A press release last night announced a new partnership between AAA and FactoryMade Ventures to “focus on expanding [AAA]’s presence in the U.S. through live events and sponsorship, pay-per-view television, scripted and non-scripted series, licensing and merchandise.” There’s also a deal with Starlight Runner Entertainment, a transmedia company based in New York.
Instead of writing a lot about the press release, I’ll direct you to the 2009 (!) post when AAA announced a very similar agreement with Cookie Jar and I totally over analyzed. Just change find/replace Cookie Jar for FactoryMade, laugh at the positive references to AAA & Steve Shipp’s relationship, and maybe just roll your eyes at my immense waste of time. This deal could always work out better than the last one, it almost has to, but there’s nothing we can ‘learn’ from this press release that we didn’t ‘learn’ from the last one. We know AAA has goals. We don’t have much of a timeline.
This is news because most people following AAA didn’t already know they were going to the US. This is old hat because people who’ve been paying attention to Dorian and Konnan have known there are plans to do AAA things in the US, and this press release only confirms that.
There are a couple of important things to extract from the press release. The big one is way down in paragraph 9, when it’s mentioned FactoryMade co-owns cable network El Rey with Comcast. (The channel has an amusing backstory: Comcast is required to launch multicultural channels as a requirement for their deal to buy NBC to allowed, so El Rey is mandatory and there’s probably some pressure for Comcast not just to put it out there, but promote it.) That channel will launch New Year’s Day on 2014 and is a obvious spot for AAA programming to air in the US. It may not be the Sin Limite show if Televisa still airs the rights, but maybe Fusion or maybe an AAA US show? It is supposed to be “an English speaking channel for second or third generation Hispanics”, so it’s probably a English language show.
Transmedia – which I’m explaining because I had to find an explanation myself! – is carrying a story over multiplatforms. If you’ve seen a TV show where they direct you to a website to do more, that’s transmedia. I don’t know how it’s going to work with AAA, but I could imagine something where you could learn more about the luchadors, or maybe there’s some game where Aerostar has to battle thru 12 levels of Consgrados to get back on TV. (Laredo Kid was defeated on level 8.) It could be a social media app, it could be extra video, it can be whatever, just as long as it links back in with the AAA brand.
Also, AAA’s press release still claim “over 1,000 shows” and “1,000,000 fans.” The pedantic response is I counted 356 shows last year so I must’ve missed so many, but the more important spin response is AAA really needs to up that fan count to 2 or 5 million; if you’re going to invent numbers, don’t invent numbers that say you draw less than 1,000 people per show. Aim high.
In a bit of hilarity, one recapitulation of the press release uses CMLL’s Camaleon & Inquisidor to illustrate the article, Atlantic Wire uses a Dr. Wagner photo, and another story dares to use a photo from Lucha Libre USA. (There are definitely ones which get it right too.) The great advantage AAA has is “Lucha Libre” definitely means something in United States to people. The big challenge is the AAA brand – at least to the people tasked with turning press releases into short blog posts – doesn’t mean much, and half of them seem to think the name of the group is just “Lucha Libre.” (Or: lesson learned, make sure you include a photo with your press releases so people don’t just use the first photos they find on Google Images.)
As a fan, I want this to work. Desperately want this to work. This is another promise the day where this all works is coming, but also a reminder of other promises not honored and we have longer to wait. I’m probably not going anywhere – great news for AAA! – but all the waiting increases the sarcastic retorts.
Other News
Tonight’s big Arena Mexico match is opening match luchadors Soberano and Taurus facing off in the Sangre Nueva tournament. It’s the biggest match so for both guys, who both already seem to have strong futures with CMLL but have never been in a spotlight situation. The actual main event is the Guerrero vs Rush, Shocker and Marco, and the CMLL Gaceta questions if the Guerreros will get along facing each other in last Friday’s tournament. That stuff is usually ignored, but it’ll be interesting to see if they acknowledge the relationships between the Guerreros and the two kids in the Sangre Nueva final.
CMLL TV promo for Dos Leyendas, which I believe was edited out of the US version. Galavision US appears to tape the CMLL show (and other shows) straight off of Televisa’s satellite feed and edits them to fit in a commercial breaks. Daylight Savings Time must be even more annoying for whoever has that job the next few weeks. Speaking of Dos Leyendas, CMLL.com has a ticket giveaway contest if you can name which Anniversario Cien Caras lost his mask, and who beat him. This is not a hard one.
Los Porros won the IWL Trios titles from the Psycho Clowns, thanks to some interference from the Inferno Rockers. They’re promoting the return of Crazy Mary Dobson (“La Novia de Pondo”) for mid April.
LuchaMania Monterrey has a report from the opening of the lucha libre exhibit at Museo del Noreste.
Angel Negro defeated Mortuario for his mask in Arena Kalaka.
LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.
Bill has highlights of 01/05/2012 IWRG.
Rob has highlights of the end of August 2002 CMLL.
AAA has part 2 of their interview with El Mesias.
Cronicas y Leyendas looks back at Pierroth as a tecnico and Villano III vs Rambo.
Lineups
Kraneo replaces Tiger on Sunday in the Mexico City Arena Coliseo. Diamante Azul is on the other side, which makes me concerned for Mije’s safety.
CMLL (SUN) 03/17/2013 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) El Divino & Javier Cruz Jr. vs Relampago Azul & Thunder Boy
2) Azteca de Oro, Black Metal, El Hippie vs Acertijo, Demonio Rojo, Sádico
3) El Alteño, Esfinge, Leo vs Infierno, Maléfico, Ráfaga
4) Estrellita & Silueta vs La Vaquerita & Zeuxis
5) Gallo, Hijo del Fantasma, Rey Cometa vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Namajague, Shigeo Okumura
Cometa, Namajague, Okumura and Estrellita’s first big matches after Dos Leyendas.
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Partnerships usually don’t end well. Hope I’m wrong, but in business there’s always one side that at some point wants it all and finds a way to take it.
Galavision USA gets CMLL “off the bird” via satellite and edits/formats the show for six segments and 45:00 running time each week. I have no clue why it has to be six blocks but that’s Galavision’s format.
Oddly the Mexico version has gone over 45 minutes in recent weeks. That’s probably why the promos are cut out. To make time.
Very strange that CMLL went from having too much commercial time, to less commercials than most 1hr tv shows.
What ultimately kills AAA in the US is the cost of flying in about 30 people for big shows.
It’s hard to overcome breakeven of 5000-7000.
As much as I joke about Shipp, his tour was promoted by one of the most experienced Mexican promoters in the US – Marquez Promotions. They partnered with the most watched and listened to radio and television stations in America, like KMEX 34, Piolin and local Univision radio.
So if the tour fell short(it did), you can’t blame the promoter. He did everything he could. Spent tons on publicity. Rented the best venues. And they had tv at the time. Now they’re almost starting from scratch.
@LLL Pretty sure the plan is to bring in some AAA talent but also use American indy for the rest of the card so that should cut back some. I would assume the deal with TNA would allow them to use TNA talent some too.
@BamaBoyJosh: Does “Bama” refer to Barack Obama?
You know, you’re right because on MLW, Konnan has talked about using US talent.
I’m wondering if we’ll ever see a time where AAA tries to merge with an already established American based wrestling company. I’m thinking TNA, but also possibly Ring Of Honor or even CZW. You’ll have to forgive me… those were the three I could think of off the top of my head. I really liked when Konnan had the whole “Latin American Exchange” thing going on TNA. A regular roster in an American company without having to worry about flying in people could maybe work?
@BamaBoyJosh: AAA seems at least slight opposition to TNA – if TNA’s new plan is to be touring around the US for TV tapings every few weeks, than they’re going to want their guys only on their shows so you have to go to them to see them, not some other promotion’s shows. There’s ways it could work – territories! – but the other problem is TNA guys haven’t really been great draws on their own, and they’re going to be more expensive than any indy guys AAA could book on their own.
@LLL: It refers to Alabama. You have a limited scope.
@Stormy: I know you don’t strictly mean those companies, but ROH & TNA are owned by TV companies and probably wouldn’t be open to merging. Sharing a talent pool with DGUSA/EVOLVE might work, but once you get down to that level, the wrestlers are pretty much freelancers anyway and the promotions really don’t have them under anything like a contract; there’s nothing much to buy or merge with. All AAA US would have to do is pay the wrestlers what they want to use them when they had a free weekend.
I think this was mentioned a while back, but AAA US is definitively going to be staffed with guys local to wherever they end up running shows. Back at the tryout years ago (where they found Christina Von Eerie), they said it’d be California/Southwest based with bringing, and I’d expect that still to be the deal. The big unknowns are
1) how much is AAA US going to offer? If Tony Rivera and his buses are to be believed, the going rate for wrestlers in Mexico are a lot lower than in US for equivalent talent, so either AAA US is going to have pay more and risk problems with the Mexican guys when they find out, or start off with lesser known/greener but cheaper US workers to start. (There’s probably a hope they’ll be able to trade being on AAA TV in exchange for paying out less, which is another reason the TV deal is important.)
2) what’s going to be the talent split? Half AAA Mexico, half new guys? Just a couple guys to compliment an AAA US roster? No one from AAA Mexico except the AAA brains? (Things seem to be leaning more towards that last one right now than I would’ve thought.)
We can’t possibly have answers to these questions. THEY might not have answers to these questions, and those answers will probably evolve between now and that magical mystical time when the first new AAA US show actually happens, assuming we all live long enough to see that day. But those answers are going to make a difference in how the product is perceived, and how successful it’s going to be.
@thecubsfan: Just a political sense of humor twisting words. Like saying FactoryMade is a Marxist company.
I believe Tony Rivera. But booking guys through the office for US is expensive. I’d bet someone like la Sombra would get $2,000 if booked by office. Cibernetico or LaParka probably about the same.
A strategy of using US guys with Lucha background, like Romero and Koslov would make sense. Maybe Mascara Purpura when in Texas. Some minis live in US too.
I think TNA is ok to work with but it’s a “southern” minded company and they just don’t have it in them to work with AAA and target the Hispanic market.
What US broadcasters are really open to working with AAA US? Univision is back with Televisa. They can do something on their own for the US with AAA but it would have to be special and would be costly for AAA to meet the production requirements they would ask for.
Telemundo/mun2 is with Vince so that’s out.
MTV3? Estrella? LATV?
My guess is AAA US will try to sell shows to local Mexican promoters in the US. Someone somewhere will bite because they don’t know any better and think they’re going to sell 5000+ tickets. What’s funny is that AAA without tv is still good for about 2,500 paid in bigger cities like LA, San Jose, Chicago, Dallas etc………..as an Hispanic novelty act. Like the Mexican circus that goes around the country every year and does well.
Before Mesias jumped ship, I thought AAA would do a deal with WWC and get on WAPA TV. I’m sure they are in more homes than Estrella and LATV.
lol yes my name means Alabama.
Oh yeah and since this is something about AAA and the U.S. I was thinking about who AAA is going to send to TNA this weekend… Konnan pretty much said (without saying) it wont be anyone on the Rey de Reyes card (tho I’m pretty sure the World Cup taping is the day after that show)… so we can mark off everyone on that card (if Konnan is telling the truth)… so that leaves…
– Aerostar
– Alan Stone
– Argenis
– Argos
– Atomic Boy
– Billy Boy
– El Brazo
– Cuervo
– Cinthia Moreno
– Gran Apache
– Espiritu
– El Elegido
– Escoria
– Dinastia
– Dr. Wagner Jr.
– Octagon Jr.
– Teddy Hart
– Jennifer Blake
– Joe Lider
– Lolita
– La Hechicera
– Mascarita Dorada
– Sexy Star
– Super Fly
– Mini Abismo Negro & the rest of the minis
– Ultimo Gladiador
Thats all the guys (and girls) I could think of that aren’t on the Rey de Reyes card. Out of those we can probably just go right ahead and mark off the minis (except maybe Mascarita Dorada or Dinastia). Dr. Wagner Jr. definitely isn’t going and Teddy Hart doesn’t have the best of a relationship with TNA in the past (yeah I know shocker there). Octagon Jr. doesn’t have anything listed on his calendar for that weekend so I guess there is a possibility for X-Division. Maybe Aerostar & Super Fly for tag team? Sexy Star as the woman/Knockout? El Elegido is probably the only true heavyweight of whats left though Wagner would be the one you would WANT (not happening) in that spot. Yeah, I know I 100% just overthought that entire thing.
@BamaBoyJosh: Super Fly, Argenis, Lolita and Sexy Lady are all announced for an Arena Xalapa card that Sunday; if they’re not flying guys out from Monterrey, I think we can cross off the Xalapa 4 too. Sexy Star is not wrestling any time soon.
The thing is, Konnan later hinted at late visa issues. There was a separate discussion about how AAA doesn’t need to be Mexican wrestlers to be AAA, which may have absolutely nothing to do with TNA, but might also suggest the AAA going to TNA could be Teddy’s people representing AAA Canada as weird as that would sound.
This is also a PPV that’s not airing until November, by which we’ll all have forgotten about it.
Yikes that would be horrendous. I do find it hard for that to happen tho since it would be “Team Mexico” not necessarily “Team Mexico” because it’s going to be for a Tournament called the World Cup of Wrestling (kind of like the World X-Cup they used to do). If they brought in a bunch of Canadian/American white guys for Team Mexico… good lord. I guess I just got to hope they’ll fly in guys after Rey de Reyes (not holding my breath).
oh yeah a month or so ago Masked Republic teased Fenix coming to America soon, so last night I asked Fenix if he was coming to TNA. He said he would love to and wants to come to America in general but really didnt give me anything else.
*asked him via twitter (sorry I dont know how to edit these posts).
The other kink in trying to figure this out is Konnan said the taping is Sunday but the Observer said the tapings begin Sunday and run through Tuesday with MONDAY (day after Rey De Reyes) being the day the international guys are having their stuff filmed. Since Jack & Teddy are both booked there is no reason why they both can’t be in Mexico on Sunday and Florida on Monday. Same goes for AAA wrestlers.
@Rob That would be correct, which is why I thought that maybe Konnan could have just been mistaken (or clueless). TNA sent out the taping schedules to VIP Ticket Holders a couple of weeks ago and the International one was listed as Monday.
Yikes… Konnan just tweeted back to me…
“We were originally sending 4 wrestlers, due to Visa issues its 1”
Team “Mexico” is going to be a disaster. This partnership with AAA doesn’t seem to be accomplishing much for TNA at all.
@Rob: Yet another of many misspeaks.
Whne I saw Hamada coming to MTY(SL announced it late last night), I thought it might have something to do with TNA using her on Monday. Might not be related though.
I’m of the opinion that the fan expectation when hearing “AAA talent” or “Team AAA” is that they’re going to see some Mexican/Hispanic talent, most likely high-flying masked like Aero Star, perhaps minis, or a handsome Hector Garza type. I don’t think it’s a crazy POV.
I would agree 100% agree.
So from what I gather the joke will end up being on us when Vampiro emerges to represent AAA, right?