wrestling / Columns

Your News, My Views 10.28.08

October 28, 2008 | Posted by Larry Csonka

WELCOME~!
Welcome back kids! It’s Tuesday, it’s the wrestling zone, there is news to discuss and I am here as always! I hope that this finds everyone doing well, relaxed, and having a good start to the week. I had a double PPV weekend so I am starting this bad boy at about 1pm Monday afternoon as I race against time. It has become a game really, trying to beat time as it were. Thursday night through Monday night is hell time for me, so much to do, but again I have taken it as a game. Anyway, we have a lot of stuff to discuss, so let’s get to work!

One last thing, thanks for all of the comments you guys have been leaving. I wish I had more time to answer them, but just know that I appreciate them!

BUYS or NO BUYS
BUYS or NO BUYS is a new feature here, similar to what I used to do in discussing random events and small bits of wrestling news. BUYS or NO BUYS is a phrase I use all the time, even outside of wrestling. In a way it is just another way of ranking GOOD or BAD. So each week I will kick off the column with BUYS or NO BUYS, discussing the world of wrestling, this website and or my life. Feel free to skip it, I won’t be offended.

MANY BUYS to the TNA Legend’s Title. Seriously, while I think that they could do without an extra title, I do love the idea of a gimmick title for Booker. In the same thought as the FTW and the Million Dollar title, of booked properly, this could be a ton of fun.

NO BUYS to Dos Caras Jr. Dude, seriously, make up your fucking mind because I am sick of talking about you.

MANY BUYS to my Fantasy Football Team. After some close and disappointing losses (due to some of my guys not showing up) Kurt Warner, Antonio Gates, Kevin Walter, Anquan Boldin and Josh Brown all scored big as I destroyed Steve Cook’s team.

NO BUYS to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Talk about giving away the game. Between stupid plays, stupid penalties, bad penalty calls and no ability to put a foot on the throat they lost on Sunday. I have to say that it was a pathetic performance.

MANY BUYS to Boston Legal. I shall celebrate this show as long as it is on. This is the last season, and that makes me a sad panda. God bless the old DVR, otherwise I might miss this since I have to recap Raw.

NO BUYS to the bitching and complaining. Actually I do not care about the people that bitch and complain about me because it is your right. But if you actually think that your bitching will get me to quit or convince Ashish to fire me then you’re a fool. I celebrate the attempted hatred that happens in the comments, hell I have a thread in the staff forum where I celebrate it. Some of you make my day and don’t even realize it.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK I

Seriously, is he still alive?

…LINKZ…
Remember that fun, free, addicting flash games await you at 411’s new sister site, TigerFlashGames.com! Go there or Ashish will cry!

Cook takes one for the team and covers Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling!

Hidden Highlights!!

Column of Honor Special: GABE IS OUT!

Column of Honor Part I!

Column of Honor Part II – LOX WIN~!

Five Star Conversation!

WOTW!

The MMA Zone, it’s like my third child.

Dixieland Developments and Diatribes:

In what will be seen as great news by some and then blasted by others, the attendance for TNA’s Bound for Glory PPV was 5,500, with 4,500 paid. Considering some of the recent PPV events, like Victory Road only drew 2,000 and under, this is a positive sign for the company due to the fact that this was one of the largest paid crowds in company history. Lockdown from this year also drew very well, the highest paid in the company’s short history. TNA was also pleased with the live crowd as they were hot all evening long. That’s the advantage of running in Chicago, if you give then a decent card and the guys work hard then the crowd usually responds and does so in a big way. While 4,500 is a nice number, I do have to point out that it does have to still be a disappointment internally since this was their biggest show of the year.

The company is running November and December in Orlando, which may be a good idea. They can focus on some house shows and hopefully lock in January and February PPV locations and begin to promote them NOW, because when it comes down to it, their attendance issues mainly fall to a lack of or just flat out poor promotion locally for events. And speaking of those PPV dates, January 11th and February 8th are the first PPV dates of 2009. The rumors right now place January’s show in San Antonio, but that isn’t confirmed and they could end up running in Orlando in January as well. From all reports the goal is to run 8 PPV events out side of Orlando in 2009, a solid goal and one they should be able to accomplish easily. As of now they are looking at Ohio and the northeast in general for PPV locations in early 2009. I still say that they should look to run the Hammerstein for a PPV event. Yes they drew poorly there the last time, and the Ticketmaster debacle did not help them at all, but again with the event being a PPV and with proper promotion they should easily sell out the venue. Plus we already know that the venue looks good on PPV. Philly would also be a good market to run, and they should explore that.
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As it has been reported previously, Akira Raijin has signed a two-year contract with the company. Some have been wondering when he will debut and the answer to that is not any time soon. WHY? Simple, there are currently no plans for him. That’s right, they signed him to a deal and they have no plans for him. This isn’t a new thing for the company either; talents such as Doug Williams, B-Boy and Cody Deaner have been signed to deals, and then never used. Williams was signed after the X-Cup and hasn’t returned, Deaner spent a ton of time with D’Amore at his school and was never brought in and quietly released. Here’s the reason why. The TNA contracts for low card talent (such as those mentioned) are written so that you are paid when you work, and no minimum amount of dates are specified within the contract. Also there are no significant guarantees built into the contracts other than a small base pay for signing the deal.

On one hand this is smart in the fact that they are getting a guarantee that the person cannot sign with anyone else, and that they don’t have to pay out the ass to keep them. If they decide to use them down the line they have them locked in, and no one can sign them. On the other hand it seems silly to lock up people that you have no plans to use, especially when you have no developmental system and a small house show schedule. Many talents under contract that are feature don TV either do NOT work house shows (Sting), are kept off for no reason (Team 3D), or just aren’t used all that often (Machineguns). In the case of the last, they are the ones that are usually sent to work for other companies through TNA. This is another reason that I feel TNA should have worked to create a developmental system, and again I say a partnership with OVW would have been the best thing to do.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK II

Would you raid her tomb?

Stamford Occurrences and Outbursts:

In a story that has caused quite a lot of discussion over the last week, WWE has told all of their announcers to call wrestlers “entertainers” now and to try to avoid calling them wrestlers or even superstars. The ban on the term “wrestler” has been around for a while as they wanted to drive home the “superstar” name, but again this has now changed in the name of entertainment. Hell, even Vince’s favorite term “sports entertainment” is being replaced with the simple phrase, “entertainment.” There are several reasons being bantered around as to why they are doing this. Some feel it goes back to Vince wanting better acting, and emphasizing this by the name change. Another reason being thrown around is that WWE wants to try and become classified as an entertainment touring company and not a legitimate sporting event. What this means is that WWE wants to try and avoid falling under the jurisdiction of many state Athletic Commissions and wants to get out of having to pay taxes for their touring events. Also with the Georgia laws looking to change and become stricter than before with higher fees, the company could theoretically get out of that by becoming classified as an entertainment touring company.

Now, let me say from a purely business standpoint I get what they are doing. If they can get reclassified as an entertainment touring company, they will avoid certain taxes, which saves money. Won’t have to deal with many state Athletic Commissions, which saves money. Wrestling is a business. Business is all about making money. The WWE is a publicly traded company and they have investors to answer to. Those investors expect them to make money, no matter how shitty the economy gets. So from that side of the coin, I completely understand what they are doing it.

BUT…there’s always a “but” isn’t there? I just want to know this. When in the FUCK did wrestling and or wrestler become a DIRTY word? One thing that Vince seems to think is that wrestling makes them come off as lowbrow, like they are still in the dirty and smoke filled halls that he apparently saved us from. But I have to say as a long time fan of over 25-years, I really hate that the saying wrestling and or wrestler is now apparently this dirty word that defaces the business. The last time I checked it still said “WRESTLING” on the marquee and I will be DAMNED if I change my way of thinking. Shit, the commentators at Cyber Sunday kept fucking up because I heard wrestler, superstar, sports entertainer and entertainer NUMEROUS times.
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In a change to the Smackdown brand that many people will likely not notice, Scott Armstrong has officially replaced Mickey Henson as the head referee on the Smackdown brand. Henson, formerly known as Mickey Jay, has taken a medical leave of absence and is not expected back any time soon. It hasn’t been said what the issue is but I wish him the best of luck in his recovery. Scott Armstrong has done a great job since coming to WWE. He worked with TNA for a few years and I felt he was a good referee then and that has translated to his WWE run. What’s funny right now is that for years the joke was about the Armstrong curse, and that outside of Bob none of them were worth anything. BG James did well in his role as the Road Dogg, unfortunately he snorted all of his money and is still paying for it. But right now you have Scott as the head official on Smackdown, BG working backstage with TNA and Brad was working in developmental at one point with WWE. I think that it is a great think as the Armstrong family gets so much shit, and much of it for no reason because the only thing 90% of today’s fans remember Brad for is BUZZKILL. They have no clue that he was a great worker that just never got the big chance to make it big, but did everything asked of him and had DAMN good matches with everyone from Tully to Muta to Flair to Windham to Pillman and he HELD his own in all of those matches and more. Rock on Armstrong family, rock on…
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Former WWF star Special Delivery Jones (Conrad Efraim) passed away on Sunday at the age of 63 after suffering a stroke. Speaking of most fans not knowing anything about anyone, Jones was a guy that most will remember as a lovable and over “enhancement” talent, but he was more. Many may remember my piece on PORKCHOP CASH from a few weeks back. Jones and Cash won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship from the Hollywood Blonds, which were Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown. He also won those titles two more times with Tom Jones. In the late 70’s and early 80’s Jones was a mid-card face for the WWF. He had several runs with Tony Altas, challenging for the tag titles, but they never succeeded as a team. But they had a good relationship and the fans knew that, and that helped Jones’ popularity. I do remember on one of the old Coliseum tapes, the BIG BOX tapes! Anyway, there was a battle royal and it came down to Jones and Atlas as the last two men. They did a coin flip to see who would win since they were partners and “the good guys,” which I thought was cool. Jones was a guy that got wins on the “B House Shows” over the lower level guys, which kept him strong in the eye of fans. In a way he was a Jobber to the Stars, but he was always over. I think the two things that he is remembered for, and they may not be the best things to be remembered for are the fact that he lost to Bundy in “record time” at WrestleMania and was Andre the Giant’s partner the night that Ken Patera and Big John Studd shaved Andre’s head. The bottom line is this when I think of Special Delivery Jones. He wasn’t an all time great worker and he wasn’t a huge superstar for the company. But when I think back to my childhood and remember the guys that were there during that time, I fondly remember Special Delivery Jones. He was that guy that won from time to time and always gave me hope that he may win the big one. Rest in Peace Conrad Efraim, and thanks for the memories.
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Today in Wrestling History
Today in Wrestling History is what happened on THIS DATE in wrestling history.

1989 – Event – Halloween Havoc, Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA
1995 – Mikey Whipwreck defeated the Sandman for the ECW Heavyweight title
1995 – Sandman & 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Public Enemy for the ECW Tag Team title
1995 – Jesse James Armstrong & Tracey Smothers defeated PG-13 for the USWA Tag Team titles

Independent and International Insights~!

With the sad news of Leah Maivia and Special Delivery Jones passing away this week, we get some good news. After a battery of tests this past week Steve “Dr. Death” Williams has now been found to be cancer free after a scare a few weeks ago. There was a real fear of cancer of the lymph nodes, which wouldn’t have been pleasant to treat. Now the doctors believe his inflammation of the lymph nodes was because he has a hole in his throat from his cancer battle and germs got in through the whole and that caused an infection. Williams had been living through that disability but has been in good health for the most part. Unfortunately he is in need of surgery that will cost $18,000. Right now it is believed that the “O Club” is likely to do a fundraiser to cover his costs. The “O Club” is a collection of University of Oklahoma alumni. Some have stated that it is sad that Williams needs help to raise the money for the surgery and have pointed to him not saving his money, but the fact is that we have to remember that he already battled cancer and likely spent a ton of money doing so. Hopefully the “O Club” can raise the money and Williams can get the surgery he needs and can continue to recovery as he has. Good luck Dr. Death.
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Bobby Heenan has also gotten good news. He has made a solid improvement overall and is in the beginning stages of talking. As of now Heenan can only say a few words at a time as his jaw gets tired if the conversation goes more than a few minutes, but the improvement is there and that is the good news. He is also fully coherent and has been keeping up with wrestling and baseball during his recovery. He was very interested to hear how Mick Foley went to TNA and has followed the Ray and Red Sox closely, which has kept him in good spirits. What has become a major motivation for him, not only to stay alive but also to be able to talk once again is the fact that Heenan’s first grandchild was recently born. I could not be happier to hear that Bobby Heenan is doing so well. I have never hid the fact that I am a huge Heenan fan, both for his managing and for his commentary. In a way I found it very sad that a guy that I loved for his talking was unable to do so and was so close to death. But thankfully the recovery is going well, and that makes me happy. Good luck Bobby.
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As I discussed some last week, attendance is considered very bad right now for CMLL. The October 17th Arena Mexico show only drew 5,000 fans with the main event being Marco Corleone defeating Lizmark Jr. This was the blow off to a long running feud and only drawing 5,000 is not considered good at all and things got worse. The Tuesday night TV tapings on the 14th (the go home for the 17th show) was down to 1,000 and the show on the 19th (the fall out show) drew only 1,500. The show on the 19th featured a CMLL Light Heavyweight Title match with Rey Bucanero retaining the title over Hector Garza. Right now this is considered a scary time for CMLL with those figures, and with WWE and TNA both securing TV deals the company is bracing for the worst. With Mistico and Perro out until January and December respectively, it likely won’t change anytime soon.
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There doesn’t seem to be much to the ROH TV rumors right now, even though the rumor mill is wide open once again. ROH has had talks recently about a TV deal, but nothing beyond preliminary talks and there doesn’t seem to be anything on the horizon. In the past, ROH has had talks with G4, Versus, and MavTV about a TV deal. MavTV used to run Deep South Wrestling and also ran the NWA and CHICK FIGHT. While they have a history of running wrestling on the network, MavTV has such a weak penetration that I doubt that it would be a good deal for them. I have always been a fan of them running on the Versus network, due to the more “pure” style of ROH, although that appears to be changing. It has been a goal of ROH to land a TV deal, but the company knows that they need a network that will serve as a deal partner for the deal to work and to help them to grow. Cary Silkin has been a big force in looking for a TV deal, while Gabe Sapolsky was against it. Speaking of Gabe Sapolsky…
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Ring of Honor announced Sunday Morning that Gabe Sapolsky would be leaving the company “effective immediately.” He was wished well in all future endeavors. Sapolsky has been the main booking force for the promotions entire run, and this was a complete surprise to both he and the roster. It was also announced that former NWA Champion Adam Pearce has been hired as ROH’s new booker. He sent out an email to the ROH crew yesterday stating he’d be booking the promotion from now on.

The fact that Sapolsky had a run for so long is actually amazing. While others have had long runs with the book (Vince and Jarrett) they also have others with them working, Gabe did it on his own. The old school thinking was always that a booker usually has two good years with the book before he starts to get burnt out, which is why back in the day the head booker was usually cycled out so often along with various talent. Many (but not all) feel that ROH has become stagnant. While they are producing good shows, they are featuring the same talent and not evolving. Silkin has stated that there would be no significant changes, although he admitted that the new direction of the company would be obvious in coming weeks. The weekend shows featured CHIKARA Pro talent including Cheech and Cloudy (getting a new chance with ROH) as well as Brodie Lee and the Osiran Portal, who had never been featured on ROH shows in the past, and some feel that this was a sign of the change to come with the company.

ROH owner Cary Silkin has stated that the change was not due to any single incident, and as for now it is said to be business as usual with the November 7th and 8th shows going on as scheduled and with the current crew of talent. Sapolsky had won the Booker of the Year award the past four years in Observer balloting and ROH was generally considered the best company for producing the best in-ring product. While Gabe always did well with the Observer Awards, that just does not translate to money. Live crowds for the company have been steady over the last few months. While some venues have been slightly down, others have been up. For the most part the live crowds have not diminished, but they also have not grown. The company’s PPV efforts have been very good, honestly the best PPV’s in the industry right now. But with the lack of outside attention from non-internet fans, they haven’t been a financial success nor have they attracted new fans as they had hoped. On top of that the DVD sales he been in a state of decline, and with the economy the way it is that’s a bad sigh. When WWE business is down it caused a ripple effect within the industry. As far as PPV goes you have WWE, UFC, Boxing and then way below that TNA and eventually ROH. Economic decline being as it is, ROH takes the hardest hit by being the smallest company.

And that brings us to Adam Pearce. Pearce is now the man with the book, the pencil in ROH. From all reports Pearce plans to simplify the product. He wants to make sure that there are clear face and heel lines, slow down the product a bit and keep the booing simple and easy to follow. To shorten the shows and make the product “easier to enjoy.” In a way some feel that Pearce wants to work a more 1970’s formula to pro wrestling. Many feel that the change in direction is another sign that Silkin is still actively seeking a TV deal, and that since the current ROH product isn’t making money as he feels it should, the new formula may do that. I am more than willing to give Adam Pearce a shot at the book, but the one thing that concerns me is the fact that Adam Pearce will be back as a talent. Don’t get me wrong, I hated that he was canned from ROH. Pearce is a great talked and was delivering just fine in the ring. But I feel that it is a mistake to hold the book and work in the product. For the most part is has never ended well, I’m looking at you Dusty, Nash; sup?

Obviously no one knows how this will effect ROH. Sapolsky is synonymous with the ROH product, and has been a source of stability for the promotion since day one. Not only as a booker, but also with his involvement with the website and fan forums. The company realizes that there will be a drop in the company’s revenue here at the beginning. They realize that they will alienate the current fan base to a degree, and possibly lose some of them for good. But the hope is that with the new direction that they will be able to gain new fans. It’s a slippery slope to be honest with you. ROH is only alive due to their loyal fans, and if they alienate enough of them without replacing them with new fans then they will be in trouble. And what about the talent? Will some of the ones not under contract that feel a loyalty to Gabe leave the company? There is a lot of questions to be asked and answered right now. It is both a scary and interesting time for the promotion.
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To close out the news this week, we have more sad news to share. Leah Maivia, the widow of “The High Chief” Peter Maivia and grandmother of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson passed away at the age of 81. Something that isn’t known, and has been reported by the WON is that the real reason Dwayne Johnson did the Hall of Fame induction this year was because his grandmother’s health was failing and he wanted to induct her husband while she was still alive. I think that is a great thing, and to think that he still gets all kinds of shit for doing it. During the 1980’s Maivia was the promoter of Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling in Hawaii, a job she took after the death of Peter at the age of 45 from cancer. I will freely admit that I do not know much at all about the Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling from that time, but she ran the promotion from 1982-1988 when the promotion closed. This is certainly a sad way to end the news week for sure. Rest in Peace Leah Maivia.
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~ An Interview With Bruno Sammartino Discussing Kurt Angle~

A Beautiful Sendoff…and Happy Diwali~!