So what do you get when you put a wrestling superstar, the top female fighter in the world, and an ageing former NFL star together in the same building? You get Strikeforce’s latest show in Miami, Florida, shown on a one day delay on Bravo here in Britain, with Mauro Ranallo, Frank Shamrock and Stephen Quadros handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with current TNA star Bobby Lashley facing Wes Sims in a heavyweight clash. As a wrestling fan I was eager to see this one. It certainly was an impressive performance from Lashley. Sims tried to psyche him out at the beginning but Lashley was having none of it, taking Sims down and going for the ground and pound. Seconds later Lashley took Sims’ back, and he went flat as Lashley continued with the onslaught. That was enough for the referee as he stepped in to stop the fight, giving Lashley the TKO win and keeping his undefeated streak going with a very good performance.

Then it was down to the middleweight division, with Robbie Lawler facing hard hitting Dutchman Melvin Manhoef. We had a rather unexpected ending in this one. After a somewhat slow start, Manhoef went to work, unloading with some good combinations and some devastating kicks. Every kick to Lawler’s lead leg sent it high into the air. The Dutchman’s attacks were so good it looked like Lawler was about to lose. Then it happened. Lawler connected with a big right, and Manhoef wobbled before falling to the canvas, and that was that. The tables were turned in a truly remarkable fight.

The big boys were up next as NFL legend Herschel Walker made his MMA debut against Greg Nagy. For a 47 year old with limited training, and in his first fight, Walker did pretty well, showing some good takedown defence, and controlling the fight when it went to the ground. It looked like Nagy didn’t really know what to do, and in the third round, with Nagy lying flat on his front and Walker delivering countless blows, the referee called time, giving Walker the TKO win. Well, he may have looked a little rough around the edges, but Walker put in a good performance here, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again in the future.

The first title fight of the evening followed, with Cris Cyborg defending her Women’s Lightweight title against Marloes Coenen. I’d heard a lot about Cyborg over the past few months, and she impressed the hell out of me, controlling every aspect of the fight. Coenen tried her best, but it was simply not enough against someone with the skill of Cyborg. The end came in the third round when Cyborg’s relentless ground and pound was too much for the Dutch fighter, with the referee stopping the fight, giving Cyborg the TKO win. This is one lady who is certainly going to make waves for some time to come.

The main event saw Nick Diaz take on Marius Zaromskis for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight title. This was one of those hard hitting back and forth affairs you couldn’t take your eyes off. Both fighters began by swinging for the trees before a clinch against the cage where Diaz worked over Zaromskis’ right leg. The brawling began soon afterwards, and after Zaromskis had Diaz on the mat, Diaz came back well and rocked Zaromskis with some good combinations, with a right hook sending him down. And that was it, as Diaz became the first Welterweight champion with a great performance.

In conclusion – five good fights made Strikeforce’s latest show a very enjoyable one. Every fight delivered, especially the Diaz/Zaromskis slugfest and the Cyborg/Coenen battle. Bravo have done well in getting more Strikeforce action for it’s British viewers, and with the channel also showing the second season of the M-1 Challenge and BAMMA they could soon rival ESPN’s coverage over here.

Well us fans finally got our answer as the Rated R superstar Edge made his much anticipated (and quite early) return to the ring. There were rumors around the internet that Edge would make his return at the PPV, but the way the WWE changes their plans as soon as they know it’s been leaked, no one can ever really be sure these days. I for one am glad Edge is back, and I am even more pleased that he won. Anything beats another John Cena win.

You know what else I like about Edge’s latest return so far? Right now, he’s a tweener. We’re not sure if he’s quite a heel, or if he’s a face; and that adds for some interesting set-ups leading into Wrestlemania. Here’s where I want to hear from you readers. Should Edge be a face, or a heel? I for one don’t care either way because he plays both parts with such ease; he has that natural ability.

See this is where it gets interesting though. The WWE could have Edge wait until Wrestlemania to get his title shot, which insures that at least one of the two title matches will be a triple threat match. Or, they could have Edge end up fighting one of the champions at the Elimination Chamber ppv, which would free up both champions for their rumored matches at the big event. Going this route would make sure HBK faces the Undertaker, and Triple H faces Sheamus. It would also free Edge for a match against Chris Jericho, should Edge make a full-fledged face turn.

Either way, I’m excited to see how Edge will fit back into the fold, and if one of the title matches becomes a triple threat my money is on Edge. Again, I want your voices to be heard. If you were a writer for the WWE, what would you do with Edge leading into Wrestlemania?

Hmmm, while I’m here what other things have grabbed my attention as of late. When I stop and think, one of the first things that comes to my mind is CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m loving this angle. Not only does it make CM Punk look that much better as a heel, but its giving young stars like Luke Gallows (aka Drew Hankinson) and Serena (aka Serena Deeb) a true chance to shine. I would love to see Punk and Gallows take the tag titles from DX and see what they can do from there.

I’m also very appy to see Mickie James finally took the title off of Michelle McCool. McCool in my opinion is not worthy of a title run and I think having James hold the belt will bring some meaning back to it. On the Raw side, I’m looking foward to seeing Maryse match up with Gail Kim. I’m also hoping Kim walks away with the win, since coming back from TNA, she has busted her ass and deserves a chance to show what she can bring back to the women’s division.

Well, that’s it for now peeps. Feel free to email me as always, and don’t be disouraged if my responses aren’t immediate.

****

shadyrvd@hotmail.com

~Guests are always welcome inside The Dog Pound~

We are now on the road to Wrestlemania, as thirty men entered the ring to see who would headline the biggest event of the year at WWE’s first pay-per-view of the year, the Royal Rumble, shown live here in Britain on Sky Box Office, with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Matt Striker handling commentary duties.

The show began with Christian defending the ECW title against Ezekiel Jackson, accompanied here by William Regal. This may well be Jackson’s best match since he emerged from the shadow of Brian Kendrick. His power game was highly impressive, and he didn’t need any help from his mentor, especially as Regal was banished from ringside for trying to interfere. Christian was solid as always, and it was these two ingredients that made for a great opener, with Christian hitting the killswitch out of nowhere to get the title retaining pin. Is there anyone who can take the title from this man?

The title action continued with the Miz defending the United States title against number one contender MVP. This last minute addition to the card proved to be an entertaining encounter, with the Miz again showing just how far he’s come. Miz and MVP were perfect foils for each other in this back and forth affair, with Miz getting the pin with a small package as MVP got back into the ring. Miz then gloated about his win, leading MVP to take him out with the playmaker. Nice work here from these two.

Then it was on to Randy Orton challenging Sheamus for the WWE title. Now this is something that you don’t get to see in the WWE universe much, a heel versus heel battle. This certainly proved to be an interesting encounter, especially as far as the crowd reaction was concerned. As the match went on they really started to get behind Orton, even though his character and demeanour didn’t change at all. The performances of both Orton and Sheamus can’t be faulted, and it was a very good match, with Sheamus getting the disqualification win when Cody Rhodes ran through the crowd and attacked Sheamus at ringside. After the match Orton went ape on Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, who came down to the ring to try and diffuse the situation. Orton laid them both out, before Sheamus recovered and took Orton down with the big boot. Me thinks we’ve seen the beginning of the end of the Legacy.

The Divas were up next, with Michelle McCool defending the Women’s title against Mickie James. This was the take it or leave it part of the show, McCool did the usual Piggy James bit, with Lela El in a fat suit, before James finally came down to the ring and got the quick title win after taking McCool down with a jumping DDT. James’ fellow baby face Divas then came to the ring with a big cake, which ended up being dumped in the faces of the now former champion and her best buddy. Well, it wasn’t much of a match or an angle, and hopefully this will be the end of this sorry affair.

Thankfully, normal service was resumed when Rey Mysterio challenged the Undertaker for the World title. This looked like a complete mismatch on paper, but it was by far the best of the undercard matches. Once again Mysterio played the part of the plucky underdog to perfection, getting the life beat out of him by the dead man, but always coming back strongly later on. Towards the end it looked like Mysterio could get the win after two 619s, but the Undertaker countered the west coast pop and got the title retaining pin after the last ride. A great match, a lot better than it had any right to be though.

Then it was on to the main event, the Royal Rumble match itself. Well, it proved to be as entertaining as ever, with numerous good performances, and a massive surprise. Early highlights were provided by C.M. Punk, with several eliminations, and as the match went on things got better and better, with the storyline surrounding Shawn Michaels the main focal point, as he tried to win the match so he could get another shot at the Undertaker. Then we got the big surprise. Entrant number 29 was none other than Edge, returning early from his Achilles tendon injury. Moments later Michaels found himself eliminated at the hands of last entrant Batista, before Edge finished the match by eliminating John Cena to earn his spot in the main event at Wrestlemania. A surprising ending perhaps, but a good one, and a welcome return for the rated R superstar.

In conclusion – the Royal Rumble kicked off WWE’s pay-per-view year in style. Apart from the awful Divas encounter, the undercard delivered big time, and the drama surrounding Shawn Michaels and the return of Edge made the Rumble match worth watching. In short, this gets the seal of approval, and is recommended to anyone who buys it when it’s released on DVD.

It was only meant to be a one-off event, but last November Wrestleclash returned for a second show at the Darebin Community Sports Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, with a packed line-up featuring some of my favourite Aussie stars. And now it’s available to buy on a two disc set!

Disc one begins with an in-ring promo featuring the Three Kings faction of Carlo Cannon, Jag Hartley Jackson and Damian Slater before the first match of the show, Cannon taking on Robby Heart. This was a nice and very enjoyable opener. Cannon looked great as the heel, a lot more aggressive than I’ve seen him before, so no happy clappy stuff from him here. Heart was the perfect foil here, and he impressed me a great deal. So we got plenty of near falls and back and forth action, before Heart got the pin after a top rope splash. I’ve also got to mention Heart’s set-up move for the splash, an awesome jumping DDT.

Heart’s work wasn’t done though. As he walked up the aisle he was attacked by Jag and Slater. Krackerjak came out to help, only to be attacked by his opponent for the evening, Slex. The mass onslaught was halted by Matt Silva and Mikey Nicholls, with various insults thrown back and forth afterwards. If I’m to be perfectly honest this segment went on a little too long for my liking, and I’m not really sure if it was needed.

Tag team action followed as Mike Burr and A.J. Istria, accompanied by Julian James and Jay Andrews, took on Mike Peterson and Pyro, accompanied by Shazza McKenzie. This proved to be just as enjoyable as the opener. While Burr and Istria looked like a good team, Pyro and Peterson looked tremendous, clearly the best wrestlers in this match. Indeed, when Peterson threw Istria over the top rope onto the fighting wrestlers and managers at ringside with an exploder suplex move it looked like a thing of beauty. Sadly, Pyro and Peterson couldn’t get the job done, as Burr got the pin for his team after taking Pyro down with a brain buster. More after match activity followed, with the hated heels trying to do more damage, before Shazza came into the ring to help her boys clean house.

Then it was on to triple threat action, with Davis Storm, Shane Haste and Nate Dooley. This was a relatively short match, but featured plenty of fast paced action. I really warmed to Dooley’s comedic stylings here, while the performances of Haste and Davis were great. Add in some inventive three way moves and you’ve got a hell of a match, with Haste getting the pin on Dooley after taking him out with his variation of the GTS.

Up next was one of the matches I was really looking forward to as the hardcore bastard Krackerjak went up against Slex, two guys I’m very familiar with through their appearances on the Wrestlerock shows. Now this was one intense battle. There was a TNA-style brawl through the crowd, Jak back dropping Slex over a balcony, and then causing more damage by power bombing him through a table – and that was before they even got to the ring, where the action was just as intense. The referee took a snooze after Jak clobbered him with a kendo stick, and Slex later got a measure of revenge by putting Jak through a table with a flying stomp from the top rope to the floor. We also got a move I’ve never seen before as Slex took Jak down with a brain buster on the side of a shopping trolley. It wasn’t enough to put him away though. Slex thought he had the win with a roll-up, but the referee kicked his hand off the rope. This gave Jak the chance to get the pin with his own roll-up, the referee failing to spot that he himself had his hand on the ropes. The only other thing I can say about this one is awesome, just awesome.

The next match was another one I was really looking forward to, as the South Australian serial killer Jag Hartley Jackson went up against Mikey Nicholls. Another relatively short match, but a great example of just why Jag could be the best wrestler in Australia at the moment. It was a hard-hitting, no nonsense performance here, and while Nicholls put in a good effort, Jag was just that much better. Nicholls looked like he was going to get the win at one point though, after coming off the top with a shooting star press, but Jag’s buddy Carlo Cannon stopped the referee’s count, and this distraction gave Jag the chance to pile drive Nicholls onto a steel chair, and with the offending item shuffled out of the ring, Jag got the winning pin. Nice work all round here.

Disc two began with tag team action, with the Fitness Maniacs against two more guys I’m familiar with from Wrestlerock, Mad Dog and Cletus. This proved to be a very good match. Even though I’m not exactly a fan of the Maniacs’ gimmick (think of an Aussie version of the Body Donnas) I have to admit that Shaun O’Shea and Mikey Broderick are a pretty good team, and this match was a perfect example of that. Mad Dog, and especially Cletus, looked pretty good too, which is what made this match so enjoyable. The Maniacs’ underhanded tactics proved to be their undoing. After Broderick mistakenly threw powder into O’Shea’s eyes when Cletus ducked out of the way, Mad Dog took O’Shea down with a pile driver, before Cletus sealed the deal with a splash from the top of Mad Dog’s shoulders as he sat on the top rope. Good stuff.

Then it was on to the main event, with Matt Silva facing Damian Slater for the vacant Warzone Wrestling Championship. The pre-match video set this one up perfectly. Silva and put on a hell of a performance, a hard fought, back and forth enthralling contest, the sort of match that you don’t want to end, it was that good. The performances of those concerned really can’t be faulted, and after plenty of near falls, and attempted interference from Slex, Slater finally got the title winning pin after taking Silva down with a super kick. Slater’s fellow Kings then came down to the ring to join the celebration and to attack Silva, before the baby faces ran in to make the save.

Plenty of extras spread over the two discs here, including various promos, video packages and a photo gallery.

In conclusion – I’ve really missed my regular dose of Australia wrestling, and Wrestleclash 2 was the perfect way to get my fix. The matches here ranged from good to great to friggin’ awesome, with some great performances from some of my old favourites. Production-wise it can’t be faulted, except for one thing – the lack of commentary. The likes of Chris Fresh or the aforementioned Julian James would have been perfect in building up the big matches.

But seeing as how that is my only criticism of this release then I can heartily say that Wrestlerock 2 comes highly recommended, and if my past Wrestlerock reviews haven’t turned you on to Australian wrestling then hopefully this one will.

With thanks to Rohan Herbstreit for supplying a copy of this release. Wrestleclash 2 is available to buy online at www.wrestleclash.com.

– During an interview with the Mexican newspaper Esto, Rey Mysterio said that he was two to three years away from retirement. However, he made sure to note that his future in the industry hinges on the reconstructive knee surgery he is getting in April — providing he lasts that long.

When asked who will be his replacement as the top Mexican star in WWE when he leaves, he mentioned Dos Caras, Jr. (Alberto Banderas ring name), Super Nova (the son of El Texano) and Incognito; all of whom are in WWE’s developmental system. However, he said he doesn’t see any of them as his replacement “because WWE doesn’t work that way.”

Mysterio also said that his match at the Royal Rumble would be a three-way bout with Undertaker and Batista — which has since been changed.

– Former WCW performer Norman Smiley, who works alongside Billy Kidman as a trainer at Florida Championship Wrestling, is now doing a television role as the Lieutenant General Manager of FCW.

– WWE’s latest music album, WWE The Music: Volume 10 – A New Day, is out today. Tracks featured include the theme songs of Bret Hart, The Miz, Ezekiel Jackson, Legacy, Dolph Ziggler, Christian, Sheamus, Tiffany, Evan Bourne, Primo, Zack Ryder, The Hart Dynasty, The Bella Twins and Jerishow.

PHOTOS: Rey Mysterio UNMASKED! >>

– The short-term contract Jim Ross inked with WWE last month will be expiring in March.

The Wrestling Observer is speculating that his future with the company will be determined at the 3/1 Raw in Oklahoma City.

– Chris Jericho has been named the 2009 Wrestler of the Year in the 30th annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter readership awards. He is the first wrestler to win the award in consecutive years since Ric Flair in 1990.

The results are as follows:

1. Chris Jericho (269) 1,815
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi (97) 1,057
3. Naruki Doi (51) 751
4. CM Punk (53) 714
5. Randy Orton (67) 692
6. Jeff Hardy (46) 464
7. John Cena (32) 272
8. Davey Richards (11) 268
9. Bryan Danielson (20) 266
10. Kurt Angle (13) 254

– Attendance figures from over the weekend are as follows: 1/22 Raw live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri drew 4,262 fans; 1/23 SmackDown/ECW live in Evansville, Indiana drew 7,000; 1/24 Raw live in Champaign, Illinois drew 6,000 fans; 1/24 SmackDown/ECW live in Cleveland drew 9,000.

PHOTOS: Chris Jericho and Gregory “Hurricane” Helms Mug Shots! >>

One person with knowledge of the jurisdiction sent word that they will probably be given a 50 dollar fine and it could have been a situation as innocent as an officer smelling alcohol on their breath.

Mug shot photos of Chris Jericho and Gregory “Hurricane” Helms have surfaced online.

PHOTOS: Chris Jericho and Gregory “Hurricane” Helms Mug Shots! >>

It’s time to enter the world of British mixed martial arts as once again I dip into the pile of A1 Productions DVDs. This time we’re heading back to Hartlepool and March 2008 for the Closed Combat Arena “Put Up of Shut Up” show.

The first four fights were kickboxing affairs, begi9nning with Kristina Pook against Jen Walsh. This was a nice little exhibition bout, with Walsh clearly the better fighter. The referee declared the fight a draw afterwards.

The action continued with Brett Ramshaw against Matt Fidler. With the rounds lasting only ninety seconds, the pace of this one was quite frantic, except when Fidler’s ill-fitting head guard kept falling off. Fidler dispersed with the guard for the remainder of the fight, and it helped him no end, as Ramshaw was on the canvas twice, with the referee giving the fight to Fidler.

The kickers continued with Karl Pugh and Nick Clougher. No head guards to worry about in this one, and it was a far more entertaining fight because of it. Pugh put on a good performance, putting Clougher on his backside in the first, and twice more in the second. After the first knockdown in the second Clougher looked like he’d had enough, so it wasn’t a surprise when the ref stepped in, giving Pugh the deserved TKO win.

Next was Andy Hanlon against Danny Thompson. This was another of those frantic fast paced battles, with both guys swinging from the trees from the opening bell, and both scoring with some good shots, with Hanlon getting the decision.

The MMA action began with Michael Lund facing Simon Ng. This was a pretty even fight. Ng controlled the action in the first after a take down, going for a guillotine as the round ended. Lund came back strongly in the second with a big slam and kimura attempt, before taking Ng’s back after a second take down. So with both men winning a round, the referee declared the fight a draw, although I got the feeling that Lund would have take it if the rounds had been longer.

Then it was on to James Fleet, taking on Alfas Miah. Fleet came forward early here, only to find himself in a couple of clinches against the cage, before Miah took the fight to the ground. However, as he landed Fleet took Miah’s back, and quickly transitioned to the guard. It was long though before Miah locked in an arm bar, with Fleet tapping mere seconds later, ending a very enjoyable fight.

Action from Adam Mossap against Kristian Warham followed. The second two rounder to go the distance was another even affair, with both men getting their share of take downs and submission attempts. Once again the referee couldn’t separate the fighters as he declared it a draw, although I thought that Warham had just nicked it.

Mark Pendlington against Henry Jack was next. There was really no doubt who was going to win this one. From the moment the fight started Pendlington controlled almost every aspect, especially on the ground, as Jack looked like the proverbial fish out of water. The only thing that Pendlington was missing was a finishing move, but what he did was enough to earn the decision.

Then it was on to Christopher O’Keefe, taking on Amir Azam. Unlike the other fights that went the distance this was a more one-sided affair as Azam controlled the action on the ground in the first. O’Keefe had his moments in the second, but his failure to obey his corner’s orders during his brief moments of superiority cost him as Azam took the decision with a very good performance.

On to Matt Fleet against Andy Treen. A good performance by Treen as he controlled the fight whenever it went to the ground. Fleet got a couple of take downs, but Treen reversed immediately, and soon transitioned into his desired position after the second take down so he could apply an arm bar. Nice work here.

Next up, Damian Rounding versus Chris Douglas. This was another of those good back and forth affairs. An inadvertent low blow by Douglas seemed to spur Rounding on as he controlled the remainder of the first round. Douglas came back well in the second and showed some great ground work, but another inadvertent blow, this time to the throat, halted any momentum he had built up, which probably cost him the decision as well as Rounding came back strongly in the final few seconds.

Kalum Lodge versus Elliot McGlade was next on the agenda. The blink and you’ll miss it affair. Both men threw some wild kicks at the beginning, before McGlade applied a standing guillotine, quickly pulling guard, with Lodge tapping seconds later. A really good performance by McGlade here.

Malcolm Maize against Keith Kennedy followed that rather quick affair. Slugfest is probably the best way to describe this one. A big left from Maize sent Kennedy down early on, and although he looked like he was going to win the fight there and then, Kennedy came back strongly. Maize’s mistake was that he kept looking for another big left, and this one dimensional approach played right into Kennedy’s hands as his combinations saw him getting the TKO victory.

Then it was on to Thomas Izzett against Oobie Rahman. Another nice back and forth affair saw Rahman throwing some good kicks in the first, only for Izzett to take him down, dominating whenever the fight went down to the mat. The roles were reversed in the second though as Rahman was able to get the take down early in the second, quickly moving to side control so he could apply an arm bar for submission victory.

Michael Young was next, taking on Shaun Crawford. This one went to the ground immediately, as we got an entertaining exchange of submission attempts, before Young went for his second guillotine attempt. Crawford fought it at first with a few fists to the ribs before the inevitable tap out. If only all ground work was like this!

The penultimate fight saw Peter Biggins going up against Rob Hughes. This fight went downstairs quickly when Hughes pulled guard after a clinch against the cage. He then went straight for an arm bar, and although Biggins tried to slam his way out three times, Hughes managed to synch the hold in fully for the submission win, another fight with some very good ground work.

The final fight of the show saw Ian Cooper tackling Gary Firby. Another quick fight saw Cooper knocked on his backside early on, but he soon took the guard after Firby followed him to the ground. Cooper quickly established control, with the referee quickly stepping in after Cooper’s relentless ground and pound, a good fight to round off the show with.

The only extras come in the form of a musical photo montage.

In conclusion – a very enjoyable release from A1 Productions here, a good blend of kickboxing and MMA action. There was some really good talent on display here, some to keep an eye out for in the future. However, I do feel somewhat disappointed again by the lack of on-screen graphics when the fighters entered the cage, so unless you’ve got a print out telling you the results for review purposes, those watching this may get a little confused.

But then again, this is the only downside of this release, and I’m once again able to recommend a slice of British MMA action.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. To purchase a copy of Closed Combat Arena: Put Up or Shut Up, contact Tom via www.fight-factory.co.uk.

In my last my last column I think I was a tad over optimistic about the regime change in TNA. I have all the respect in the world for Uncle Eric because when it comes to production the man is a proven winner. Wrestling on the other hand and he has just been very lucky. He got lucky with the N.W.O. because by all accounts something like that should have never worked. Here we are almost fifteen years later and he’s still trying to get some blood from that stone when it was bled dry a decade ago. I can’t believe it’s 20 FUCKING ten and here I am writing about WCW being driven into the ground again. Only difference is TNA never got off the ground to begin with.

Oh sure TNA has made it farther and longer then it has had any right to, but the problem with TNA is they have always thought they were bigger then they really are. TNA at best is a regional promotion that just happens to have a national television deal. It drives me nuts that I have to keep bringing up these points, but if I don’t whom else will (well aside from everyone else on the internet doing it)?

Moving along a video surfaced on the Internets of one of the production people telling everyone not to curse, throw up certain hand gestures and gang signs. The part that has made for a lot of fun debate on the net is when TNA Director of Production Steve Small tells the Impact Zone that they are cast members.

Click here to see the video if you haven’t all ready. If it’s not there just search TNA Cast Members on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVi3U-7YqhM

Now in the early part of this decade when I was going to school for television production and I had hope for the future, I worked the soundboard in the little studio at my college in the studio. It is a load of crap to say you can’t mute the audience. I am guessing the set up at Universal is a tad bit more complicated then the one at my old CUNY school, but it’s still all the same in the end. All of the mic’s go into the board and you have all these faders. On Impact when the crowd was chanting BULLSHIT BULLSHIT they were lowering the master. What they should have done as this guy in the video points out is lower the individual mic’s. Maybe not all 84 but they could have easily cut the audience with out muting everything and making TNA look even worse then it all ready does.

The cast member line though was funny to say the least. See this is not the first time TNA has done this sort of stuff. It happened long ago in the old days of TNA when they were in Nashville. Back then on the right side of the isle way there were a group of fans known as The Heel Section. They used to cheer for all the heels and boo all the faces. A lot of the TNA wrestlers liked these guys and they even wore Heel Section t-shirts. Of course TNA management didn’t like them and one week suddenly the Heel Section wasn’t there. If one wants to they can search on the Internet way back machine and they can find the Heel Section’s take on what happened. Since this is close to five years ago I am going to give the paraphrased cliff notes version as told to me by one of the Heel section guys himself.

Basically after every show down in Nashville everyone would go to I think a local IHOP or diner of some sort. Bob Ryder (of 1Wrestling.com and WCW’s 900 number) was working for TNA and he told the guys in the heel section the following. Bare in mind I am only paraphrasing here but this is pretty much the jist of it.

”TNA is our show and you’ll cheer and boo who ever we tell you to. If you don’t we’ll find people who will”

Back when I was on LOP I remember writing a column and mentioning this and the humorous “BORASH FEARS THE HEEL SECTION” pic I put as the header using my blank sign Kanyon template actually got posted on the heel section website. TNA’s position was these guys are just putting themselves over everyone else. Well they was probably true, but much like right now back then things were pretty much the same so we all were just rooting for the people who deserved to be rooted for. If they were a heel then so be it. I mean some how it’s always the lowly fan’s fault when they boo and complain about the product and instead of fixing it TNA’s solution is always demonize the fans rather then correct the problem.

Now I don’t know if the video in question was directed at any one group of fans in particular, but I think it just proves my theory that TNA would rather piss off it’s audience rather then try and fix it’s problems.

I did laugh at the notion that they are trying to be family friendly and appeal to children so we wouldn’t want to teach kids how to flip the bird or learn curse words. I mean for me personally I never learned any of the seven dirty words and then some while I was in school in the schoolyard during lunch or recess. And I certainly never learned how to flip some one off or give them the Italian salute there either…

The way I figure it TNA doesn’t have to go out before shows and beg the crowd not to chant obscene words or use obscene gestures. There is a very simple solution that will get everyone to stop doing this sort of stuff.

Now if anyone from TNA is reading this you might want to get ready to copy and paste this onto another word or text document.

Okay are you ready?

Here is the Phantom Lord approved sure-fire way to get fans from stop chanting BS and other obscene sayings and such…

STOP PUTTING ON A FUCKING BULLSHIT PRODUCT AND DRIVING US INSANE. THAT’S HOW YOU FUCKING DO IT.

STOP RIPPING OFF FUCKING MONTREAL. WE DON’T WANT TO SEE FUCKING SCREWJOBS OR BOSS VS. EMPLOYEE OR N FUCKING W FUCKING O REDUX. STOP PUTTING ON BULLSHIT AND WE’LL STOP SAYING IT.

I feel better now that I’ve communicated that with you. If anyone from TNA would like to discuss this further it’s not that hard to get in contact with me.

Seriously I was pondering that this week. I’ve been writing this column for pretty much the last decade. I’ve been on some of the “biggest” sites on the net and I’m wondering how come I don’t have any sources?

Surely there must be plenty of people inside TNA or the WWE or any company who want to spill some info. I can only imagine when it comes to TNA the sheets have only scratched the tip of the iceberg.

The Hogan era is not off to the best of starts. We’re only about three weeks in but if this is what we have to look forward to I am almost tempted to say put Jarrett and his lackey’s back in power. I knew going in with Hulk Hogan you had to take everything he said with a grain of salt the size of a boulder. Oh I’m gonna show all these guys the art of wrestling and we’re gonna do this and do that…

Buuuuuulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

So far all Hulk Hogan has shown us is if you are a buddy of his he can get you a gig. The Nasty Boys are back on television and in a high profile feud. Bubba The Love Sponge became the backstage interviewer (though that might be done with now). I’m honestly surprised Brutus Beefcake hasn’t show up yet to beat Eric Young for the Legends title or something.

Being a buddy of Hogan isn’t all bad though. If Greg The Hammer Valentine and The Faces Of Fear showed up soon I wouldn’t complain.

People also on the Hulkamania tour now find themselves in TNA. Mr. Ke…Anderson is being positioned to be a top heel. Sean Morley despite still doing the Val Venis gimmick is as solid as it gets in the ring and if anyone deserves a good run it’s him. The only one I can’t understand is Orlando Jordan. This guy has never had an upside and TNA is pushing him like he’s this huge star when in reality he’s not. Jordan’s only claim to fame is Chris Benoit demolishing him in less than 30 seconds on two occasions and being a really bad Chief of Staff for JBL. He beats The Pope D’Angelo Dinero who is actually way over and will probably have a huge year for TNA in 2010.

Many TNA fans are having a fit about these guys being in TNA and them “going over”. With the exception of Jordan I don’t see what the problem is. Anderson gets a bad rap just because of his previous injuries and being perceived as sloppy in the ring. No one is perfect in the ring. Miscues do happen so I wouldn’t hold it against him. The former Val Venis seemed to really get some TNA fans in a tizzy when he beat Christopher Daniels at the Genesis PPV.

Now I thought the match was really good so I don’t know what everyone was complaining about. I honestly think some people complain for the sake of complaining.

TNA is a huge work in progress. Right now TNA does not care about work rate or who’s matches rated what. All they care about is ratings and somehow in the mist of all of this confusion TNA’s ratings are actually up and in the end that’s all that counts.

Personally if I were in charge I would stop worrying about whom to bring in next as a huge surprise and start working on promoting the damn product. TNA’s biggest problem always has been the fact that they cannot promote shit. They do all of these BIG matches and no one knows they are on because they don’t announce or promote them ahead of time. I never did understand what the point of throwing away potential big matches on television with out even promoting was. Then again TNA is following the late 90’s WCW model down to the letter. The Impact Girls cannot be far behind at this point.

On the flip side of things where TNA continues to drive a person mad there is at least a glimmer of hope in wrestling and his name is CM Punk.

Punk and his Straight Edge Society has been the best thing on all of television and last week they cranked it up another notch. Punk is doing a pseudo Jesus Christ gimmick and he has been dancing a fine line of blasphemy and it is awesome to watch.

On last Friday’s Smackdown Punk came out with Luke Gallows by his side and he cut another amazing promo running down the crowd for being weak-minded people who need their crutches. All of a sudden this chick dives over the barricade and runs up to him. You have to love the lax security that allowed her to do half a lap around the ring to get to Punk.

After the security came to do their damn job Punk said no let her come to me, I’ll take the responsibility. We find out the girls name is Serena and I guess being she’s supposed to be super hyper ADHD or something so I guess her vice was being on prescriptions that didn’t work. The part that seems to have some people saying a line was crossed was when Punk shaved her head. Matt Striker’s comment that Punk found his Mary Magdalene really put over the whole segment and what he’s doing.

For me personally, I’m a lapse Catholic so I’m not really offended by any of the Christian overtones being done with this whole thing. It’s like I said, he’s dancing a fine line on blasphemy right now. My father or as he’s known to my long time readers as Phantom Classic thought they did cross all kinds of lines and found it offensive. There’s just something about shaving a woman’s head that seems to be in bad taste for some. I did ask him if this were the old days would someone try to shoot Punk and he said of course.

That right there says you are doing your job right. If you are a heel and someone tries to take a shot at you then you are doing something right. I hope they continue ratcheting up the level of stuff they are doing right now. Rumor has it this is all leading to a Rey Mysterio/Punk match Wrestlemania where it will be Mask vs. Hair. A lot can change between now and then, but who ever defeats Punk and shaves his head will get nuclear babyface heat. Punk then crying about being a Straight Edge martyr would also be great stuff. It could in theory even go longer then that so I really hope things continue the way they are going and poor Serena Deeb didn’t get her head shaved for nothing.

Apparently she is a pretty good wrestler and she had been in OVW for the longest of times before going to FCW. She had been doing some sort of mobster’s daughter gimmick under the name of Mia Mancini. It probably could have been adopted into some sort of Jersey Shore thing but Vince won’t get around to seeing that until sometime in the next decade. If Serena can win the Women’s championship from The Undertaker’s old lady I will be very happy. I’ll be very happy if ANYONE wins it from her. This whole Piggie James thing will be for nothing if no one steps up to the plate and knocks her off her perch.

If it were anyone else other then McCool odds are she would be the most hated woman in wrestling. But McCool has this quality about her that comes off as X-Pac heat. So I can’t wait till this whole Piggie James thing is over. Who ever beat’s her will be heralded as the savior of women’s wrestling in the WWE.

The only other thing I am waiting for in the WWE is to see where the hell the angle with Bret Hart and Vince McMahon is going. I really hope they just go all out with it because as I said in my previous column, closure on Montreal would be so great for everyone. As an added bonus once there is closure then NO ONE CAN EVER DO IT AGAIN.

YOU HEAR ME TNA…ONCE BRET BEATS VINCE THAT’S IT. NO MORE SCREW JOBS…WRESTLING’S DARK CHAPTER IS FINALLY CLOSED.

As you can tell I hate the Montreal Screw job and any time it’s rehashed.

Bret locking Vince in the sharpshooter and Vince screaming and begging for mercy…why that’s almost worth the obscene amount of $54.95 they will be charging.

Well on that note I am done for this week. The Royal Rumble is next week but I doubt anyone has noticed with the shoddy build up they’ve done for it. And the price for the PPV is up to $44.95. See this is the reason why PPV buyrates are down. It’s because they cost to damn much. It’s laughable that TNA charges $34.95 and the WWE jacked up the prices simply because they didn’t want to look weak compared to the UFC…BUT THEY AREN’T COMPETING WITH THEM. NOPE, THERE’S NO COMPETITION HERE AT ALL.

So until next time I’ll be counting down the days till Cheech & Chong host RAW. That my friends will be awesome. Tommy Chong is the man and don’t ever let anyone say otherwise.

Take care, and remember someone has to give you this information and it DAMN well has got to be me.

You can click here to send me any and all feedback at phantomlordnyc@yahoo.com or leave me some feedback in my Live Journal at phantomlord-lop.livejournal.com

And now the Plugs

Click here to visit the revamped HiFiHits.com for great classic rock in hi definition24/7

Click here to visit LethalWrestling.com: Home of Lethal Radio, The Re-Vamped Lethal Entertainment, and much much more hilarity and offensiveness

If you are bored bug me on that Myspace thing at Myspace.com/phantomlordlop

If you are really bored, follow me on that Twitter thing that is sweeping the Interweb

Mick Foley posted the following informatio on his MySpace blog:

For now, I’d just like to post some upcoming comedy dates. Unlike the shows I’ve done in the past, where I just went onstage with some general ideas, I’ve actually been working on material for these shows. I know that many comics try to hone one perfect act before adding new stuff, but I plan on trying out lots of different material at each of these shows. Hopefully, some of you will get a chance to check one out.

For more iformation, you can go to TotalExtremeComedy.com

February 3rd – Baltimore, Md.
The Baltimore Comedy Factory
baltimorecomedy.com
(410) 547-7798

February 6th – Las Vegas, Nevada
The Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino
lvhilton.com

March 5th – Manchester, New Hampshire
The Palace Theatre
palacetheatre.org

TNAStars.com Contests & Promotions: Check out what we’re giving away! ›››

Ross wrote about TNA writer Vince Russo’s regular “defenses” against the “media that covers wrestling.” Ross presented his perspective that TV wrestling writers are “under tremendous pressure and scrutiny,” but the key is “listening to objective critiques of the consumers” and paying attention to TV ratings trends.

TNAStars.com Contests & Promotions: Check out what we’re giving away! ›››

In a recent blog on his website, former professional wrestling star Lance Storm made the following comments.

On the Six Sided Ring:
“The first thing I noticed about the show was the return to a regular wrestling ring, which I have to say, is a big positive. I never liked the 6 sided ring and thought it just screamed “Silly Gimmick”, so I welcomed the return to a conventional ring.”

On the Ric Flair/AJ Styles Pairing:
“I’m not going to say this is wrong or even a definite bad idea, only time will tell for sure, but I hated AJ Styles as the new Nature Boy. There are a ton of things that needed fixing in TNA but AJ Styles isn’t one of them. One of the reasons the Nature Boy gimmick worked so well for Ric Flair was that he lived it; he really did live this life style. AJ Styles is about as far from this gimmick in real life as humanly possible.”

On Mick Foley & The British Invasion:
“I do want to give a HUGE thumbs up to Mick Foley for delivering very safe chair shots to the heads of the British Invasion. With everything we know about concussions those were the kind of chair shots the industry needs to be delivering. Guys getting killed with unprotected chair shots to the head makes me turn off a program.”

On The Orlando Screw Job:
“And then for the Finale we got the Montreal finish. Are you F’N kidding me? The most over done, bullshit finish in wrestling and we not only got it again, we got an exact carbon copy of it; all we needed was for Kurt to draw WWE in the air at the finish. This finish is so old and so stale it doesn’t draw heat it draws groans of disappointment. My first reaction to this (after my groan of disappointment) was: “Hey that reminds me, WWE is finally doing the conclusion to this 12 year old angle on RAW, I’ll have to be sure to watch that show on Monday!” On top of all that there were a ton of plot holes in this angle.”

Read the full blog here:

http://www.stormwrestling.com/012310.html

TNAStars.com Contests & Promotions: Check out what we’re giving away! ›››

In a sign that tension between might be thawing between Bubba the Love Sponge and TNA management, a profile has been added for the shock jock on the promotion’s website. It isn’t a large profile, just stating that he’s a radio personality on Sirius XM and a new backstage interviewer for TNA.

Other new profiles include Eric Bischoff, Angelina Love, Ken Anderson, and Brian Kendrick.

It is being reported that Kevin Nash is unhappy with the nickname “The Band” for the trio of himself, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman. For those who don’t remember, Kevin Nash used to use this line when he talked about the nWo in WCW, often saying, “We’re getting the band back together!”

Nash feels that the reference is dated and thus doesn’t work with the TNA audience.

TNAStars.com Contests & Promotions: Check out what we’re giving away! ›››

Did you grow up watching Gordon Solie?

Now, you can relive those happy memories in his official biography:

The Solie Chronicles:
The Life and Times of Gordon Solie

Available at http://CrowbarPress.com

Bill Apter-Gordon Solie Review on YouTube:
“Did you ever find that book that you couldn’t put down? Well, I found it; The Solie Chronicles.”

Mr. Media, Bob Andelman
“Pam, her husband, Robert Allyn and Scott Teal have written a fascinating new book about her dad, The Solie Chronicles. It is a refreshing, honest look at a legend who was more than a little bit human.”

Bob D’Angelo, Tampa Bay Online
“The Solie Chronicles is more than history. It is a peek into the life and times of one of the top announcers in broadcasting history. Critics might sneer that Solie made his mark in pro wrestling, but there is no denying that his even-handed, straight-faced delivery fit was a perfect companion to the mayhem he was describing.”

Mike Mooneyham, Charleston Post-Courier
“The Allyns, aided by wrestling historian Scott Teal, went through literally thousands of personal notes and documents in compiling bits and pieces of Solie’s career and weaving the material into a highly enjoyable read.”

Alex Marvez,(Scripps Howard News Service)
“The Solie Chronicles was an eight-year labor of love for the Allyns. Working with esteemed wrestling historian and co-author Scott Teal, more than 70 interviews were conducted about Solie. The Allyns researched Solie’s background to learn about the genealogy he rarely discussed (Solie was actually born Jonard Frank Labiak in Minneapolis before legally changing his name).”

Author Bob Allyn
“One of the coolest parts of working on The Solie Chronicles was the opportunity to interview over 65 people who knew Gordon Solie. One man in particular stands out to me during this holiday season and that is why I am sharing an excerpt from the book with you”

Joey Kovar — the muscle head from “Real World: Hollywood” and this season of “Celebrity Rehab” — has found a new way to keep off drugs: body slams, suplexes and sleeper holds.

We spoke to Jimmy Blaze — who runs a wrestling organization called POWW Entertainment — and he tells TMZ Kovar has already begun his training regimen with the company … and will start wrestling for POWW in a couple months.

Blaze says the plan is to get the reality star/recovering addict in the big leagues … starting with a contract with TNA — Total Nonstop Action Wrestling — on Spike TV.

The reason for TNA in particular? We’re told it’s because Hulk Hogan just signed with them — and the Hulkster is Kovar’s biggest hero. Awww.

TNAStars.com Contests & Promotions: Check out what we’re giving away! ›››