WWE exec says UFC has no real stars

[MikeRaw]

WWE COO Donna Goldsmith spoke at the Noble Financial Emerging Growth Equity Conference on Tuesday morning, and had the following to say regarding UFC competing with WWE for PPV revenue these days:

"Can you say they take a share of dollars? Maybe on the PPV front, which is a tough business. We have not felt it in our other business areas. The reason being is they don't have real stars. They don't have a storyline. Somebody gets knocked out and they're hurt, that may be the last you ever see from them again.

"With our guys, there's a soap opera; there's a storyline that continues and they come in as a new character. The fact that we own the characters has made a big difference for us and has not hurt us.

"As far as the PPV goes, we need to find new ways to innovative and to get that share of dollar. We are competing for that same share of dollar, but, I must tell you, up until this point, we have not really felt any of that pain from those competitors. I think somewhat, it's a different audience. We're still learning because it's still relatively new on that front."

24wrestling.com
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Yeah, sure, that's why UFC can get over 1 million in PPV buys, and average like 700,000, while WWE considers 300,000 to be a landmark. Not to mention, MMA/UFC does actually have feuds/storylines that can become personal. I actually sometimes find them more entertaining, cause it's real hatred.

 

[phantomgerald]

LOL totally. No stars? It's two different industries entirely. Just because WWE fans doesn't know who Tito Ortiz is doesn't mean they don't have old stars. WWE being the usual bully who thinks they're smart.

 

[Kaedon]

Hows that Frank Trigg shirt selling? Oh.... How many kids are doing the Chuck Liddel taunt on the playground? Oh.... How many UFC DVDs debut and stay at number one? Oh.... How many 64,000 seat arenas has UFC sold out? Oh....


You get none of those if you dont have stars. There are no mainstream stars in MMA or the UFC because its not built for that. Want me to tell you what every MMA guy looks like? Dude in a pair of trunks, usually with short hair, who may or may not have tattoos.

 

[★Chuck Zombie★]

Yeah, I think you guys missed the point completely. They don't have real stars because how often can 1 guy fight. Every 3 months or so? So you have to wait that long for your "storyline" which could completely end in 10 seconds, or being 3-5 rounds of laying on the ground in a hold all the time (which obviously isn't very entertaining). They don't have real stars because people only get behind the winners and they can't decide that, and it's only a matter of time before someone isn't a winner anymore. The skills of the everyone involved determine if the guy is a star or not, and that can easily change in the next fight. UFC can't control who the star is. They can promote one guy over and over, but if he gets his ass kicked over and over it's counter-active.

 

[MikeRaw]

Hows that Frank Trigg shirt selling? Oh.... How many kids are doing the Chuck Liddel taunt on the playground? Oh.... How many UFC DVDs debut and stay at number one? Oh.... How many 64,000 seat arenas has UFC sold out? Oh....


You get none of those if you dont have stars. There are no mainstream stars in MMA or the UFC because its not built for that. Want me to tell you what every MMA guy looks like? Dude in a pair of trunks, usually with short hair, who may or may not have tattoos.

That's just a stereotype on your part. MMA is more mainstream than wrestling, by far.
I'll counter your points...
-How many PPV buys does WWE average? Not nearly as much as UFC
-Sure, kids don't "impersonate" MMA guys in the playgrounds, but that's cause MMA isn't for kids really. Besides, anyone who impersonates a WWE or wrestling star gets made fun of anyway (thus proving than WWE and wrestling is looked at as a carnival, and a joke). No one gets made fun of for liking UFC.
-What mainstream stars are there in wrestling? Ask any non-wrestling fan who anyone other than Vince McMahon is, and they won't be able to tell you.
-And wrestlers look like?,....

Yeah, I think you guys missed the point completely. They don't have real stars because how often can 1 guy fight. Every 3 months or so? So you have to wait that long for your "storyline" which could completely end in 10 seconds, or being 3-5 rounds of laying on the ground in a hold all the time (which obviously isn't very entertaining). They don't have real stars because people only get behind the winners and they can't decide that, and it's only a matter of time before someone isn't a winner anymore. The skills of the everyone involved determine if the guy is a star or not, and that can easily change in the next fight. UFC can't control who the star is. They can promote one guy over and over, but if he gets his ass kicked over and over it's counter-active.

Not true. First, when guys lose alot of fights, that doesn't make them not the star. Look at Wanderlei Silva or Chuck Liddell, who were in huge losing streaks, and still two of the most popular guys. Also, you don't have to wait for the feuds/storylines to unfold. Things like the Ultimate Fighter do a good job of 'manufacturing' feuds between guys, and there's also shows every couple weeks previewing all the feuds, as well as interviews and shit all the time on UFC.com.
The main point this WWE person was trying to make was that UFC has no stars. Simple. And it's not true.
Go up to 10 random people, and more of them will know who George St Pierre, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, or Wanderlei Silva are than John Cena, Batista, Edge, and CM Punk.

 

[Christian]

Can someone explain what he means by "real stars"? I'm pretty sure Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Rampage Jackson, <insert 15 other big UFC stars here> are pretty well known, my dad knows who they are and he never watches UFC.

And MikeRaw why would you make fun of someone for liking UFC ROFL you'd probably get punched in the face.

 

[Hometown Kid]

To be fair I think the UFC's biggest star right now is Brock Lesnar...

 

[Ballin]

Why the hell would she even mention this about UFC [MMA]. If I was WWE I'd try not to start shit with other companies. Now you got all these hardcore MMA fans pissed because Mrs. Donna Goldsmith was talking shit. If I was Vince, I'd be pissed at this woman.

 

[Travis40]

No one gets made fun of for liking UFC.

I've heard the "oh, you like half naked guys rolling around on the ground, trying to pound each other?" a couple of times.

 

[chessarmy]

I agree with Chuck and Kaedon, the UFC doesn't have megastars because the big names only fight once every few months, so fans can't really get behind them. I'm a casual MMA fan, so my opinion might sound n00bish, but I feel that WWE produces more mainstream stars than UFC does. Maybe its just because I'm more of a wrestling fan, but I think its easier to distinguish between different wrestlers and different gimmicks sets everyone apart. In UFC however, the fighters all look generic

 

[LAURINAITIS33]

I don't understand the comparsion of the two. WWE has more stars because they market their stars, I mean they have their own films now, commercial deals and what 6 hours of programming a week to show them off. UFC markets the sport over the stars. I think they have taken a page out of the NFL with this plan, believing the action sells better then any person.

Comparing ppv buys is a joke also because one isn't real and the other is a true sporting event. UFC is a better comparsion to boxing in that aspect and it is a more real threat to boxing then wrestling.

 

[MikeRaw]

And MikeRaw why would you make fun of someone for liking UFC ROFL you'd probably get punched in the face.

Either you don't have a fucking clue what I'm saying, or you typed it wrong. I wouldn't make fun of someone for liking UFC. If you read this thread, my whole posts were sticking up for UFC/MMA (which I like better than wrestling), against dudes like Kaedon, lol.

I agree with Chuck and Kaedon, the UFC doesn't have megastars because the big names only fight once every few months, so fans can't really get behind them. I'm a casual MMA fan, so my opinion might sound n00bish, but I feel that WWE produces more mainstream stars than UFC does. Maybe its just because I'm more of a wrestling fan, but I think its easier to distinguish between different wrestlers and different gimmicks sets everyone apart. In UFC however, the fighters all look generic

WWE doesn't have mainstream stars. Don't get me wrong, I like WWE. Hell, I watch it every week. But like I said earlier, go anywhere and ask someone who Edge, Randy Orton, or Rey Mysterio are, and they won't have a fucking clue. Even before I was an MMA fan, I knew who Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, etc, were.

 

[Wrestling Station]

this is like trying to compare apples with oranges >_>

WWE and UFC are completely a different world from each other. There is no way to compare between those companies for any reason.

WWE fans are mostly kids.
UFC fans are mostly adults.

 

[seancarletonzero]

^^^ As a wrestling fan I've also heard something like that before but only about a 1,004 times!

Since fucking grade school people have just relentlessly bugged me for liking WWF/e and I've always responded with things like "at least I get my monies worth!" or "pro wrestling is more than oily guys in tights prancing around like fairies, it's art form" but since MMA has become an actual sport WWE has been meh with a few good pay per views and TNA has been just as bad and even worse than WWE on pay per view and both make it tough to defend "pro wrestling" and I'm embarrassed by it, it is becoming unwatchable! As far as I'm concerned if Ring of Honor, NOAH PWG & NJPW did not exist and Smackdown was as bad as iMPACT! and Raw I would only watch Mixed Martial Arts!!!!

No stars my ass, Forrest Griffin & Chuck Liddell are bigger than Cena & Triple will ever be, not to mention Brock Lesnar!

p.s. GSP is bigger than the whole of WWE & TNA in Canada!

 

[MikeRaw]

^Yup. Especially the GSP part. GSP IS Canada. He's probably the most popular athlete here in all sports.