5 Reasons Why Australian Pro Wrestling Is Practically Unheard Of

4. No Corporate Vision Down Under

The one gripe I have about Smarks and their ongoing rhetoric about the current WWE ratings is that they always neglect to remember that the WWE is a global brand. It is no longer the case that America is the sole support for financial success, as although it might seem unpopular there at the moment, business is booming everywhere else. And you need no need look any further then Australia (India too seems to becoming a hot spot). I honestly don't know about other parts of Australia, but where I live every second kid has a Cena shirt. The CeNation is alive and flourishing down here (much to my dismay) and the WWE capitalize once a year by sending the big boys down here to play for simple house shows.....that sell out arenas (Although our Arenas are much smaller by comparison of course). Let's take some financial facts about WWE's 2002 Global Warning Event shall we in comparison to the same year's Wrestlemania gate receipts. Now lets not forget that these figures DO NOT include merchandise, fan axxess, sponsorship or dvd revenue and keep in mind the WWE have relatively retained the same amount of popularity in this country now as they did back then....

More than 56,700 people were at the event, breaking the previous attendance record. The Global Warning Tour Melbourne grossed approximately $5.7 million Australian dollars in ticket revenue ($7,412,223.67 adjusted), which at the time was approx. US$3 million ($3,901,170.35 adjusted. Now let's compare that to WM 18, held in the same year that featured Hulk Hogan vs the Rock, two of the biggest draws in history. WM 18 had a record-breaking Toronto SkyDome attendance of 68,237, generated a huge $3.9 million in gate receipts ($5,071,521.46 adjusted). Considering the Global Warning was a NON TELEVISED event and still earned more money then most of the ppvs that year would have you think that someone down under in the executive world (Fox8 TV for example) would see a potential market or even territory worth millions just ripe for the pickin'. But no, that would involve something called vision and taking a potential risk, and you just can't do that anymore when it comes to modern day Australian business practices. And it is not like it would be hard to do either. Hey, how about a reality show revolving around Australian wrestlers with the winner getting a tryout with the WWE? Or how about NXT Down Under? How about simply starting a monthly ppv? And those ideas for you reading this, are straight off the top of my head. I typed these suggestions as I thought of them. Now granted, the Aurora network on cable television (The Australian equivalent of productions like Waynes World, for lack of a better description) attempted to start something with both the I.W.A. and the A.W.F. but since no Australian has really heard of this network thanks to little promotion and ZERO funding it pretty much fell flat. The WWA also tried to set something up, even hosting a few ppvs from Sydney and Melbourne. But again, due to lack of local financial support from corporate Australia that too bit the dust. Even though the WWA had actual former WWE, WCW and ECW members on the roster and the live events were successful in pulling a substantial take at the gate. I mean come on, it is not rocket science people. Just think what a single live Australian pro wrestling event televised straight after one of the WWE five (RAW, Smackdown, Main Event, Superstars, NXT) could possibly create as a stream of revenue, not to mention an avenue for the locals to shine?