• Vince McMahon Thought About Buying The USA Network To Protect Monday Night RAW
Back during the mid-90s, the World Wrestling Federation’s flagship weekly show ‘WWF Monday Night RAW’ was almost canceled from their national cable TV channel ‘USA Network’, the same channel the show is still airing on nowadays, after moving to TNN/Spike TV for a few years in between (2000-2005).
When his A-show was in danger back then, WWF promoter Vince McMahon actually considered buying USA Network to protect his wrestling product.
When the TV-ratings went up again after a while, the channel kept the show on the air though.
Below is what the Wrestling Observer reported:
“I remember in, I would say before they ever talked about the WWE Network, there was talk as soon as they got pretty hot and they started making a lot of money where they really could afford something like this, I started hearing the talk of Vince buying a TV station.
This was from people in the company, and it was kind of like, ‘We almost lost RAW.’ I don’t want to say it would’ve put them down for the count, they would have had syndication. But, the power of syndicated television and everything was going to lessen.
I think they would’ve survived, but it would’ve hurt them greatly. I think, in time, perhaps another station would’ve picked them up. But, it wouldn’t have been as strong as USA.
But there was definitely the thing of, ‘You know, we’re at the whim of being hurt really, really badly and it would be really good to have our own TV station so we know at least we will have something where we’re guaranteed, we have our fallback, in case somehow or other we get canceled.’
This was before, RAW now is kind of like an institution on television and it’s not going to get canceled. There would be plenty of people who would want it.
USA, [RAW is] carrying that network whereas before it was just a show on the network and the network itself was a very popular network. Now, it’s carrying the network, so they’re safe. There was that feeling, I remember, where it was like, ‘We gotta learn from this lesson.’ That’s when the first talks of trying to buy a TV station took place.
But, it was never imminent because they never were close to being canceled again, because even when their ratings dropped greatly after 2002, 2003, 2005, in that range, where numbers were falling and everything, it was still one of the leading shows on cable television. They were never in danger of being canceled.”
WATCH: Trish Stratus Shows Her Assets In A Bikini:
• ON THIS DAY IN WWF HISTORY (May 4, 1996) – WWF Superstars
On this day in 1996, the World Wrestling Federation aired an episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWF Superstars’.
This episode was pre-taped in Des Moines, Iowa and featured matches & storyline segments on the road to the ‘WWF In Your House 8: Beware of Dog’ PPV.
Here’s the card:
– Marty Jannetty & Leif Cassidy vs. Henry & Phinneas Godwinn
– Mankind vs. Scott Taylor
– Non-Title Match: The Body Donnas vs. The Bushwhackers
– Owen Hart vs. Duke Droese
