8 Things We Learned From GFW's Ed Nordholm On Wrestling Observer Radio

5. The Challenges Of GFW

Ed Nordholm WOR
Twitter, @IMPACTWRESTLING

News of GFW's latest bout of financial trouble brought suggestions that Anthem hadn't done their due diligence prior to purchasing the beleaguered promotion, and had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Nordholm all but confirmed this on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Ed described GFW as "a challenging business, and a little more complicated than we'd realised." They knew it'd be a slow process, but weren't expecting the industry to be so "personality driven," suggesting Anthem have had trouble dealing with some of the company's more colourful characters (like Jarrett, perhaps). Nordholm did say that it had been "an exciting education so far," but didn't sound particularly convincing in doing so.

With regards to GFW's finances, Anthem understood the promotion had been haemorrhaging money for a long time, and that it would take significant effort to turn things around. Profitability remains their primary goal, and they'll be looking to "find more interesting ways to do things" in order to bring old fans back, attract new ones, and increase their revenue. This sounds great in isolation, but is undermined by the absence of a clear strategy and Nordholm's own lack of conviction.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.