Titan Sinking - The decline of the WWF - James Dixon by James Dixon

Titan Sinking - The decline of the WWF - James Dixon by James Dixon

Author:James Dixon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-08-31T23:00:00+00:00


FOLLOWING THE pattern of the previous three shows, the slight optimism within the WWF coming out of In Your House 2 was soon quelled when the buy rate for the event was revealed. It had performed worse than the original, with only 150,000 homes willing to part with their $14.95, generating a revenue of $1.08 million. By contrast WCW's Bash at the Beach event, which Eric Bischoff had frustrated Turner executives with by holding it on an actual beach and not charging a penny for tickets, had performed well at the box office. Bash pulled 25,000 viewers more than In Your House 2, and at a higher price, raking in almost $2.4 million for the company.

Behind the scenes there was increasing concern amongst office employees and the boys in the locker-room that the WWF was in financial trouble. The warning signs were clear for all to see, and eventually Vince was forced to act. To counter the company's falling revenue, he underwent a spot of housecleaning. Business in the first half of the year had been concerning: the In Your House series had not started with the bang McMahon had hoped for, King of the Ring had been a commercial and creative disaster, and WrestleMania had bombed. The projections stated that the WWF was on course to lose more money in 1995 than in any other year in its history, and that was without a series of large legal settlements to pay out as had been the case in 1994.

One of the biggest casualties was John Tunney, Jr. who everyone knew as Jack. Historically the Tunney family had controlled wrestling in Toronto since the 1930s, with Jack's father John, Sr. promoting the Queensbury Athletic Club in the city alongside his brother Frank. The duo were the principle promoters of the newly opened Maple Leaf Gardens, and due to their connections they had the final say on which other groups could run in the town.

When John, Sr. died in 1940, Frank was left in sole charge for the next decade until the seventeen-year-old Jack was brought into the business in 1952. Frank was well respected in the industry, with some historians considering him among the finest promoters in the history of the business. Unfortunately, the Maple Leaf Garden shows were starting to struggle by the time he died in 1983. The Tunneys had started working with George Scott and Jim Crockett and were aligned with the NWA, but crowds had dropped from 15,000 to around 3,000, with no sign of improvement.

For Jack, the timing of Vince McMahon stepping in and making him an offer to take over the territory couldn't have been better. He was eager to work with the audacious promoter, who he recognised as the future of the industry and the perfect man to bring the crowds back to Toronto. Plus their fathers had been friends and frequently vacationed together with their wives, so Tunney had an affinity towards him. He struck an agreement with McMahon at Vince, Sr.'s



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