Pro Wrestling Discussion Thread **Spoilers Possible**

[PackerFanatic]

Ouch...

PS - I am really liking TNA right now

[DeToxRox]

Not to be a spoiler but at the next TNA PPV

3 of the 5 matches announced are rematches and the other one features a rematch + 1.

[molson]

Here's the Mercury injury.

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUAdHSmIQ3k

It really could have been worse.

Edit- Sorry about the annoying quality and sound, the original clip I posted was removed.

[Calis]

So I've just recently got into watching wrestling again after a several year long hiatus. My return to watching the WWE lasted about 2 weeks before I couldn't handle it anymore, then I watced some TNA which had some great moments, but still wasn't quite there.

Then someone introduced me to ROH, and now I'm a happy happy man.

First match I got to see was Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation, a 6 man tag match. Now these guys are all from another fed, Dragons Gate in Japan, but this was the first time in years and years I've ever been on the edge of my seat watching a match. It was fantastic, and I had no clue who anyone was and so no personal interest. Fantastic stuff.

Trying to grab all the ROH stuff I can now, just great technical wrestling and angles that aren't completely absurd.

Getting ready to watch Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk II which is supposed to be phenomenal as well.

[SirFozzie]

If you want some fun comedy match stuff, Calis, look for the "Florida Brothers" (they have since broke up, but it's some of the most bizarre stuff I've seen (and funny)

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Calis

So I've just recently got into watching wrestling again after a several year long hiatus. My return to watching the WWE lasted about 2 weeks before I couldn't handle it anymore, then I watced some TNA which had some great moments, but still wasn't quite there.

Then someone introduced me to ROH, and now I'm a happy happy man.

First match I got to see was Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation, a 6 man tag match. Now these guys are all from another fed, Dragons Gate in Japan, but this was the first time in years and years I've ever been on the edge of my seat watching a match. It was fantastic, and I had no clue who anyone was and so no personal interest. Fantastic stuff.

Trying to grab all the ROH stuff I can now, just great technical wrestling and angles that aren't completely absurd.

Getting ready to watch Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk II which is supposed to be phenomenal as well.

I'd say watch the whole Joe/Punk trilogy and watch Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuiness from their UK Show. Totally off the hook. While you're at it look for anything Jack Evans if you want to see the most incredible athlete alive and as a personal preference anything from PWG with El Generico is gold.

Also for comedy - No one tops Colt Cabana.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And in just a little while, we're off to enjoy (I hope) NWA-Anarchy's "Season's Beatings" show about an hour up the road in Helen, GA.

The main is AJ Styles vs Anarchy's Jeremy Vain with the rest of the card nearly top to bottom with the conclusion of long-running feuds within the promotion.

My first true indy show in a long while, could be pretty good. The feuds themselves have been interesting to watch develop (via online recaps), with two despicable heel stables squaring off against each other while two ostensibly face tag teams try to resolve their differences, and a student vs mentor feud as well.

Also on the card are Jimmy Rave and Sal Rinauro, both of whom have history in Anarchy's predecessor (Wildside) as well as broader exposure from their work in ROH.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Heh.

Eric Young, talking to Jeremy Borash, seeking advice for "a friend" on how to handle pressure from a woman (storyline has Eric being pursued by Tracy Brooks)

Borash: "Is this 'friend' of yours a virgin ?"
Eric: "No. He's from Kansas."

I don't really like the storyline but that's not an easy line to deliver without adding unintentional comedy, but Eric pulled it off pretty smoothly.

[duckman]

HHH injured his quad:

hxxp://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/49400/WWE-News:-Triple-H-Injury-Update.htm

It isn’t good.

Triple H injured himself this evening at the New Year's Revolution PPV while executing a spine buster. According to WWE.com, the preliminary assessment is that he tore his right quad. He will be flown to Birmingham Alabama to see Dr. James Andrews.

In a cruel irony, today is the 5-year anniversary of Triple H retuning to wrestling after tearing his left quad in May of 2001.

[Deattribution]

Originally Posted by duckman

HHH injured his quad:

hxxp://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/49400/WWE-News:-Triple-H-Injury-Update.htm

It's sad when this makes me more interested in wrestling. I hope he's alright, and it's nothing too serious, as I don't wish injury/harm on anyone but as a tv personality I cannot stand the guy and how much tv time he gets. Overexposed beyond Bennifer proportions.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Deattribution

It's sad when this makes me more interested in wrestling. I hope he's alright, and it's nothing too serious, as I don't wish injury/harm on anyone but as a tv personality I cannot stand the guy and how much tv time he gets. Overexposed beyond Bennifer proportions.

So true. I feel the same way. It will be great to not see him for a while, but then just think how he will explode back on to the scene when he comes back like he always does...*grumbles*

[Flasch186]

I wonder if this wont prompt more of a move behind the scenes for him, since he controls everything behind the scenes anyways.

[Ryche]

Quite frankly, the timing of the injury is perfect for him. There were not any good options for HHH as far as a matchup at Wrestlemania, DX was playing out and he has just been too prominent for the last several years. Plus he has a new child at home now. This should be a great time for him to take some time off from wrestling and look at the product from an out of ring perspective. HBK has been needing the time off as well to give his body some rest.

This would be a great time to move CM Punk to Raw rather than wasting him in ECW.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Final lineup for tonight's TNA PPV "Final Resolution"

30 minute Ironman Match
Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe

For the NWA World Heavyweight Title
Abyss vs Sting vs Christian Cage

For the NWA World Tag Team Titles
LAX (Hernandez & Homicide) vs Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon)

For the X-Division Title
Christopher Daniels vs Chris Sabin vs Jerry Lynn

Last Man Standing
Rhino vs AJ Styles

Also:
Petey Williams vs Cowboy James Storm

The Finals of the PCS Championship Series
Austin Starr vs Alex Shelley

[JonInMiddleGA]

In the pre-show match, Lance Hoyt defeated Chase Stevens

Afterwards, Dale Torborg sucker punched Hoyt, who then gained the advantage by yanking Torborg over the rail but then fell victim to a chairshot from AJ Pierzynski.

Also, now announced for the Ironman Match, the winner becomes the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title & will get a shot at the belt next month

[JonInMiddleGA]

And, just seconds before the opening bell, I'm expecting Rhino to go over Styles (with AJ beating him down afterwards), Dudleys to take the tag belts, Lynn to take the X title with a good chance of Lynn turning in the process.

edit to add: I'm torn on predicting the Ironman match. Everything in the world points to Angle winning tonight, but there's always been the notion that Joe should take the title off of Sting (as a bit of passing of the guard). I still think Angle wins, but that in turn makes calling a winner for the HW Title match tougher for me. I don't see Angle vs Abyss being a good program, which kicks my initial expectation of Abyss (with help from Sting & turning on Mitchell in the process) in the head a bit. Angle vs Cage could rehabilitate Kurt as a face, while Angle vs Sting has possibilities.

Still several options in all this, (including the chance that Russo doesn't see the potential ugliness in an Abyss/Angle feud), but if I'm pushed to make a guess (yeah, like anybody cares), I'll go with this:

Angle wins tonight, faces Sting in February.
That leaves Abyss to take out Cage & Tomko in February, completing his face turn in the process.

[JonInMiddleGA]

*** Spoilers ***

Highlight below to see text.


-- Rhino wins the Last Man Standing match, when AJ simply takes a ten count & bails out. Rhino says he's not satisfied, chases him to the back, returns with a Rhino Driver on the ramp, sets up a table ... and eats a drop toehold from Styles right through the table.

-- Chris Sabin is the new X-Division champion. Lynn hit the cradle piledriver on Daniels but Sabin snuck up behind with a quick rollup on Lynn, to get the pin & the belt

-- Shelley wins the PCS title in overtime over Starr. 10 minutes prodcued no winner so we go to the judges: Samolian Joe rules in favor of Starr, Fat Naked Oily Guy rules in favor of Shelley, and in some of the strangest mic work since Farrah on Letterman, Head Judge Bob Backlund rules the match ... a draw ! Shelly wins in OT, Starr snaps & tells off Nash & the rest of the PCS challengers, tell Senshi to leave with him as he's the only guy in the ring he respects. Low-Ki doesn't move, Starr does a "warrior tongue" imitation of Ki, then slaps him, they grapple a bit, Starr goes after the judges, piefaces Backlund but suffers the same fate as so many others before him, suffering a cross-faced chickenwing for his temerity

-- Storm beats Williams but the bigger story was in the aftermath when Storm handcuffed him to the ropes and was going for a beer bottle shot but Gail Kim ends up with the bottle. Before she can bash Storm's skull, she's attacked from behind a returning Jacqueline who destroys Kim with AMW's old finisher, The Death Sentence. (Surprisingly, no sign of Chris Harris at any point in the match)

-- VKM (BG & Kip) declare victory over Vince. While running down the list of "accomplishments" during the angle, he also made reference to hating to see anybody go down to injury "and that's for real bro". The rest of the segment was split between "TNA" chants & "Raw Sucks" chants. And then, a teary eyed Christy Hemme shows up begging them to wait, dissing them for not mentioning Joanie Laurer as part of the foundation of DX (?!?). "What about Lita?" She goes into a teary spiel about the hardships of women in the business, etc. etc. She talks about wanting to get into the ring, etc.
Crowd chants "we want wrestling". BG starts talking about how everybody doesn't feel that way, Kip snatches the mic & tells her to go back to the strip club she got fired from. She slaps the taste out of his mouth & exits while BG restrains Kip.

My guess here is that the arrival of Jackie + this speech = a minor women's division for TNA, just in time for the rumored arrival of Lita

-- LAX retains the World Tag Team Titles by DQ. With Team 3D firmly in control & seemingly headed for history, a drunken Brother Runt appears decked out in his Santa suit & attacks Homicide. The ref had little choice except to call for the bell. Brother Ray manhandles Runt out of the ring for the lack of any better idea what to do.

-- Angle wins 3-2, tapping out to Joe's ankle lock 1 second after the clock expired. Joe went up 1-0 with a coquina clutch, Angle answers with back to back taps to the ankle lock, Joe ties it up with a musclebuster. Angle takes the lead again with a third anklelock with just under five minutes left.

-- Christian Cage is the new NWA World Heavyweight champion, with help from James Mitchell & Abyss. Abyss is eliminated by Sting fairly early in the match. Mitchell returns to release Tomko from the cage at ringside. Abyss comes back down to put Tomko back in the cage. Ref bump takes out Rudy Charles. Mitchell attacks Sting but he no sells it, Mitchell runs right into Abyss. Sting locks in the Scorpion on Cage, Abyss turns to Mitchell ... and clocks Sting in the back of the head with a mass of chain. Frogsplash, revive the ref, Cage gets the pin. Mitchell cackles as he & Abyss head up the aisle, watching Cage & Tomko celebrate as we fade to black.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And now we head to the NWA World Title match.

One thing I do like, regardless of the outcome here: they put the title match as the main event instead of going with Joe vs Angle.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Props to James Mitchell for taking that ass-whooping to open Impact (even if it was edited heavily).

Sadly, from reading the spoilers, that may be one of my favorite parts of the whole show tonight.

-- I hate the Christy Hemme angle
-- The current Eric Young angle is worse than useless (at least it is when you're the dad of an 8 y/o wrestling fan)
-- I dislike AJ playing the heel to Angle's face (I mean, c'mon, Angle breaks the ankle of an innocent bystander whereas Styles initially got pissed by somebody poking their nose in his business -- which is more heelish?)
-- I'd really like the Dudleys to get the belts, even if just for a week, in order to complete their title trifecta

And next week there's apparently a whopping two whole matches, count'em, TWO, in the whole freakin' hour.

Screw Angle ... Joe ought to kill Russo.

edit to add: Oddly enough, the whole Abyss/Sting thing is probably the most interesting thing to me right now. It's still pretty predictable, but there haven't been any major screwups along the road to the inevitable conclusion. And it's interesting to see how the crowd was siding with Abyss over Sting tonight (at least that's what the spoilers said the chants indicated).

Also interesting to hear the reaction to the various names that Angle threw out while trying to guess Christian's "consultant". Goldberg drew boos, while the mention of Lesnar led to the start of an "RVD" chant.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Vince McMahon's new favorite color must be pink ... as in pink slips.

A dozen people have been released from their WWE contracts in the past 2 days.

Gone are veterans David "Gangrel" Heath, Al Snow, Tony Mamaluke, C.W. Anderson, and Tatanka as well as The Gymini twins (aka Mike & Todd Shane), Doug Basham, Danny Basham, Sylvester Terkay, Rodney Mack, and Jazz.

Also this week, they announced the signing of Natalie Neidhart (daughter of Jim "The Anvil") to a developmental deal. She's headed for DSW for further seasoning before an anticipated call-up to one of the three TV brands later this year.

[TazFTW]

So..... anyone else watched Wrestling Society X on MTV?

They had two matches; Matt Sydal vs Jack Evans and a 10 man rumble with guys like Vampiro, Justin Credible, Teddy Hart, 6-Pac, Chris Hamrick, and New Jack! All spotfest, all the time.

[Maple Leafs]

I think it says a lot that every time I see there's a new post in this thread, my first thouhg is "oh shit, who died?"

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by TazFTW

So..... anyone else watched Wrestling Society X on MTV? They had two matches; Matt Sydal vs Jack Evans and a 10 man rumble with guys like Vampiro, Justin Credible, Teddy Hart, 6-Pac, Chris Hamrick, and New Jack! All spotfest, all the time.

Funny you mentioned this. I was showing my son the new ROH roster video last night (well, very early this morning truth be told) and we ended up surfing around YouTube a little because I remembered this thread & comments about how I needed to see ElGenerico in PWG. Watched that & then saw a link about WSX, which then led me to Google a bit & discover that they're finally ready to debut. Of course, I discovered it about 3 hours after they pilot that you saw had already aired

Some interesting stuff from their wikipedia entry, including that some of the most recognizable guys from last night's pilot episode won't be in the series (New Jack, Hamrick, Credible) and that Delerious was offered a contract but turned it down because he didn't want to sign for a year.

Aside from that, it's an interesting collection of indy names to go with the few veterans (Vicious Vic Grimes is also there). It's not quite a who's who's, but it's a pretty good collection of spot monkeys nonetheless. Looks like PWG, ROH, and IWA-MidSouth all have significant contributions as well as promotions from Mexico & Puerto Rico. Heck, even the old NWA-Wildside has TAFKA Altar Boy Luke (now Luke Hawx) representin'.

Seems to me that MTV is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle & get a relatively cheap hit out of the show, but that seems like a long shot to me. Heck, my 8 y/o pointed out the biggest handicap the show has: the 1030pm timeslot, which goes head to head with ECW and as bad as the ECW product may be, it still splits the core audience for WSX. Apparently they're hoping for a reaction not from wrestling fans but from a slice of the "X Games" crowd that could be pulled into this because of the nature of it. Might work, but I wouldn't bet on it.

And, just on an odd note, while surfing through the MTV website for the show, we watched some of the bio videos. Not much in them, just little 30 second promos for the wrestlers mostly. But check out the Teddy Hart video, specifically the background music for it. That's Adrenaline Rush, which is the TNA recap theme music. As far as I've been able to tell, that's composed by their regular music guy, Dale Oliver, so how the heck it ended up used on MTV is a curiosity to me.

[molson]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Seems to me that MTV is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle & get a relatively cheap hit out of the show, but that seems like a long shot to me. Heck, my 8 y/o pointed out the biggest handicap the show has: the 1030pm timeslot, which goes head to head with ECW and as bad as the ECW product may be, it still splits the core audience for WSX.

It looks like MTV will repeat this constantly throughout the week, so you'll have a chance to catch it.

[DeToxRox]

Not sure how many care but it was announced on the ROH Video Wire that Samoa Joe is done in ROH after their Liverpool shows in March. It's so Joe can fulfill his TNA obligations even though he is unhappy there, or so one would assume after his comments at recent ROH Show where he said he hurt his foot "tripping over some bad booking".

[JonInMiddleGA]

Here's that Samoa Joe video you mentioned (about 4 mins into this clip) Between it & that great one liner about the bad booking, I really hate to see how things are turning out. I mean, I understand it, a guy has to make a living, it's just a damned shame to me that we're watching WWE retreads (complete with Russo fingerprints) on Spike instead of the ROH product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWId_gX0_Q#

And, while I'm bitchin' a little anyway ... am I the only person that's a little bugged by the way TNA is handling the Konnan situation publically? I mean, here are several of the dirtsheet writers banding together to spearhead the effort to raise money to pay for his kidney transplant, while TNA is kayfabing his absence.

I mean, I know it's business, and there's an angle to be played here but dammit, with about a million viewers per week I'd have to think that the $30k for the procedure would be raised with one mention of the PayPal info since the online donations have reached several thousand dollars already.

Like I said, I know it's business, but something about this just doesn't feel right.

[Toddzilla]

Wait...Konnan needs charity to pay for a kidney transplant? WTF?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

Wait...Konnan needs charity to pay for a kidney transplant? WTF?

Yep. And that's for the $30k operation-in-Mexico transplant, not the significantly higher procedure-in-the-US version. Wrestlers can't get health insurance, making medical bills not otherwise covered by their employer(s) a nightmare for a lot of them. Hell, for the vast majority of them.

TNA reportedly loaned him the money to pay for his recent hip replacement, so maybe they feel like they've done their share, but the situation still doesn't feel right to me.

[Terps]

Nice rant on TNA by one of my faves, Lance Storm. I agree with everything he said:

RussoRiffic

February 2, 2007

I know I do this a lot but I am about to go on another TNA rant. I didn’t want to but I got so worked up and angry after watching this week’s show I had to get this off my chest. I can however promise that this will be my last TNA rant for a while because I am now officially boycotting TNA until Vince Russo is removed from the creative process. How a company with such an amazingly talented locker room can produce such an unwatchable show is beyond me. Actually it isn’t beyond me I watched Vince Russo do it in WCW. There is an old expression: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Someone needs to explain the history of WCW to Dixie Carter.

I have come to the conclusion that TNA is to Wrestling, what Scary Movie is to Horror Films. It has become a comedic spoof of a wrestling show. No sane rational person would act the way people do in TNA. Chris Sabin in an effort to make fun of Jerry Lynn’s age shows up in a bathrobe, using a walker, and wearing depends. Is he six? Who would do this? It felt like a bugs bunny cartoon. Why would Jerry be mad that Sabin is making himself look like an idiot?

Ron Killings stuff looked like a bad SNL skit. He said he was going Hollywood and going to be a big star so we now get to see him doing bad movie trailer spoofs. What is meant to be accomplished by this?

Counting Cornette and valets there were 39 people on this Freakin show. How are we supposed to remember any of it? What purpose did Bob Backlund serve? Why is Sonjay Dutt now posing? Has Big Kev convinced him that he is on the gas?

The LAX thing was beyond unbelievable.
Mike Tenay is handed video footage of a horrific violent crime against innocent people he decides to:
A: Report said violent crime to police and hand over the video evidence.
B: Air the footage and act disgusted and mad.

After having close family members viscously attacked and assaulted, Team 3D:
A: Reports said violent crime to police sending the people who assaulted their family to prison.
B: Become so enraged that they track LAX down immediately seeking revenge.
C: Sends D-von to the weekly TV show to vow revenge next week.

Are we to believe that Sting now has magical powers, since he disappeared out of the back of the ambulance leaving only his “trade marked” baseball bat behind? That tiny cage behind James Mitchell during his promo, does the prison yard match take place inside that tiny thing? What was the point, was that incase we didn’t understand the concept of jail?

There were three matches on the show. All of them had outside interference and brawling after the match. We got a total of maybe 10 minutes of match time on the entire show, and they didn’t even bother to announce the result of the main event. Do finishes not matter? Doesn’t anyone care who won? I used to. To plug a PPV caliber main event then deliver a 3 minutes match with no finish is asinine. If that is a PPV caliber match I will never order a PPV. It is also insane considering the PPV caliber Main Event match that Edge and HBK delivered on RAW just over a week ago.

The show is called Total Non-Stop Action yet we get almost no action and when we do get some it is over shadowed by endless run ins, outside interference, and non-finishes. I am officially at wits end and will not watch another TNA show until they replace Vince Russo. Hopefully this will happen before TNA goes out of business, because if they do Vince McMahon will just end up with another video library and we will have to see all this nonsense again on 24/7.

Lance Storm

[JonInMiddleGA]

Somebody elsewhere counted last week's content: 12 minutes of actual wrestling, 3 matches, all of which ended with a run-in.

On the Ron Killings thing, at least we could assume that it's all part of the rumored "BET" angle. Unfortunately, it's being written so poorly at the moment that I think the real purpose is to devalue him before releasing him to go to McMahonland.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, there really haven't been too many people in the past 20 years that have been more valuable to a promotion overall than what The Undertaker has been for the WWF/E. Probably underappreciated in the present but maybe more even more highly regarded after he retires.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And to complete the triple dola ... I have to admit that I liked the booking the WWE did for the upcoming No Way Out in advance of Wrestlemania.

To summarize:
-- Undertaker cashes in his Royal Rumble win to get a title shot vs Batista
-- Batista & 'Taker are already set for a shot at the tag titles currently held by HBK & Cena
-- HBK follows up UT's selection by challenging Cena for his singles title at WM ... but Randy Orton wants that shot instead ... and so does Orton's regular tag partner Edge.
-- McMahon schedules a three way dance with Michaels, Orton & Edge tonight, with the winner getting the shot vs Cena
-- Predictably, Orton & Edge finally go after each other, eventually leading to HBK getting the win & the title shot vs his own tag team partner
-- And then Undertaker & Batista come out & face off from the ramp, both with each other and staring down at the tag champs HBK/Cena ... who are busy staring at each other ...
-- And meanwhile I think it's likely that the next time we see Edge & Orton they aren't going to be very happy with each other either, since it was an errant spear that led to Orton being pinned.

Meanwhile, TNA is giving us Eric Young buying condoms.

[Flasch186]

I was in the Dallas airport today for about 5 minutes and in that 5 minutes who do I see, low and behold, the Undertaker. I pointed him out to some friends while being 20 feet away and he either looked right over me because he's 7'8" or so it seemed, or he ignored me and us because he sees that shit all the time. Anyways, just thought I'd point out that he is monstrously big in person.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

-- And then Undertaker & Batista come out & face off from the ramp, both with each other and staring down at the tag champs HBK/Cena ... who are busy staring at each other ...

The booking has been great, but that segment was just dumb. You have four guys just standing there staring at each other dramatically, for what seemed like an eternity. Who does that? It was one of those moments that really reminds you that you're watching a scripted TV show.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

The booking has been great, but that segment was just dumb. You have four guys just standing there staring at each other dramatically, for what seemed like an eternity. Who does that? It was one of those moments that really reminds you that you're watching a scripted TV show.

Agreed. Contrived as hell as they waited for the show to fade to black, but for the really slow on the uptake it did highlight the confusion they've created.

[molson]

I think the WWE's been on a subtle roll for a few months now (with the glaring exception of ECW)

Smackdown's been bringing a wrestling resurgence with stuff like Finlay/Benoit last week, and every RAW's been bringing a moment like this one:

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57HbCGhhL7o

[General Mike]

The best part of Raw last night was Ric Flair shooting on Carlito.

[Terps]

RVD leaving?

According to the Wrestling-Observer Newsletter, Rob Van Dam’s recent ECW television loss to Bob Holly was likely the result of his giving notice to WWE management.

While sources have not confirmed that RVD informed WWE of his decision not to renew his contract, the belief for quite some time has been that Van Dam had no plans to remain with the company. Since he only had until the end of last week to give such notice (otherwise, his contract would automatically be rolled over), the assumption that he did so appears strong.

His giving notice would also explain his absence from the ECW Originals angle that was launched on the same telecast.

WWE was reportedly hoping to lock Van Dam into a new contract due to fear that he plans to sign with TNA, but the present belief is that the company was unsuccessful in doing so. The wrestler’s contract officially expires this summer.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Terps

RVD leaving?

I think that's been considered a foregone conclusion for several weeks now, especially after his wife was spotted chanting "TNA, TNA" along with fans at a recent WWE show.

[Terps]

haha, Nice. Hadn't heard that.

[Maple Leafs]

Found this on youtube... classic clip, I remember watching this live and thinking it was awesome:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s9OlQVc3YIw

[DeToxRox]

From the Thank God category .. No Hogan at WM 23

Apparently, the reason that Hulk Hogan has been scratched from WrestleMania 23 plans is because of his recent appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge Radio Show where he played a call from Vince McMahon's secretary live on air. The call featured a confidential list of potential WWE Hall of Fame candidates. McMahon was apparently so upset about this that he pulled Hogan from WrestleMania 23.

Hogan was going to face either Shane McMahon or the Great Khali. The Shane McMahon angle would have involved Donald Trump bringing in Hogan and being in his corner at WrestleMania, with Vince in Shane's corner.

Hogan, always the politician, put over TNA in a big way on the Bubba the Love Sponge Radio Show today. Whether he is actually interested in going to TNA or if he is just trying to send a message to WWE remains to be seen.

Credit: PWTorch.com

[Arctus]

I heard Hogan on Bubba yesterday. He denied that he has spoken to TNA directly. IIRC, he did not confirm or deny that 'his people' were in discussions with TNA.

He did mention that Vince was angry with him.

He certainly did not put TNA over in a big way. Bubba asked him a few direct questions which he dodged for the most part.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by molson

I think the WWE's been on a subtle roll for a few months now (with the glaring exception of ECW)

Smackdown's been bringing a wrestling resurgence with stuff like Finlay/Benoit last week, and every RAW's been bringing a moment like this one:

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57HbCGhhL7o

I've haven't watched wrestling in probably over a year now, but that is the kind of stuff that can bring me back: booking that makes sense.

This conflict works with the personalities that the two wrestlers already have; it provides a reason for the two guys to dislike each other; and it gives texture to the feud that both distinguishes it from other feuds and can go in several different directions. Most importantly, it fits my cardinal rule for booking: "Based on their history and personality, I can understand why those two characters are acting this way."

When you see booking done well, it seems so simple that you wonder why so many people screw it up.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well, the more things change ... the more Russo stays the same.

Christy Hemme's opponent tonight? The Big Fat Oily Guy ... in a tuxedo match no less.

Followed by Kip James coming in & removing Christy's top.

edit to add: And did I mention the strippers in the cages at the top of the ramp?
And that's without even mentioning the multiple segments that Paparazzi Productions taped Traci Brooks hotel room.

[Flasch186]

say buh bye to TNA, wow that was a short run before Russo ruined it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

say buh bye to TNA, wow that was a short run before Russo ruined it.

Well, actually, that's the sad/scary part that pisses me off. Since Russo took over the booking, they've posted the highest ratings they've ever had on Spike, including last week when they topped 1.6 million viewers for the first time ever as well as their highest rating in M18-34 ever.

Granted, there's at least a couple of ways to look at the numbers. On the one hand, the audience is still quite small, but on the other hand the ratings are up from 0.7-0.9 to 1.0-1.1, so it's around a 25% increase in viewership. The PPV buy rates are of concern, but TV-wise they're bigger than they've ever been. (Pending the sales for last night, there's still a possibility that they're chasing away the loyal PPV buyers while getting more people who are only watching on free TV).

[Flasch186]

oh there is no doubt that he can get an additional spike in ratings, he's done that everywhere he goes. But he also leaves locker-rooms in disarray, he drives away the loyal watchers and in their place brings in the watchers who will burnout (like before), and eventually he tanks his product. He's done this everywhere he has gone.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

He's done this everywhere he has gone.

And that's what leaves me scratching my head so much in this instance.
I mean, I know what you said is true. And you know that it's true. And he's already been around the block with TNA once already, so they know what he's like.

So WTF was she thinking in rehiring the guy?

All I've been able to figure is that they managed to get the deal with Spike without him but had some sort of specific ratings benchmarks in the 18-34 demos they had to hit in order to keep the deal and/or get the second hour (which I fully expect will make things much much worse instead of better).