Post by VR on Apr 30, 2005 2:25:04 GMT -5
Im doing some research on the evolution of the buisness thru the television and pay-per-view eras of JCP and Turner.
I was doing some Clash homework and rated the Clashes 1-35 by their rating via television viewership. I found it very interesting. Some are tied up and others not. I found it amusing that JCPs first four Clash events placed in the Top 8. Not to mention 1 & 2 overall. Please read my follow-up after the list.
(01) Clash of the Champions #03 (09.07.88)
(02) Clash of the Champions #01 (03.25.88)
(03) Clash of the Champions #12 (09.05.90)
(04) Clash of the Champions #09 (11.15.89)
(05) Clash of the Champions #02 (06.08.88)
(06) Clash of the Champions #08 (09.12.89)
(07) Clash of the Champions #05 (02.15.89)
(08) Clash of the Champions #04 (12.07.88)
(08) Clash of the Champions #10 (02.06.90)
(08) Clash of the Champions #28 (08.28.94)
(08) Clash of the Champions #32 (02.23.96)
(12) Clash of the Champions #06 (04.02.89)
(12) Clash of the Champions #17 (11.19.91)
(14) Clash of the Champions #13 (11.20.90)
(15) Clash of the Champions #11 (06.13.90)
(16) Clash of the Champions #14 (01.30.91)
(16) Clash of the Champions #15 (06.14.91)
(18) Clash of the Champions #07 (06.14.89)
(18) Clash of the Champions #24 (08.18.93)
(20) Clash of the Champions #16 (09.05.91)
(20) Clash of the Champions #18 (01.21.92)
(20) Clash of the Champions #20 (09.02.92)
(23) Clash of the Champions #29 (11.16.94)
(23) Clash of the Champions #35 (08.21.97)
(25) Clash of the Champions #26 (01.27.94)
(25) Clash of the Champions #30 (01.25.95)
(25) Clash of the Champions #33 (08.15.96)
(25) Clash of the Champions #34 (01.21.97)
(29) Clash of the Champions #25 (11.10.93)
(30) Clash of the Champions #21 (11.18.92)
(31) Clash of the Champions #27 (06.24.94)
(31) Clash of the Champions #31 (08.04.95)
(33) Clash of the Champions #22 (01.13.93)
(34) Clash of the Champions #19 (06.16.92)
(35) Clash of the Champions #23 (06.16.93)
It's clearly obvious to me that JCP-Turner was doing some things right when it came to their viewing audience early on with these events. JCP still had a loyal fan base. (Wait till you see the PPV numbers compared to Turners, especialy the later years, It will surprise you) JCP has it's first four Clash events in the top 8 out of a top 10, and 35 total.
The first year of the Turner group (89) managed to put all fivein the top 20, as well as 3 of the 5 in the top ten. In 1990 Turners group has all four in the top 20 with the highest being number 3. In 1991 they have all four in the top 20 as well. There is a large drop off in 1992 and 1993. One event in 1993 did crack the top 20 and the card is less then stellar. Flair and Hogan in 94 craked the top ten. As well as a already running NWO angle, event in 96. During the Hogan era of WCW they managed 3 out of 8 Clashes to place in the top 20.
What I found amazing is that of the top ten Clashes Sting is in the main event of 5 of them. He was also originally advertised for the main event of two that he didn't compete in, Clash 5 and 10. The highest rated Clash ever, by a mile is the 3rd with Sting v Windham for the US title, at a time when JCP was losing talent worse then Vinnie circa 94-97.
What this leads me to believe is that #1 Sting was a gaining major momentum in the industry at this time. Between the time he became established (Starrcade 87, JCP and Turners highest buyrate ppv ever
) along with the first Clash against Flair, Sting was arriving, had arrived. Prior to his injury in 90 he was headlining or co-heading these events. This group had their star of the future. After his injury and defeating Flair at GAB 90 he went on to headline the 3rd highest rated Clash of all time, in a forgetable angle, Black Scorpion. It didn't matter because he wa drawing attention in a down time for the buisness.
#2 The drop off in buisness when Flair vacated in 92 and 93 is very evident here and in pay-per-view buys(coming next) Kip Freys reign smoked Watts reign at the box office, with Sting regaining the title from Luger. Which elevated buys and viewership, only to see it decline when the title was taken off of him by the Watts regime. BAD MOVE for buisness.
#3 WCW had a chance without Hogan and Co but never could keep the ball rolling in the right direction. They also had a loyal fan base from the JCP buyout 88 thru the firat half of 91, then again in the first half of 92. After this they sank, signed Hogan and Co. This didn't turn things around immediatly like re-visionists seem to think. Live TV, advertisement, and an open bank book did, for 80+ weeks only though.
Im no expert, but i've been watching some stuff from this time frame and WCW had peaks and valleys. It is obvious the company had a chance but could never shoot to kill. It also shows me that how bad Stings career was mis-managed, This guy, even in a dwon period could have emerged and morphed into something much bigger than he was allowed to be. The numbers don't lie, and the ppav numbers im retrieving are amazing. Let's put it this way, 87-91 takes the cake.
VR
I was doing some Clash homework and rated the Clashes 1-35 by their rating via television viewership. I found it very interesting. Some are tied up and others not. I found it amusing that JCPs first four Clash events placed in the Top 8. Not to mention 1 & 2 overall. Please read my follow-up after the list.
(01) Clash of the Champions #03 (09.07.88)
(02) Clash of the Champions #01 (03.25.88)
(03) Clash of the Champions #12 (09.05.90)
(04) Clash of the Champions #09 (11.15.89)
(05) Clash of the Champions #02 (06.08.88)
(06) Clash of the Champions #08 (09.12.89)
(07) Clash of the Champions #05 (02.15.89)
(08) Clash of the Champions #04 (12.07.88)
(08) Clash of the Champions #10 (02.06.90)
(08) Clash of the Champions #28 (08.28.94)
(08) Clash of the Champions #32 (02.23.96)
(12) Clash of the Champions #06 (04.02.89)
(12) Clash of the Champions #17 (11.19.91)
(14) Clash of the Champions #13 (11.20.90)
(15) Clash of the Champions #11 (06.13.90)
(16) Clash of the Champions #14 (01.30.91)
(16) Clash of the Champions #15 (06.14.91)
(18) Clash of the Champions #07 (06.14.89)
(18) Clash of the Champions #24 (08.18.93)
(20) Clash of the Champions #16 (09.05.91)
(20) Clash of the Champions #18 (01.21.92)
(20) Clash of the Champions #20 (09.02.92)
(23) Clash of the Champions #29 (11.16.94)
(23) Clash of the Champions #35 (08.21.97)
(25) Clash of the Champions #26 (01.27.94)
(25) Clash of the Champions #30 (01.25.95)
(25) Clash of the Champions #33 (08.15.96)
(25) Clash of the Champions #34 (01.21.97)
(29) Clash of the Champions #25 (11.10.93)
(30) Clash of the Champions #21 (11.18.92)
(31) Clash of the Champions #27 (06.24.94)
(31) Clash of the Champions #31 (08.04.95)
(33) Clash of the Champions #22 (01.13.93)
(34) Clash of the Champions #19 (06.16.92)
(35) Clash of the Champions #23 (06.16.93)
It's clearly obvious to me that JCP-Turner was doing some things right when it came to their viewing audience early on with these events. JCP still had a loyal fan base. (Wait till you see the PPV numbers compared to Turners, especialy the later years, It will surprise you) JCP has it's first four Clash events in the top 8 out of a top 10, and 35 total.
The first year of the Turner group (89) managed to put all fivein the top 20, as well as 3 of the 5 in the top ten. In 1990 Turners group has all four in the top 20 with the highest being number 3. In 1991 they have all four in the top 20 as well. There is a large drop off in 1992 and 1993. One event in 1993 did crack the top 20 and the card is less then stellar. Flair and Hogan in 94 craked the top ten. As well as a already running NWO angle, event in 96. During the Hogan era of WCW they managed 3 out of 8 Clashes to place in the top 20.
What I found amazing is that of the top ten Clashes Sting is in the main event of 5 of them. He was also originally advertised for the main event of two that he didn't compete in, Clash 5 and 10. The highest rated Clash ever, by a mile is the 3rd with Sting v Windham for the US title, at a time when JCP was losing talent worse then Vinnie circa 94-97.
What this leads me to believe is that #1 Sting was a gaining major momentum in the industry at this time. Between the time he became established (Starrcade 87, JCP and Turners highest buyrate ppv ever
) along with the first Clash against Flair, Sting was arriving, had arrived. Prior to his injury in 90 he was headlining or co-heading these events. This group had their star of the future. After his injury and defeating Flair at GAB 90 he went on to headline the 3rd highest rated Clash of all time, in a forgetable angle, Black Scorpion. It didn't matter because he wa drawing attention in a down time for the buisness.#2 The drop off in buisness when Flair vacated in 92 and 93 is very evident here and in pay-per-view buys(coming next) Kip Freys reign smoked Watts reign at the box office, with Sting regaining the title from Luger. Which elevated buys and viewership, only to see it decline when the title was taken off of him by the Watts regime. BAD MOVE for buisness.
#3 WCW had a chance without Hogan and Co but never could keep the ball rolling in the right direction. They also had a loyal fan base from the JCP buyout 88 thru the firat half of 91, then again in the first half of 92. After this they sank, signed Hogan and Co. This didn't turn things around immediatly like re-visionists seem to think. Live TV, advertisement, and an open bank book did, for 80+ weeks only though.
Im no expert, but i've been watching some stuff from this time frame and WCW had peaks and valleys. It is obvious the company had a chance but could never shoot to kill. It also shows me that how bad Stings career was mis-managed, This guy, even in a dwon period could have emerged and morphed into something much bigger than he was allowed to be. The numbers don't lie, and the ppav numbers im retrieving are amazing. Let's put it this way, 87-91 takes the cake.
VR