for them to be the mouth piece. With Gordy, some manager who can get them across as southern badasses."

 

That type of stuff on top of running a good division with storylines and matches.

 

 

(d) Juniors Booker

 

Similar to the tag division. I'm a fan of juniors wrestling, though size issues have morphed in the past ten years. Whether you need one depends on the size of the wrestlers in your company. But if you have a juniors division in a promotion otherwise dominated by heavyweights, someone needs to look out for them.

 

(e) Developmental Head Booker

 

(f) Developmental Assistant Booker

 

There really isn't a reason for a company pulling in $400M to do a better job of this.

 

Do these guys have to be "in the room" every week? No. But you want your Bookers up above to be aware of what they're doing, even in the sense of being made aware. You want communication there:

 

"Billy Kidman is pretty close to ready to come up and join the Junior Division..."

 

Etc.

 

I wouldn't want to lay that entire developmental into one person's hands since they may just lose their minds. I also would have a decent sized roster there, so beyond the "trainer" gigs, I do think it's a task of two people working wither them and planning out the shows they'll be doing.

 

(g) Head Road Agent

 

I'd actually want my shows to be in line with my TV product, rather than the nonsense where people go out on the road and don't sell injuries. I'd also want my head person on the road to be able to work with the wrestlers on what's working at the house shows, and what's not. I *don't* want five different Agents telling them what to do. I want a single, clearly identified person to be in charge of the "show" side. Other agents and/or lackies can handle the mundane bullshit and keeping people out of trouble. This guy I'd actually want "in the room" so he knows where the promotion is headed. If on TV we're going to be having a wrestler work subtle heel for an upcoming turn, I want him to know about it and make sure the wrestler is working on it on the road and report back to us whether it's working or not.

 

(h) two "writers" and/or "coaches" on the mic side

 

I hate to say it, but things in wrestling could be written better. Wrestlers can learn better lines. Not everyone is a Foley. Some are Rock's who have immense natural potential on the mic, but need help. This is an aspect where people need help, both in what they're good at, and in understanding what they can't do.

 

More than that, if you take a WWE Storyline With Potential like Jericho-Trish, you quickly realize that bookers need help too. It wasn't too complex of a storyline. There were a lot of different things they could have played off to stretch the storyline out, tie into prior and existing storylines of each, and have an solid payoff in the end. Among the many problems the WWE had with it is that they can't do "falling for each other" if their life depended on it.

 

Look... I tend to visualize an ideal promotion as half All Japan and half New Japan in their primes. But I don't have my head buried so far up my ass that if I worked in the WWE in the "ideal" circumstances that I wouldn't try to figure out a what of using sex, fucking, love and jealousy better than the amatuer hour of the WWE and even ECW under Heyman. Getting writers who could flesh out Jericho-Trish is something I'd need. Getting writers who could flesh out the aPa and why I'm tossing Jacki (the one who managed Harlem Heat and could kick ass) with them is something I'd want if I'm planning on doing anything with the aPa.

 

Two writers/coaches for a crew of 40+ "actors" really isn't much. Working with that number of other members in "creative".

 

Is this a large "crew"? Sure. But you're talking about a $400M company with a slew of "talent" under contract both in the bigs and in developmental. It's 4+ hours of TV a week, a 3 hour PPV a month, constantly adjusting talent and storylines to keep both fresh. I've got a big picture long term plans that I want to headline the Mania Dome with Misawa vs. Kawada and give Kobashi his first win over Hansen in the semifinal, and how I want to get them there over the next six months of television. But to be honest, I can't quite figure out what to do with the Midnights and the Rock 'n' Roll now that their feud has played out. Jimbo - Tag Division is yours, figure some shit out. And since Arn & Tully are being phased out of the singles picture, what don't you do something with them. Yamada - you've had all the matches possible with Sammy, Pegasus and Black Tiger. On the other hand, those guys Ohtani and Kanemoto are chomping at the bits. Can you mix it up? What? You want to work with some of those indy guys too? Alright... write something up on your ideas, run a draft by Hiroshi, then give me a power point on it in two weeks. Now let's figure out if any of that talent in OVW is going to be ready to use after Mania Dome. Heyman... you got the floor...

 

Yadder, Yadder.

 

If you're a pissant promotion like ROH, I can see getting by with Gabe and a lackey or two. But like I say, $400M company with hundreds of hours of product on the to produce, along with hundreds of hours to produce at house shows. I'd want a team that can focus on having that product humming from top to bottom, with eyes on where to go several steps down the road.

 

 

John

[Strummer]

This is just my opinion but I *really* don't think Meltzer could be objective as a booker. Could you imagine him, with all the knowledge he has, trying to book for Kevin Nash or Sid Vicious and not be swayed by his opinion of them as workers and human beings?

[jdw]

Actually, I say that and then wonder if I should. I don't think I'd want Meltzer booking for his personal tastes, as it would be a strange combination of innovative spotfests, shootfights and "This-is-awesome"-style match layouts. If he booked what he thought would work, not necessarily what he would like the most, I think he could be really terrific.

 

I haven't seen Dave fantasy book in a decade and a half. I don't know if he could do it up and down a card for a sustained period.

 

The other problem would be getting elements of the talent and the rest of "creative" to go along with him. There would be people out to kill things simply because it's "Dave's Idea".

 

Dave is far more useful in his current role - someone who, if you get along with him, you can bounce ideas off of, get critism from, etc. Be it directly, or from someone else "in the room".

 

 

John

[Bix]

You don't like Tenay?

 

Correct.

 

And that goes as an announcer and a booker.

[Loss]

I don't think Meltzer would have the issue Strummer mentioned of handling people like Nash and Sid, just because he's actually pretty fair to Hogan most of the time, and this is the same guy who burned an Observer on a pay-per-view.

[Guest HTQ]

 

You don't like Tenay?

 

Correct.

 

And that goes as an announcer and a booker.

 

Why?

 

And this is exactly the kind of discussion we need around here, with lots of great ideas and viewpoints, so let's keep it going.

[Bix]

 

 

You don't like Tenay?

 

Correct.

 

And that goes as an announcer and a booker.

 

Why?

As an announcer, he makes lots of constipated faces while screaming what someone just said in a promo.

 

As a booker, well, TNA sucks.

[Strummer]

I don't think Meltzer would have the issue Strummer mentioned of handling people like Nash and Sid, just because he's actually pretty fair to Hogan most of the time, and this is the same guy who burned an Observer on a pay-per-view.

 

Yes but do you think he would be able to look past his opinions of them as workers.

 

Do you think Dave would have been able to book JYD in 80s WWF after what he said about him week after week in the WON?

[Guest HTQ]

 

 

 

You don't like Tenay?

 

Correct.

 

And that goes as an announcer and a booker.

 

Why?

As an announcer, he makes lots of constipated faces while screaming what someone just said in a promo.

 

As a booker, well, TNA sucks.

 

I think the first one is more down to him trying to be an announcer when his forte is being a color guy.

 

As for TNA booking, when Tenay was on the committee it was Jeff making the final call on things so you had that ego to work around. Not to mention there were other people adding their two cents.

[Loss]

 

I don't think Meltzer would have the issue Strummer mentioned of handling people like Nash and Sid, just because he's actually pretty fair to Hogan most of the time, and this is the same guy who burned an Observer on a pay-per-view.

 

Yes but do you think he would be able to look past his opinions of them as workers.

 

Do you think Dave would have been able to book JYD in 80s WWF after what he said about him week after week in the WON?

 

If JYD was crucial to the success of the WWF and was easy to work with, yes, I do think he would have.

[jdw]

As an announcer, he makes lots of constipated faces while screaming what someone just said in a promo.

Sadly, this seems to be what the people who run the business want out of their announcers. Could Mike revert back to being the decent color man that he was at his best in WCW? Beats me. I wouldn't mind giving is a shot since the level of wrestling announcing sucks.

 

 

As a booker, well, TNA sucks.

Hard to tell how much of that is Tenay's fault. I suspect that RYDER has more influence over people's pushes and storylines over the years than Mike.

 

 

John

[Bix]

As an announcer, he makes lots of constipated faces while screaming what someone just said in a promo.

Sadly, this seems to be what the people who run the business want out of their announcers. Could Mike revert back to being the decent color man that he was at his best in WCW? Beats me. I wouldn't mind giving is a shot since the level of wrestling announcing sucks.

He's far, far worse than Ross was when he bottomed out. Angle or whoever will say "I WANT A REMATCH WITH SAMOA JOE!" and Tenay will immediately yell out "ANGLE WANTS A REMATCH WITH SAMOA JOE!"

[jdw]

I'm not sure that's any worse than Ross when he was bottoming for the promotion. He'd parrot lines as if WWF/WWE fans were too stupid to grasp them. Lawler would as well.

 

Announcing in this country sucks. It's as much due to the desires of the people behind the scenes giving them instructions than the announcers themselves.

 

 

John

[Guest DylanWaco]

 

 

 

 

You don't like Tenay?

 

Correct.

 

And that goes as an announcer and a booker.

 

Why?

As an announcer, he makes lots of constipated faces while screaming what someone just said in a promo.

 

As a booker, well, TNA sucks.

 

I think the first one is more down to him trying to be an announcer when his forte is being a color guy.

 

As for TNA booking, when Tenay was on the committee it was Jeff making the final call on things so you had that ego to work around. Not to mention there were other people adding their two cents.

 

Man, for all the problems Jarrett caused, he was still a better heel than virtually anyone else on the roster and a better wrestler than most everyone else too.

[jdw]

It's sort of the Negatives vs. the Positives.

 

Triple H has some positives as a wrestler in this decade. He's had moments of drawing. He's had moments of working good matches. He had moments of working good storylines, angles and mic spots.

 

I think he's also unquestionably been a massive negative on the Creative and directional side of the company due to his spot as Bangs.

 

It's how one weighs those.

 

To me, the negatives outweigh the positives by a big margin. I tend to think the company would be in better shape if he'd dropped dead the day after King of the Ring 2000 rather than some of the other people who've dropped dead in the business. It's entirely possible that Steph would have fucked up the company just as much from a creative standpoint, or that Vince would have lost his mind to the same degree he has in the years since then. But... there's a chance that they wouldn't have gotten quite so screwed up, and that other talent would have gotten over stronger without him there to make sure no rival to his spot got over.

 

 

John