Pro Wrestling Discussion Thread **Spoilers Possible**

[bulletsponge]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I really hope the WWE stops the whole Ron Simmons "Damn" thing soon. It was fricking hilarious when he did it originally to Booker that one time, but it has become unbelievably painful to watch at this point.

+1

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by bulletsponge

+1

DAMN!

[Neon_Chaos]

From 411mania

Ric Flair Quits WWE, Both Sides Trying To Work Things Out
Posted by Ashish on 09.05.2007

Another major story breaks...

Wade Keller is reporting that Ric Flair quit WWE this week due to being frustrated with his push and the lack of encouraging communication from management.

Both sides are apparently already trying to work things out.

Flair's decision to quit doesn't appear to have anything to do with the recent suspensions.

TNA is said to be aware of Flair's decision to quit WWE and is interested in possibly trying to get him to come in for the launch of the two hour Impact in October.

Credit: PWTorch.com

[Neon_Chaos]

dola

From 411mania

More On Ric Flair Leaving WWE
Posted by Ashish on 09.05.2007

More confirmation and details...

As reported earlier, Ric Flair has quit WWE. Dave Meltzer is now reporting that Flair actually gave notice to the company on 8/21.

WWE has already offered Flair a major program to return.

Credit: WrestlingObserver.com






Wow. Just wow.

The shit is indeed hitting the fan, and it's coming from every direction.

[Toddzilla]

TNA can add all the old WWE stars they want (hell, it worked for WCW for a few years), but as long as they run shows from that bandbox studio, they are always gonna look bush-league to me.

[Neon_Chaos]

Concussions Look to be the Cause of Benoit’s Rage
Posted by Larry Csonka on 09.05.2007

The tests are complete, and very revealing.

According to wsbtv.com out of Atlanta, the test results on Chris Benoit's brain suggest that a series of concussions may have caused the rage that led him to murder his wife, his son and commit suicide.

In the article, Dr. Julian Bailes, head of neurosurgery at WVU, said the results of tests on Chris Benoit's brain were striking. Showing a slide of Benoit's brain tissue Wednesday morning on ABC's Good Morning America Bailes pointed out what he called abnormalities. "These are dead brain cells," said Bailes.

When asked how much of that he found Bailes replied, "It was extensive, throughout Chris's brain. It was striking and maybe shocking in the extent." The researcher said Benoit's brain scan looked similar to those of Alzheimer's patients. He described Benoit's brain as "very abnormal, something you should never see in a 40-year old."

Bailes has done similar research on the brains of former professional football players who committed suicide. He found similar brain damage in their cases; theroizes that repeated concussions can lead to dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems. He goes onto say that a pattern emerges, "a recurring theme of failure in their personal lives and their business lives, depression and then ultimate suicide."

Here's the website, along with a visual of the scanned piece of the said tissue.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14047066/detail.html

and a more extensive report:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3560015&page=1

here's the text:

Benoit's Brain Showed Severe Damage From Multiple Concussions, Doctor and Dad Say

The family of Chris Benoit has been searching for answers since late June, when the professional wrestler killed his wife, 7-year-old son and then himself.

At the crime scene, police found anabolic steroids prompting many to suspect that "roid rage" had accounted for Benoit's behavior, which his family found out of character for the 40-year-old.

His family now believes that new test results on Benoit's brain explain his vicious actions.

The tests, conducted by Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute, show that Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient.

Bailes and his research team say that this damage was the result of a lifetime of chronic concussions and head trauma suffered while Benoit was in the wrestling ring.

Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, is speaking out in order to warn other athletes, both professional and student.

Dementia Caused by Multiple Concussions, Doctor Says

After hearing the news that his son had murdered his 7-year-old son, Daniel, and wife Nancy and then killed himself, Michael Benoit struggled to understand how it could have happened.

Michael says Benoit was a "kind and gentle" man who volunteered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and visited U.S. troops overseas in Iraq.

"First we needed an understanding. The person that did this is not the man we know and love," Michael said today on "Good Morning America."

After the suicide and murders, Michael was contacted by a former wrestler, who suggested he investigate whether years of trauma to Benoit's brain could have contributed to his actions.

"I was grasping for anything," Michael told ABC News' Bob Woodruff. "The world was very black. I mean, we didn't even know how to deal with this."

So Michael turned over part of his son's brain to Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University and former Pittsburgh Steelers team physician.

Bailes and his research team had also analyzed the brains of former NFL players such as Andre Waters and Terry Long, who both committed suicide. Bailes and his colleagues theorize that repeated concussions can lead to dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems.

"There is a constant theme in the failure of their personal lives, their business lives, depression and then ultimately suicide," Bailes said.

Bailes and his research team took samples from Benoit's brain postmortem and compared these microscopic brain scans to those of a healthy brain.

They found that Benoit's brain showed an advanced form of dementia that appears on the brain scan as brown clumps or tangles. These brown spots are actually dead brain cells, killed off as a result of head trauma, said Bailes.

In Benoit's case, the damage was found in every section of the brain — all four lobes and deep into the brain stem.

"It was extensive throughout Chris' brain," Bailes said. "This is something you should never see in a 40-year-old."

The damage is proof, Bailes said, that Benoit suffered multiple, probably chronic, concussions over the course of many years.

Benoit, in fact, told friends he had suffered "more concussions than he could count."

Benoit's brain showed the same kind of damage Bailes and his team found in four retired NFL players who also suffered multiple concussions and later sank into deep depressions and harmed themselves or others.

Perhaps most disturbing, a person doesn't need to have sustained dozens of concussions to see problems later in life.

"Our research shows that three concussions may be the threshold for lasting damage," Bailes said.

This kind of brain damage isn't new to athletes, but doctors and researchers are starting to understand it better. As far back as the 1920s, career boxers were diagnosed with "punch drunk syndrome," which is now known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Bailes said that while he can't be certain that the brain damage caused Benoit's actions, he believes it is the leading cause.

"We think these changes are not due to steroids," Bailes said. "That has never really been studied, but it's never been in the medical literature or any research that shows steroids do this to the brain. These changes [in the brain] were found in the 1920s before steroids were even invented."

For Michael Benoit and the family, these test results provide a small amount of comfort.

"Bascially, once the findings came out and I had the opportunity to talk to the doctors, we certainly had an understanding of what could have contributed to the tragedy that took place that day," Michael said.

The message Michael would like Benoit's surviving children to take away is that "their dad loved [them] dearly and what happened wasn't his fault."

[molson]

I don't get the leap from "brain of an 80 year old" to "this is the reason he killed his family"

The guy was competing at the top of his game in a demanding and competitive profession. I've read about a handful of incidents where ex-football players have become violent, with their actions blamed on head injuries, but all of those incidents involved guys well past their playing days, who already had significantly diminished capacities.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by molson

I don't get the leap from "brain of an 80 year old" to "this is the reason he killed his family"

The guy was competing at the top of his game in a demanding and competitive profession. I've read about a handful of incidents where ex-football players have become violent, with their actions blamed on head injuries, but all of those incidents involved guys well past their playing days, who already had significantly diminished capacities.

I actually would be more inclined to believe that he did what he did due to dementia rather than 'roid rage.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

I actually would be more inclined to believe that he did what he did due to dementia rather than 'roid rage.

If those are the two choices, I agree.

Whatever Benoit had, it didn't stop him from wrestling a decent match with Elijah Burke a few days before he killed his family.

I look at Benoit as a typical domestic batteror. Maybe he didn't mean things to go that far (few batterors do).

The kid makes things more complicated, of course, but that was after the fact. It's tough to try to analyze behavior once someone is subject to that kind of stressful event (that he caused).

The wrestling community will embrace this news, because of that powerful myth that good wrestlers are better people than bad wrestlers.

[molson]

I think Flair will be back. He has no other options, and still needs the money (sadly).

The guy I'm wondering about is King Booker. Nowhere to be found on Raw. Rumored to be retiring for years now. Reportedly pissed off that his Houston promotion was passed over to be the next WWE developmental territory.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by molson

The wrestling community will embrace this news, because of that powerful myth that good wrestlers are better people than bad wrestlers.

Sad, but QFT.

[Travis]

Certainly not saying that I'm sold on the explanation as listed above, but it does give food for thought. I had an experience with an uncle of mine who developed Alzheimer's in his mid to late 40's (rig worker, not sure what, if any head injuries he had) who chased my cousin and I (she would have been around 15ish, I was 10-12) with apparent intent to inflict harm. It was this episode that really drove the point home that he had changed completely from the loving father/husband and within 2-3 years he didn't even recognize his wife and daughter any longer, let alone the extended family (and it is a small family, his wife being my mom's sister, no other siblings on their side). Everybody had noticed him "slipping", but none of us were prepared for such a violent outburst out of the blue, and once it was over he never talked about it, whether or not he remembered it or not, well, I didn't bring it up as I was still a bit freaked out.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by molson

The guy I'm wondering about is King Booker. Nowhere to be found on Raw. Rumored to be retiring for years now. Reportedly pissed off that his Houston promotion was passed over to be the next WWE developmental territory.

Wasn't he supposed to be one of the suspended guys?

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by molson

I think Flair will be back. He has no other options, and still needs the money (sadly).

Expect to see Flair vs. Sting in TNA soon...

no proof, just a hunch.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/head...91020660.shtml

Andrew 'Test' Martin is already gone from TNA Wrestling.

Martin was brought in last month and was immediately pushed into a top match at TNA's last PPV. The reason for his firing is his unreasonably muscular physique. At a time when TNA is being investigated by the United States Congress, Martin stuck out like a sore thumb and management was convinced he could not pass a drug test.

Test was told he could come back to the company when he loses considerable weight.

[Deattribution]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/head...91020660.shtml

Andrew 'Test' Martin is already gone from TNA Wrestling.

Martin was brought in last month and was immediately pushed into a top match at TNA's last PPV. The reason for his firing is his unreasonably muscular physique. At a time when TNA is being investigated by the United States Congress, Martin stuck out like a sore thumb and management was convinced he could not pass a drug test.

Test was told he could come back to the company when he loses considerable weight.

At first, I thought that link was from the TNA website...

Anyhow, I have to believe it's more to do with the locker room issues that PWI reported than his physique - It shouldn't take them a month to figure out the guy has a freakish build (plus they'd have to release Scott Steiner too).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Deattribution

Anyhow, I have to believe it's more to do with the locker room issues that PWI reported than his physique - It shouldn't take them a month to figure out the guy has a freakish build (plus they'd have to release Scott Steiner too).

My guess is that it's the combination of both of those things, plus the fact nobody gives a damn about him, past or present, and that's not something that' likely to change.

Meanwhile, on a completely unrelated note, picked up tickets for Bound For Glory this morning (nice of the websites to provide the TNAMobile pre-sale password). Got exactly what I wanted - front row of the club level, centered on the ring -- for $15 each (+$9.40 each for junk fees). Could have gotten front row in the lower section (the seats that would be on the glass for hockey) instead but $45 each for seats where my son would have problems with obstructed view every time people stood up didn't seem like much of a bargain.

[molson]

Maybe Flair will chase the NWA title around the indys. That'd be cool.

[Neon_Chaos]

From 411 again...

Legacy Institute Press Release On Chris Benoit Brain Findings
Posted by Ashish on 09.05.2007

Chris Nowinski's group releases their findings...

Sports Legacy Institute Announces Findings of Forensic Examinations on Wrestler Chris Benoit's Brain

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute today appeared with Michael Benoit, father of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, to release the results of neuropathological tests that demonstrate his son suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain. The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son's death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler's brain. SLI's research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE's most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy. While CTE has long been found in boxers, and more recently in NFL football players, the findings of CTE in Benoit suggest that athletes involved in other contact sports may also be at a heightened risk for this type of brain injury.

"When Chris Nowinski contacted me about conducting tests on Chris' brain, I was extremely hesitant given the circumstances surrounding my son's death," said Michael Benoit. "I agreed to the testing after he explained their desire to expand knowledge about the potential brain damage that athletes can suffer from repetitive head injuries in contact sports. When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone's knowledge. I hope the examination of Chris' brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages."

Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit's brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players -- Long, and Waters -- committed suicide.

Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia, depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football. When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from "the evil ones" and then led police on a 40 mile high- speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death

"When the SLI approached Michael Benoit about testing Chris' brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project, our goal was to determine if there was evidence of CTE caused by repeated trauma to the head sustained during Chris Benoit's career. We have now confirmed multiple concussions are part of his medical history, along with clinical symptoms associated with CTE," said Julian Bailes, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an SLI founding member. "Because my SLI colleagues and I have found evidence of CTE in the brains of four former professional football players, we felt an examination of Chris Benoit's brain may bring awareness to CTE's existence outside of boxers and football players. The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit suggest that there may be a common syndrome among athletes who suffer multiple head injuries in contact sports."

The neuropathological findings were confirmed by other neuropathologists, and correlate with recent findings of an increased risk of depression and cognitive impairment in professional football players who have suffered multiple concussions, according to research conducted by Dr. Bailes and another SLI founding member, Robert Cantu, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, and Co- Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain damage that is best documented in boxers, but can also occur in athletes who played football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, or any sport associated with impacts to the head. It can only be confirmed by a post-mortem neuropathological immunohistochemical study. While studies show that as many as 20 percent of professional boxers show evidence of CTE, there has been little study of CTE in athletes involved in other contact sports.

According to the examinations, Mr. Benoit's brain exhibited large amounts of abnormal Tau protein, manifested as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) and Neuropil Threads [NTs]. These represent aggregates of abnormal Tau protein, which are remnants of the cytoskeleton of the brain cells and their connections. Frequent NFTs and NTs were distributed in all regions of the brain including the neocortex, the limbic cortex, subcortical ganglia and brainstem ganglia accompanied by loss of brain cells. Accumulation of abnormal Tau protein in the form of NFTs and NTs in the brain has been confirmed to cause neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia. There was no other neuropathological evidence for any chronic or acute disorder to explain his clinical symptoms.

"The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit's brain, which are consistent with the previous examinations of athletes who suffered from repeated head traumas, confirm the need for a large-scale study of CTE in athletes who participate in contact sports," said Chris Nowinski, who retired from professional sports after multiple concussions and conceived SLI, a collaboration of doctors and advocates that includes renowned attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who played an integral role. "The link between CTE and contact sports is clear. We need to conduct more research to understand the full spectrum of the disease and raise awareness so parents, coaches, medical staff and athletic officials know how to respond when athletes, including children, sustain head injuries. If we apply this knowledge we believe we can successfully prevent future cases."

The Sports Legacy Institute is dedicated to studying the effects of concussions and other sports related brain injuries. Through its efforts, SLI aims to maximize the safety and vitality of all athletes who participate in contact and collision sports around the globe. The designation of the Sports Legacy Institute as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation is in the process of being submitted. The Sports Legacy Institute relies on donations from concerned parties to fund its work.

[JonInMiddleGA]

See, right about now is why I'm so pissed about the opportunities that TNA wastes.

In the ring as part of the 10 team #1 tag contenders tournament are AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Homicide, and Chris Sabin. With the exception of AJ's how-dumb-can-I-be routine as part of Cagle's group we haven't seen any of these guys in anything meaningful in weeks. But we've got Pacman, Mrs. Angle, Tracy Brooks, and more getting screen time every week.

And while I'm typing Petey Williams hits the most electrifying finisher in wrestling today, just days after being jobbed to Shark Boy. And Jimmy Rave just made his re-debut in TNA.

I swear, watching this reminds me of what I thought TNA was going to be about, the reason I took an interest in it originally. Instead it's been year's worth of Kurt Angle, Test, Dustin f'n Rhodes, Kip & BG, and a host of other people who I really don't have any interest in seeing on my damned TV.

edit to add: I think I'm even sicker about it all right now. That was very very well done. Booking & matchups weren't perfect but there were some very nice things in there, MCMG looked good, Styles looked great, just awfully damned entertaining from a match type that can easily turn into a schmoz but didn't.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And it's now official -- TNA Impact goes to two hours starting October 4th, 9p-11p

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And it's now official -- TNA Impact goes to two hours starting October 4th, 9p-11p

Now with that extra hour, they will hopefully have more time to feature their home-grown talent.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Now with that extra hour, they will hopefully have more time to feature their home-grown talent.

Until otherwise I look at it as another hour of stupid deceisions.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Until otherwise I look at it as another hour of stupid deceisions.

+1

[JonInMiddleGA]

LOL. This is from the live coverage on tnawrestlingnews.com

LIVE PPV COVERAGE: In The Arena: TNA's Major Announcement #2
Posted on 09/09/2007 at 10:26 PM

TNA now has a two hours in prime time, starting 10/4 at 9PM. God help us all.

[DeToxRox]

LOL! TNA's big announcement is .. a former WSX Champ

[Terps]

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that Robert Huffman (King Booker) quit WWE when he was told that he was to be suspended for 60 days, as a punishment to the Signature Pharmacy bust. He was believed to have failed a Wellness Program test before, hence the 60 days suspension instead of 30.

While WWE is still trying to negotiate Huffman's staying with them, they're going on under the impression he's done. The two sides had been having troubles recently, with a major setback being John Laurinaitis' call to go with Florida for a developmental territory - where WWE would start from scratch - instead of going with Booker's already established PWA, which WWE had been loaning wrestlers to. After they made the call to stop that, Booker went to his friends at TNA and booked them for his shows instead, which didn't sit so well with anyone backstage, but they couldn't say much having pulled WWE talent from PWA.

Booker is pretty much set financially and has wanted out of wrestling for a while. At age 42, he's accomplished a lot, and thanks to his hip hop store doing well in Houston, and his two wrestling schools up and running, there's really no need for him to stick around.

[Toddzilla]

I'd be pretty bummed if Booker T retired - he's been one of my favorites for a long long time, but on the other hand it's great to see a guy who recognizes that he doesn't need to put his body through hell anymore in order to make a living.

Hopefully he can work out a sweet deal with TNA to cut his schedule back to 1/3 what he did in the WWE, take care of his health, wrestle a little bit, and drop the goddamned King gimmick. I miss the old Harlem Heat intro music

[molson]

Funny on many levels:

http://ricflairfinance.com/

[Mota]

Originally Posted by molson

Funny on many levels:

http://ricflairfinance.com/

Is this thing for real? That is so strange... it's like a joke without the payoff.

[thesloppy]

I guess the Ric Flair Driving School and Ric Flair Marriage Counseling must be right over the horizon.

[molson]

So if I borrow $10k for a car, and this venture goes bankrupt, am I in the clear?

[Joe]

Originally Posted by Mota

Is this thing for real? That is so strange... it's like a joke without the payoff.

yeah, it is legit

[Neon_Chaos]

So, the little bastard is indeed Vince's bastard, and the entire fucking wrestling world is going down the goddamned crapper.

FUCK YOU WWE.

[Flasch186]

another blown opportunity. I am so sick of the WWE writers blowing every opportunity that is presented to them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

TNA taped three weeks worth of Impact tonight (the final one hour episodes) and did indeed reveal a former world champion that's been added to the roster.

Spoiler

Junior Fatu debuted tonight, better known as Rikishi

On the whole, I'm not thrilled with some of the stuff they'll be doing over the next three weeks but if the spoilers capture the flavor of it accurately, it doesn't seem quite as bad as it's been lately. At least there's a certain amount of sense to most of the developing angles & there are some different matchups developing.

[Deattribution]

Jon, without saying who - is it actually someone worth title contention or just another washed up 'star'?


And as far as WWE's angle tonight - Ken Kennedy royally effed himself, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him somehow wrote back into the story in a month.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Deattribution

Jon, without saying who - is it actually someone worth title contention or just another washed up 'star'?

Since "never was" isn't really an option, I'll have to go with washed up.
Really, I'm surprised they didn't find him on a beach somewhere.
Casual fans probably won't mind, but it's at least mildly annoying to me.

And to be honest, "world champion" really didn't mean what I thought it would mean either.

[Deattribution]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Since "never was" isn't really an option, I'll have to go with washed up.
Really, I'm surprised they didn't find him on a beach somewhere.
Casual fans probably won't mind, but it's at least mildly annoying to me.

And to be honest, "world champion" really didn't mean what I thought it would mean either.

With that I decided to take a look --- meh. I didn't even realize he was a world champion.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

So, the little bastard is indeed Vince's bastard, and the entire fucking wrestling world is going down the goddamned crapper.

FUCK YOU WWE.

I much rather they went this way then permanently "mark" a real wrestler as a McMahon, giving him a label he would never shed.

Sure, a bigger star might make a bigger initial angle, but then what? Did you really want CM Punk or somebody to be permanently attached to the McMahons?

I really didn't like the original Kennedy angle that was planned - they guy's going to (hopefully) be around for 10+ years - why write yourself into a corner now?

It's not like they tried to sell Unforgiven with this "payoff", they gave it away - for free. It's harmless. And Vince will be at least 25% more entertaining with a drunken midget (who's actually a pretty decent worker) by his side. Then eventually he'll go away and all will be forgotten.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by molson

I much rather they went this way then permanently "mark" a real wrestler as a McMahon, giving him a label he would never shed.

Sure, a bigger star might make a bigger initial angle, but then what? Did you really want CM Punk or somebody to be permanently attached to the McMahons?

I really didn't like the original Kennedy angle that was planned - they guy's going to (hopefully) be around for 10+ years - why write yourself into a corner now?

It's not like they tried to sell Unforgiven with this "payoff", they gave it away - for free. It's harmless. And Vince will be at least 25% more entertaining with a drunken midget (who's actually a pretty decent worker) by his side. Then eventually he'll go away and all will be forgotten.

Come on, it's a cop-out ending to what was supposedly one of their biggest angles this year. They've been selling it since the start, and they basically dropped the ball when Kennedy was caught.

You really think that the 'E can't write themselves out of this situation? Heck, I've seen the Undertaker turn from an Undead Zombie into a Biker and back into an undead Zombie, but this time, with lightning bolts shooting out of his arse.

They could have taken the risk and picked someone they could push.

Now we're stuck with a fucking midget that relies on slapstick humor: not even remotely funny. Let me guess: Mini-McMahon skits and shit. What a great way to end the summer.

[Flasch186]

Kennedy got caught in the steroid stuff? I didnt catch that one....hmmm, for shame, he has a bright future. Was he suspended? fired?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Kennedy got caught in the steroid stuff? I didnt catch that one....hmmm, for shame, he has a bright future. Was he suspended? fired?

Thirty days in the hole I believe.

Storyline is that he's been suspended for impersonating a McMahon.

[Maple Leafs]

Considering they built the entire angle around a guy they had to suspend at the last minute, I guess this payoff works as well as any. As others have said, the alternatives were all worse.

[Neon_Chaos]

I would have never thought that there would be anything worse than a midget mcmahon.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

TNA taped three weeks worth of Impact tonight (the final one hour episodes) and did indeed reveal a former world champion that's been added to the roster.

Spoiler

Junior Fatu debuted tonight, better known as Rikishi

What kind of world title did he ever hold?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by General Mike

What kind of world title did he ever hold?

Multiple times with the world tag titles.
(which is why I said the bit about "world title" didn't mean what I thought it would mean)

[Deattribution]

Originally Posted by General Mike

What kind of world title did he ever hold?

Hot dog eatting contest.

[TazFTW]

Originally Posted by Rajah

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- Paul Heyman has quietly parted ways with WWE. He currently has no affiliation with WWE. He's free to go to TNA, but TNA hasn't expressed any serious interest in his services.

Morons.

[DeToxRox]

Project 161 debuts in ROH .. NSFW

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3MKZiDO0nI