WWE buying ROH?

[Grimmas]

http://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/buyout-ring-honor-wwe/

 

"Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell us the companies have been talking since January and things have been slowly progressing, with the plan being a full takeover if the deal is made official."

 

 

[goc]

Lots of people on twitter whining about WWE trying to take over everything in wrestling and create a monopoly. But the fans themselves gave them the motivation to go out and start co-opting and buying out indies because they treated WWE's own fake indie NXT like it was an actual "alternative" to main roster WWE.

 

You can't lose your shit over Sami Zayn & Finn Balor in NXT and build that into a viable 3rd touring group and then get mad when WWE sees the money there and starts trying to expand into that smaller hardcore market with stuff like the UK Tournament and buying out ROH. It's why I've always laughed at people who say they don't watch WWE but have a Network sub just so they can watch NXT. That's like the peak of being a mark in modern day wrestling.

[hammerva]

I wonder if it is more the library or the TV that may come with it. Right now the only thing in Ring of Honor is the Bullet Club and the Hardys. Maybe Dalton Castle. Everyone else is either going to the WWE or EVOLVE. If this actually happened I would assume new Japan is going to have issues and it is bye bye to them.

 

Which given the tailspin that ROH has been in since they became New Japan's bitch maybe that is a good thing

[El-P]

WWE buying another company means less work and alternatives for the workers. Of course it's bad. (not that I care about ROH per say)

[bradhindsight]

Meltzer remarks that this would be more than just the library and to actually run the company (with the TV on the Network). ROH turned down millions from FloSlam so it's interesting where SBG goes here. ROH has long positioned themselves in the press as wanting to be an alternative where guys can make decent money.

 

Also, to be fair, they've been inquiring with everyone since the summary as they are in an acquisition mode. Even TNA.

 

The awful part of this is limiting options outside of WWE for wrestlers to work and make money. They control the contracts and what guys make (thinking the UK deals here) even more here.

[hammerva]

Well I assume it is going to be like all the stuff with ICW in England where the guys (except for a few) that were originally there are still there as long as they sign WWE deals

 

I don't see Ring of Honor turning into the place that puts Bo Dallas or Tino Sabatteli as their champions

[KawadaSmile]

TNA managing to outlast ROH - if they are indeed bought, and not just their library - would be amazing.

[El-P]

At this point, TNA and rats are the only thing that'll remain after a nuclear apocalypse.

[rzombie1988]

I don't know if this would be a super bad deal for ROH. The promotion is very very slowly growing, so much that they aren't really growing. Sinclair isn't throwing them any bones. They are losing half their roster to their supposed "NJPW friends" and the rest to EVOLVE, TNA and WWE.

 

The thing they do best - bringing in Japanese guys and putting on good matches/shows are already being done better by NJPW and NXT. I hate to say it, but ROH is behind the times at this point. What does ROH really do that is better that anyone else in this day and age?

 

I don't think WWE buying them would be the worst thing in the world if they wanted to keep ROH as is. They could send some NXT and developmental talent over there which would freshen things up, ROH talent would get exposure on the network and they'd basically be able to continue as is, though they'd lose the NJPW relationship, which I'm not entirely sure is helping them that much anyway.

[fakeplastictrees]

How much is ROH bringing in per year? I can see ROH losing out to TNA, WWE, and NJPW as all three have enough money to 'buy people out'. But Evolve? Surely Gabe isn't running a million dollar industry with Evolve or am I completely out-of-the-loop? I would assume the different between an Evolve contract and an ROH contract is 100 dollars. Also, let's pretend WWE purchases ROH tomorrow. Library and all. Does that mean that people with exclusive (few date) contracts like The Hardys will all of a sudden be in a position to finish out their contract under the WWE umbrella (for ROH pay) REGARDLESS of the brand association? Is there a first offer clause like in UFC contracts or something shady like the Bjorn-era Bellator contracts where a copy/paste is done in order to 'match' in offer. The most interesting aspect of all of this is the handling of the contracts.

[sek69]

If WWE bought them they certainly wouldn't be keeping it as is. I would have a hard time believing it would go down any different than any other time one company bought another in the history of wrestling. If it's not shut down immediately, it would just be turned into NXT 2.0

[goc]

As Chris Harrington aka mookieghana pointed out on twitter, when WWE bought WCW they didn't just assume all the old WCW contracts, they made everyone sign new ones. They bought PARTS of WCW but not all of it so they wouldn't have to assume all the contracts or any of WCW's old liabilities. I would imagine they would do pretty much the same thing with ROH where they buy the library and some of the intellectual property but not the whole thing and they make anyone they want to keep sign new contracts.

[sek69]

That's why the big names didn't come in for the Invasion angle, they were still getting paid by the fat WCW contracts. In fact, the ghost of WCW still lives in the Turner corporate spider web as the Universal Wrestling Corporation or something similar.

[Mad Dog]

I think if you're Sinclair that this is the best time to sell if you're considering it. Wait another 6-12 months and WWE might be able to buy it for pennies on the dollar considering how they're bleeding talent right now.