Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
If my two cents are worth anything:
I want to give credit to WWE. As someone who has watched wrestling every week since 1983 or so, I had become tired and bored with it over the past year, maybe 2. If I was in front of a TV on a Monday night I would still include Raw in my flipping, but I never, NEVER, watched Smackdown since the split. I mean, last night was the first time I actually saw Bam Neely or whatever his name is, and while I know who Festus is, I have no idea about Jesse. My pay per view buys are down to just Wrestlemania. I don't hate WWE; in fact I am a shareholder. I've just been bored. So the questions for me have been, 1) What will make Raw interesting? 2) What will make me want to watch Smackdown? 3) Can anything get me interested in ECW?
WWE has done a tremendous job over the past month or so answering 2 of these 3 questions, and they deserve TONS of credit for doing it right. I was watching Raw when Vince announced the Million Dollar Giveaway. I never registered, but tuned in the first week to see how it would go. I was there for the second week and I found the spots entertaining, and, in learning during the broadcast that the following week (last night) would be a 3 hour Raw with the draft, I made it a point to tune in again even though I wasn't home. Last night while watching the show, I was enjoying the giveaway segments, and was actually thinking to myself that WWE may have stumbled upon a new format featuring home participation, like calling a fan every week and having them decide the main event, which could feature any two stars on the roster...? Also, as the show unfolded, I found myself inclined to tune in to Smackdown for the first time ever, thinking that with Jeff Hardy and HHH going there, and believe it or not, Ross and Foley calling the action, it may be worth watching.
So what did WWE do? First, they spent a week building publicity that they would give away money. They improved on those segments, let word of mouth spread, and used the bit to increase viewership. Then, having increased viewership, they altered their products (Smackdown) via the draft in a way that made me, a former viewer, more interested and inclined to tune in. So, the WWE Million Dollar Giveaway worked: I was watching Raw again, and will now be watching Smackdown.
Then the swerve! Excellently done, the initial light thing falling made you think something happened that was off script! The stage rumbling and giving way, IMPORTANTLY WITH THE WAY THE CAMERA SHOT IT, made you think an accident may have happened. Then, the ending was SO over the top, you knew it was an angle. It left me intrigued, curious, and I will certainly watch next week! ( I don't know how I feel about them doing it basically on the 1 year anniversary of you know what, but that's up for debate).
So, review the Million Dollar Giveaway in that light! Three weeks, three million dollars, a revamped Raw and Smackdown, and a cliffhanger ending to keep me tuned in! Maybe, just maybe, the McMahons Millions Giveaway was a three week campaign to build viewership going into the summer so maximum people could see the spot that ended last night, not to mention educate us as to why we should watch Smackdown.
Now, I still wish ECW were more interesting, and I would prefer the company be WWE (Raw), ECW, and WCW Smackdown!, but I guess that is too much to ask for. For today, they did an awesome job, and they deserve to be congratulated!
