FCW shutting down?

[Captain Howdy]

Source: F4WOnline

WWE officials notified television partner Bright House Network Monday that they have opted to cease their affiliation with the Florida based sports network as they are shutting down developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling effective immediately. Florida Championship Wrestling programming, which was taped last Thursday in Tampa, Florida, will cease to air on the network in three weeks.
Everyone involved with Florida Championship Wrestling will relocate to WWE's homebase in Stamford, Connecticut until a further decision regarding the developmental program is made.

WWE employees were given the impression that a developmental promotion will ultimately open in Connecticut with the possibility of a second at an undetermined location.

The promotion was started by former wrestler Steve Keirn in 2007 to be WWE's second developmental promotion when they ended their relationship with the Georgia-based Deep South Wrestling in early 2007. It became their sole developmental promotion in early 2008 when they ceased affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling.

[foleyfunk89]

if you stop and think about the number of starts they created in the early 2000's (in OVW) and compare that number to now, it's insane. I don't know whether it needed to be shut down entirely and relocated but a major overhaul was needed. That should start at the top though, they company need to go back to their old philosophy, everything is the same old shit, every month or two just rehashed, everyone is just too similar, and way overly scripted. Not to mention, if you stand out, the glass ceiling keeps you from truly breaking out.

[Captain Howdy]

From PWInsider -

The biggest story overnight was that WWE would be shutting down their developmental system in Florida, Florida Championship Wrestling. The story actually led to FCW trending worldwide on Twitter last night.
All we can confirm is that the FCW weekly series is coming to a close on Brighthouse Sports Network, based on a conversation we've had with the Network this morning. They did not confirm a final episode airing. Their current schedule lists the show airing through 4/15. In recent weeks, there had been discussions about moving the FCW tapings and TV show to another market, possibly somewhere in the Orlando area, so that could explain why the Brighthouse series would come to a close.

In regard to the story that WWE developmental was being pulled out of Florida, no WWE sources have confirmed that and some scoffed at the idea it was true.

FCW's daily operations began and ended yesterday with no such notice to the wrestlers or staff. They are ongoing today with no such announcement.

A number of people were shocked last night that WWE would attempt to do this so soon before Wrestlemania and to say there were people who have been working for FCW beside themselves with worry is one of the biggest understatements thus far this year, but nothing, NOTHING has been said to any talents.

That's not to say that there isn't fire where there is smoke. The WWE developmental system isn't perfect. No system is. Of late, WWE sources indicate that Vince McMahon was recently upset over the current WWE talent pool "not being over" and "not being ready", which led to a lot of finger pointing. Shortly after, Ty Bailey was let go from the company. Bailey had headed the developmental system, although he was routinely criticized by wrestlers for his gruff nature and lack of communication.

But does one firing and the TV show shutting down equate that this is the end of FCW? Right now, we have no official confirmation of that from anyone within WWE at this point and time. If it is the end, the irony is that the FCW system has never, ever, ever been as stocked with potential top stars as much as they are right now, with Dean Ambrose,Richie Steamboat, Seth Rollins, Kassius Ohno, Cesar Antonio, etc. Shutting it down now would be, in my opinion, pure insanity. They can always improve the system but shutting down their only outlet right now - well, that's insane, even by wrestling standards.

We'll update as we confirm more. Currently, all PWInsider.com can confirm is that the TV series on Brighthouse is ending. Nothing else. Stay tuned.

[foleyfunk89]

For what's it's worth, feel free to piece all the facts together and form your own conclusion.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/fcw-future-triple-h/

Monday night, an unreliable online news source published an erroneous report that WWE was shutting down operations of our developmental facility, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). In order to set the record straight, WWE.com interviewed WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Paul Levesque (also known as WWE Superstar Triple H) to address this issue.

“It is absolutely not true. FCW is not closing,” Triple H said. “I don’t know how the rumor started but I believe it’s a situation where the ‘dirt sheets’ want to believe they have the scoop on everything. If anything, we are in the process of ramping up our entire developmental system. It’s the lifeblood of our company. It’s what feeds our future and in no way are we going to close it down.”

Levesque also addressed plans to relocate training or FCW TV tapings out of its home of Tampa, Fla.

“There are plans in the works, but nothing definitive I can discuss right now,” he said. “Shortly after WrestleMania, there will be a major announcement about our developmental system.”

He continued, “WWE’s developmental system is being revamped, not shut down. If anything, it’s going to get bigger and better than ever. WWE Developmental cultivates the future talent of WWE. By no means is it going to get smaller or shut down.”