As a wrestling fan, days like yesterday bring about mixed emotions. On the one hand, it isn’t pleasant to see a form of entertainment that you are passionate about going through a difficult time. But there is no denying that the wrestling industry has serious issues that are long overdue in being addressed. Now, they have to be addressed, and that’s a good thing because it is literally a matter of life and death.

As I’m sure everyone is aware, WWE suspended 10 wrestlers for violations of its wellness policy based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany, N.Y., district attorney’s office.

The names of the suspended wrestlers were not made public, although WWE said that it will disclose the names of wrestlers who have failed wellness tests starting in November. However, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site yesterday that 14 wrestlers have received steroids and/or human growth hormone through Signature Pharmacy, the Florida pharmaceutical company under investigation. On the list was: Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Shane Helms, Randy Orton, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy, Funaki, Brian Adams, Charlie Haas, Umaga, William Regal, Edge and Sylvain Grenier. Also reported to be clients of Signature Pharmacy were Batista and Chris Masters, by ESPN, and King Booker, Simon Dean and Santino Marella, by the New York Daily News.

I certainly don’t disagree with those who contend that WWE only suspended the 10 wrestlers yesterday because of the scrutiny it has been under since the Chris Benoit family tragedy and the fact that Congress has called for hearings on performance-enhancing drugs in wrestling next month. WWE’s decision to be reactive rather than proactive to an obvious steroid problem is very similar to how Major League Baseball dealt with the same issue.

The fact is that this is not just a WWE problem, it’s a professional wrestling problem. While it is fair to criticize the validity of WWE’s wellness policy, at least the company has a policy in place. TNA, which last I checked, is also part of the wrestling industry, not only does not have a drug policy, but it has welcomed with open arms wrestlers who have a history of drug issues.

TNA has been flying under the radar, just as WWE had for so many years because it wasn’t considered a true sport. Those days are over, and like I said earlier, that’s a good thing. In the short term, business might suffer as wrestling goes through its cleansing process and major stars serve suspensions, throwing existing story lines and booking plans into disarray. But the long-term health of the industry, and, more importantly, its performers, will be better off.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

Some thoughts on last night’s Raw:

After getting pinned clean Sunday night at SummerSlam, Randy Orton needed to make a big splash on Raw to keep his feud with John Cena going. Mission accomplished.

Orton attacked John Cena’s father – who was seated at ringside – and delivered the dreaded kick to the head (which looked great, by the way). Now, the Cena-Orton feud isn’t just about the title, it’s personal.

When Cena denied Orton’s demand for an immediate rematch in the opening segment, and Vince McMahon told Orton that he would have to do something to prove that he deserved another title shot, the stage was set. I’m sure some people saw it coming with Cena’s father, but it was a great angle nonetheless. I’m looking forward to the Cena-Orton rematch, which, hopefully, will result in Orton winning the title. …

While Orton certainly got his heat back, King Booker did not. It looks like Booker really was just fodder for Triple H’s return match. Speaking of Triple H, I really like him in the smart aleck babyface role that he was playing last night. I have always thought he was much more entertaining as a babyface, and I hope he doesn’t turn heel any time soon. …

It was good to see Jeff Hardy back from his “hiatus.” He and Mr. Kennedy were having a great match before Umaga interfered. …

Looks like the Umaga babyface experiment is over. He’s definitely better suited to be a heel. …

Where was Santino Marella, the most entertaining man in sports entertainment? Without Marella, there were no laugh-out-loud comedy segments, although Triple H, McMahon and Carlito tried hard.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

I’ll give WWE credit for one thing: The finishes of the three world title matches at last night’s SummerSlam pay-per-view definitely weren’t predictable. With that being said, I was a little disappointed with the show.

It’s not that the event was bad, but it didn’t feel as special as the past three SummerSlams. In my opinion, SummerSlam is WWE’s second-biggest event of the year, so as a fan, I expect more from it than I would from some of the lower-profile WWE pay-per-views. At a show like this, titles should change hands and major feuds should come to a clear conclusion. When people spend money for a marquee pay-per-view, that’s what they expect to see. I thought there was a strong possibility that all three world titles, and possibly the Intercontinental title, could change hands. None did.

The crowd was red hot for the main event between WWE champion John Cena and Randy Orton, and the two had a very good match, but it would have been much more memorable had Orton won. I had no problem with Cena having an 11-month reign as champion, but I thought that Orton was the right guy and this was the right time for a title switch. As I watched the match, I started to get the feeling that Cena would prevail, because Orton was in control far too much for him to be winning. Sure enough, Cena pulled it out with the FU and the clean pin.

The match that really had me groaning at the finish was the bout between world heavyweight champion The Great Khali and Batista. At SummerSlam, I want to see a conclusive finish in world title matches. What we got instead was Khali being disqualified for using a chair. That’s an ending fit for a house show or Smackdown, but not SummerSlam. Even JBL, who usually favors the heels, said that “the fans deserved better.” Batista has been trying unsuccessfully to regain the title since losing it to The Undertaker at WrestleMania. I agreed with him not taking it from Undertaker and Edge, but I don’t understand the decision to keep the belt on Khali. At this point, the fans should be losing confidence in Batista because he can’t win the big one.

The same goes for C.M. Punk. I like John Morrison as ECW champion, but Punk is more over and it seemed like his time to be champion. Wrong again. Punk was pinned by Morrison, who had his feet on the ropes. Morrison has now pinned Punk on three consecutive pay-per-views. I really don’t care to see Punk get another shot, because if the champion has defeated you three straight times, you shouldn’t get another chance. The problem is that ECW’s roster is thin and there is no babyface over enough to challenge Morrison, so I’m guessing the Punk-Morrison program will continue.

A few other observations on the pay-per-view:

The crowd was pumped to see Triple H, who looked to be in great shape. There was nothing wrong with his match against King Booker, although I thought it would go a little longer and have a more exciting finish. With Triple H hitting the Pedigree and winning clean in the middle of the ring, I hope Booker is going to lay out Triple H on Raw tonight to get his heat back and continue the feud. …

Rey Mysterio looked good in his win over Chavo Guerrero, but what was up with that silver paint? …

I was surprised that Umaga retained the Intercontinental title in the triple-threat match with Mr. Kennedy and Carlito, especially because there was an opportunity for him to drop the belt without getting pinned. I also didn’t expect Kennedy to do the job. …

Jim Ross had the line of the night when he said during the main event that Orton’s “soul is dripping with malice.” …

Having MVP and Matt Hardy on the show was a nice surprise. Steve Austin showing up was even nicer. When Hardy said he was going to bring out someone with expertise in beer-drinking, I was hoping it was Austin and not The Sandman. …

In another ending that I didn’t see coming, a series of skits with Vince McMahon climaxed with the chairman engaging in a liplock with Mae Young. It was about time Vince had to kiss the frisky octogenarian after all those years of scripting himself to make out with the likes of Sable, Trish Stratus, Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view:

WWE champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton: Cena has held the title since last September and it’s time for him to drop it. He will still be the top guy on Raw regardless of whether he has the belt or not, and it will keep his character fresh to have him in the role of the hunter rather than the hunted. These two work well together, so I expect a great match with Orton winning.

World heavyweight champion The Great Khali vs. Batista: When Edge went down with an injury last month and the title was put on The Great Khali, I figured Khali was just a transitional champion to set up Batista getting the belt. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

King Booker vs. Triple H: It seems obvious that Triple H would win clean in his much-anticipated return. But King Booker has become too entertaining of a character for it to be that simple. I expect Triple H to win, but in a disputed fashion that will continue their feud.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio: Unlike the Booker-Triple H match, I think this one will be more predictable. Mysterio wins clean in what should be a fantastic match.

ECW champion John Morrison vs. C.M. Punk: It’s hard to believe that all three world titles will change hands on one show, but I do think it’s time for Punk to get a run as champion. The fans are ready for it, and I don’t see any reason to drag out Punk’s chase any longer.

Intercontinental champion Umaga vs. Carlito vs. Mr. Kennedy: The logical finish seems to be Kennedy pinning Carlito to win the title, setting up a program between Kennedy and Umaga.

Kane vs. Finlay: This feud was started when Finlay accidentally spilled coffee on Kane. Didn’t a program between Kane and Chris Jericho from several years ago start the exact same way? Maybe Kane should watch where he’s going backstage. Kane needs a win and he will get one tonight.

Divas battle royal: The winner here gets a shot at WWE women’s champion Candice Michelle. I expect Beth Phoenix to win because she’s a fresh face and could get over as a heel because of her Amazonian features.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman has described herself as “nerdy” and a “shy bookworm” during her high school days, but she certainly came out of her shell later. She went on to become Miss Black America while at Spelman College in Atlanta (where she earned a degree in mathematics) before embarking on a career as a professional dancer. After touring with artists such as James Brown and Keith Sweat, she made her way into the wrestling industry as a member of the Nitro Girls in WCW.

Now, as Queen Sharmell, she is one half of WWE’s royal couple along with her husband King Booker (Booker Huffman). I spoke with her in a telephone interview yesterday:

Q: It appears that Booker and you are really having a lot of fun playing the King and Queen. What is it like for you?

A: It is so much fun, and when you have fun doing your job, it doesn’t seem like an actual job. It’s an amazing thing because it’s another chance for my husband and I to bond. It’s really delicate because we live and work together. We’re around each other 24/7, so the fact that we are having so much fun just makes it all the better. Otherwise it would be a huge disaster.

Q: You mentioned being around each other all the time. The wrestling business is tough on marriages because guys are on the road and away from home so much, but you alluded to the fact that traveling together has it positives and negatives.

A: Exactly. And sometimes it does get tough. But the thing is, we keep everything in perspective. Our job is our job, but our marriage is our marriage. We put each other first, and we make sure that we totally respect each other. I also have a little hint for all the women out there: Just let the man think that he’s right even though you know that you’re right. That alleviates a lot of arguments right there.

Q: You should talk to my wife.

A: (Laughs).

Q: Does Booker ever slip into character around the house and become King Booker?

A: Oh, my gosh, almost every other second of the day. He’s using this royal voice to talk to our dog and I’m just sitting there shaking my head and slapping my forehead. I’m like, “What are you doing?” But that goes back to he loves it so much. This is his passion and this is a great character. He loves portraying King Booker. We just have a lot of fun with it.

Q: At times, there has been a hint of conflict on-screen between you and Booker. In wrestling, there is a history of couples who break up on screen and then end up breaking up in real life. Is that something that you and Booker ever discuss or have concerns about?

A: Absolutely, it’s definitely something that we talk about. We’ve always said we can’t let this business come in between us; we can’t let this business break us up. Booker and I are partners in every sense of the word: personally, business-wise. I just want to see the best for him. I’m not jealous of his success; he’s not jealous of whatever attention I may get if I’m doing well on my job. But, yes, it is a constant concern because you can probably count on one hand, or a couple of fingers, the number of couples that have made it through in this industry. I’ve always said, though, the family that prays together stays together. And Booker and I pray together all the time, not only before and after all of his matches and the show – we pray for his safety as well as all the other guys and girls who are out there because anything can happen in this business – but we pray together when we’re at home. You’re married, so you know every married couple goes through challenges, especially when you’re together 24/7. So it is difficult, and we realize that marriage is work. But I love and adore my husband, and I can’t imagine my life without him. So I just keep focusing on that, and whatever problems we may have, we just work through them.

Q: The role of a good wrestling manager or valet is to enhance a wrestler and help him get over without overshadowing him. Is that something you take into account when you’re performing?

A: Absolutely. But the thing is, it’s easier for me because my husband has 17 years of experience in this business. He’s already huge, he’s already over, so I know my place. The fact that he can stand alone and he’s such a huge personality in this industry makes it even easier. There’s little chance that I’d ever overshadow him.

Q: There was a period of several years after WCW went down that you were out of wrestling. Was it tough, especially being married to a wrestler, to sit at home watching rather than being in the business performing?

A: You know, you’re the first person that has ever asked me that question. Yes, it was a very difficult transition for me. Even prior to wrestling, when I used to be a professional dancer touring with James Brown and all these other groups, I was still on the road. Sometimes I’d be gone for like three months at a time. Here, we’re maybe gone four days out of the week and home three. It’s a more consistent schedule, but you’re still on the road a lot. So when it came to the point where I was no longer involved and I was just at home, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I gained 10 pounds, I was trying to figure out what to do, so it was a very difficult adjustment period. I ended up going back to school, and once I got adjusted to that particular life, then WWE called me back, and I was like, “great,” because this is really where I want to be anyway.

Q: I remember back in WCW when all of the women were training under Madusa at the Power Plant in Atlanta, and I asked her who she thought was doing well. She said that if she had to single out one woman who could make it as a wrestler, it would be you. Do you have any regrets about not pursuing wrestling, or might you still get in the ring at some point?

A: Let me just tell you a quick little story. I saw Madusa – unfortunately, it was under a bad circumstance – not too long ago at Sherri Martel’s funeral. We got to have a long talk. Madusa was saying how Sherri taught her everything that she knows and kind of broke her into the business. And Madusa was saying how she kind of took to me at the Power Plant and really wanted to pass that on because I really was the one who was excelling and learning very fast. So, we had a long talk and I told her how much I appreciate that coming from her because she was an excellent worker, an excellent personality in the business and somebody great to look up to. She was really tough on me at the Power Plant, but I knew why. It never sent me home crying like some of the other girls. So I really appreciate her for that because it says a lot about her and it says a lot about the training that I put into it. Now having said that, I did have an injury from wrestling. I tore my ACL, my lateral meniscus and my joint capsule. That kind of put a little bit of trepidation in me when it comes to wrestling. I guess I feel more comfortable now doing what I’m doing because I get to stretch my acting chops and I’m more of a personality. That brings me more joy, but trust me, I am not opposed to getting into the ring because I did love that as well.

Q: You got into wrestling by joining the Nitro Girls, and I think you are the only one of the group who is still in wrestling. Do you keep in touch with any of them?

A: I keep in touch with them. Melissa, who was Spice, just recently had a baby boy, so I can’t wait to go see my little nephew. Chae is getting married Oct. 27, so I’m going to that wedding. Vanessa, who was Tygress, is still in Atlanta doing well. Teri, who was Fire, is working at the University of Phoenix – she’s doing great. All the girls, I keep in touch with them, and they’re doing great. Those are my sisters. I love them to death.

Q: How much did you know about wrestling before joining the Nitro Girls? Were you a fan?

A: My brother used to watch wrestling when we were growing up, so I would watch it with him periodically, but I sort of lost touch with it when I got into college. It wasn’t until after college that I got reconnected with it. I kind of wish I was a lifelong fan, but it was just kind of sporadic.

Q: Any thoughts or comments regarding Booker’s match with Triple H at SummerSlam on Sunday?

A: Triple H is coming back off of a very serious injury, so I’m not sure that “The Game” is going to be on top of his game. And even if he is on top of his game, it doesn’t matter, because I have the utmost faith in King Booker. King Booker is going to give Triple H a royal beat-down, and Queen Sharmell said so.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Even though a lawyer for Adam “Pacman” Jones said last month that the suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback would not be a heel in TNA, it looks as if the TNA creative team figured out that he had to a villain. There was no gray area on last night’s TNA Impact, as Jones and Ron Killings continued to torment crowd favorite Eric Young. Knowing how TNA loves to swerve the audience, however, I’m wondering if the plan still is to have Jones ultimately turn babyface. …

Speaking of swerves, it was beyond obvious that Team 3-D was going to interfere in last night’s handicap match between Kurt Angle and the Steiner Brothers after cutting a promo in which they apologized for their recent behavior. …

I like to watch Kurt Angle as much as the next person, but TNA is badly overexposing him by having him dominate the shows week after week. And as much as I enjoyed Karen Angle’s heel performance last week, it already is starting to get old. Perhaps if and when the show expands to two hours, it won’t seem like Kurt is in every segment. Then again, with another hour, TNA might script even more scenes for him. …

The video promoting the debut of Judas Mesias was well done and Jim Mitchell was tremendous as usual. I have always enjoyed Mitchell’s sinister character and thought that he should have been a bigger star. Here’s a quick story about Mitchell:

A month after WCW was sold in 2001, I was invited to Chris Kanyon’s place in Atlanta along with a bunch of former WCW wrestlers and office employees to watch WWE’s Backlash pay-per-view. Mitchell was there, and I took the opportunity to introduce myself and tell him that I enjoyed his work in ECW as The Sinister Minister. My wife, who is not a wrestling fan, accompanied me to the party, and I introduced her to Mitchell. Imagine the look on her face when she met eyes with this guy who had a long goatee, demonic-looking eyebrows, fingernails like a werewolf and a satanic ring. Not exactly your typical office party guest. What made it really creepy – or campy, depending on how you look at it – was that instead of wearing his usual ring garb, Mitchell was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals.

When I introduced Mitchell to her, I asked him if he went by Jim, James or something else, as those in the wrestling business frequently go by their gimmick names rather than their real names. “Any of those will do. Devil is also fine,” he said with a straight face. The only other time my wife has been that creeped out at an office party was the night she witnessed Sun columnist Peter Schmuck performing a karaoke version of “My Way.” Must be something about guys in Hawaiian shirts. …

I was saddened to read that Anchorwoman, the Fox reality series starring former WWE diva Lauren Jones and co-produced and co-written by former WCW colleague Chad Damiani, had been canceled after one episode. I still give Damiani kudos for getting a show on prime time network television. Despite the series’ quick demise, I think Jones’ stint on Anchorwoman lasted longer than her time in WWE. …

I conducted a phone interview with Queen Sharmell today that I will post tomorrow. Among the WCW talent that I worked with back in the day, she definitely was one of the most pleasant and articulate. It’s great to see her with such a prominent role in WWE. ...

Axl Rotten, Baltimore's own hardcore legend, will appear at the Eastern Wrestling Alliance show on Sept. 22 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.For more information, call 410-347-1410.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of reality television. In fact, I despise the genre. With that being said, I have to admit that I am excited about the debut of the reality series Anchorwoman on Fox tonight at 8.

The premise of the show is that a blonde bombshell with no reporting experience is hired to be an anchorwoman at a Texas television station to spike the ratings. Hilarity ensues.

What has me interested is that the show has a connection to pro wrestling. No, I’m not talking about model-turned-anchor Lauren Jones, who was a WWE diva for about five minutes. I’m talking about Chad Damiani, who is a co-executive producer and writer for the series.

Damiani’s name might not be familiar to a lot of fans, but he worked for WCW for several years and is a former colleague. In addition to writing for the magazine (which he really had a flair for), he also was involved with WCW’s Web site and hotline, did some work as an on-air talent and even helped lead the direction of WCW’s syndicated Worldwide show. Damiani always had the best gossip in WCW, as well. There is a great story involving Damiani and a former WWE diva that is right out of a Seinfeld episode (more on that later).

After WCW was sold, I figured he would end up working for WWE in some capacity, but we kept in touch sporadically and I knew he had aspirations in the entertainment industry beyond pro wrestling. I also knew with his talent, drive and work ethic that he would eventually find success.

I spoke with Damiani on the phone earlier today and he told me that he spent four years in Los Angeles pitching projects before finally getting a show on network prime time. He mentioned that his next project is a movie for Sony Screen Gems that he co-wrote called American Kamikaze. Directors are being interviewed and production should be under way at the end of the year, he said.

I applaud him for his perseverance and realization of a lofty goal. Now, onto the story.

One of the things I admired about Damiani during our WCW days was his confidence. Despite the fact that he had a thinning hairline and spare tire while in his late 20s, he aimed high when it came to pursuing women. Fortunately for him, that confidence combined with his sense of humor and charming personality made him desirable to attractive women who were interested in nice guys rather than muscled-up bad boys.

One of the women he was smitten with back in 2000 was a WCW talent (who shall remain nameless) who went on to work for WWE. After months of trying to get her to go out with him, he finally won her over. Hours before his big first date with her, Damiani, Jeremy Borash, myself and a couple other WCW Magazine staff members sat in the office of the magazine’s art director for a closed-door meeting. You’ll understand why the door was closed in a second.

Rather than having a conversation about some top-secret WCW business, we were engaging in an, um, intellectual discussion regarding the merits of noted Thespians of adult films. At some point, the names of several WCW divas were introduced into the conversation, including Damiani’s date. He went on to make a bold prediction in graphic detail about how his evening would conclude.

What Damiani didn’t realize, however, is that he had accidentally hit the redial button on his cell phone, and the entire conversation was – you guessed it – recorded on his date’s voicemail.

Needless to say, she didn’t think it was funny, and the date was permanently canceled. Hopefully, Damiani will have better success with Anchorwoman.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Some thoughts on last night’s Raw:

The gender of Mr. McMahon’s illegitimate child was revealed and, as expected, it’s male. WWE is not so subtly dropping hints on its programming and Web site that the son is Mr. Kennedy, which is exactly why I think it will end up being someone else. Kennedy would be a good choice – and The Wrestling Observer has reported that Kennedy was originally slated for the role – but if WWE is looking to surprise viewers, it has to go in another direction. If Bobby Lashley wasn’t going to be out of action for the next six months or so, I would think it was him. It would be a great story line if it was John Cena, but I don’t think it is. …

After laying out Cena on Saturday Night’s Main Event, Randy Orton did it again last night, injecting some much-needed heat to their feud heading into SummerSlam. I still wish Orton would have cut an intense promo explaining why he has regained his killer instinct the past few months after his career was floundering. Oh well, at least neither Orton nor Cena spent the entire show before the pay-per-view sobbing or having a therapy session with Kevin Nash. …

When King Booker announced that Triple H was going to be on the show to “crown” him, I immediately figured either a mini with a wig and fake nose or a jabroni with a wig and fake nose was coming out. There’s no way Triple H’s first appearance was going to be anywhere but at SummerSlam. By the way, Tazz sure did look like a chump just standing there while Booker bullied Jim Ross. …

The Ron Simmons-Santino Marella bits continue to be entertaining, but what happens when Simmons runs out of words that end in “am?” …

Umaga’s babyface turn hasn’t fully gotten over yet, as there wasn’t much of a pop for him when he came out for Carlito’s Cabana. The crowd didn’t react a whole lot to the Kennedy-Carlito match, either. Maybe it’s because it was a match-up of two heels. The inconclusive finish was predictable, as I knew as soon as Kennedy interrupted the Cabana that it was going to be a triple threat match at SummerSlam. …

Did my ears deceive me or was Snitsky billed as being undefeated? I realize that his many losses on house shows don’t count because the mentality is that if it didn’t happen on TV, then it didn’t happen. But are we supposed to forget that Snitsky lost quite a few times on television back in the days when he loved women’s feet as much as he now loves inflicting pain?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

When asked for his thoughts on Chris Jericho’s forthcoming autobiography, Mick Foley commented that he was enjoying reading the book, but “suddenly, all that enjoyment stopped as a wave of momentary panic crashed right into my literary ego. ‘Oh no,’ I thought. ‘What if this book is better than mine?’ ”

With all due respect to the hardcore legend and New York Times best-selling author, I recently finished reading an advanced copy of Jericho’s A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex, and I think it is better than Foley’s Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, which has been the measuring stick for wrestling books since it’s 1999 release.

I’m a big fan of Foley’s work, but I think the reason I enjoyed Jericho’s memoir a little more is because I identify more with him. Unlike Foley, jumping off of a roof and having part of my ear severed and my two front teeth knocked out never appealed to me. Jericho and I, however, are around the same age and share similar interests, such as an affinity for metal music – especially Kiss, Rush and Saxon (all this time I thought my best friend from childhood and I were the only people who knew about this 1980s British band) – pop culture trivia and, of course, pro wrestling. Like Jericho, I dreamed of growing up to become a pro wrestler as a kid. The big difference is that he had the courage and determination to pursue his dream, and I didn’t.

A Lion’s Tale, which is scheduled to be released Oct. 25, chronicles Jericho’s journey from his days as a wrestling-obsessed youth in Winnipeg to the night he made his WWE debut by appearing on Monday Night Raw and interrupting The Rock’s promo. That journey included stops in Mexico, Germany and Japan in addition to his stints in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, ECW and WCW. After reading the book, you can’t help but have a deep appreciation for Jericho’s perseverance, his passion for the business, the pride he takes in his work and the hardships he endured to become a wrestling superstar.

As much as I talked about wanting to be a wrestler when I was a boy, there were several stories in the book that made me glad that I chose a different path than Jericho. Like the time he was robbed at gunpoint on a barren road in Mexico, and when Keith Hart stretched him at a wrestling camp in Calgary. There also was the time he was nearly paralyzed after landing on his head during a match. I certainly wasn’t envious of his living conditions in Hamburg, Germany, either, as he called a tiny, roach-infested hotel room with no bathroom home for six weeks.

What makes A Lion’s Tale such a good read is that Jericho has some great stories to tell and he proves to be a great storyteller. Jericho did have a co-author, but it is definitely not an “as-told-to” book, and I could hear Jericho’s voice while reading it. The book is full of pop culture references, witty punch lines and hilariously bizarre tales. I laughed out loud several times, especially while reading a chapter titled “Strange Kentucky People.” I also enjoyed his take on some of wrestling’s colorful characters. Having crossed paths with a few of those mentioned in the book – namely Vampiro, Paul Heyman, Balls Mahoney, Goldberg and Lance Storm – I think his observations were dead-on.

While A Lion’s Tale is written mostly in a humorous vein, there also are some serious matters covered, such as the incident that left Jericho’s mother a paraplegic, and the deaths of close friends Art Barr and Eddie Guerrero and his hero, Owen Hart. Obviously, the late Chris Benoit, who was Jericho’s friend and mentor, is featured prominently. There is no mention of the Benoit family deaths, however, as the book was completed a month before the killings. When I interviewed Jericho last month, he said that he was going to “subtract a couple things” in regard to Benoit before the book is published. “I had to write an author’s note explaining that this is the guy from these years and not the guy [who did these terrible, horrible crimes],” Jericho said.

What I liked best about the book is that it came across as a sincere and honest account of Jericho’s life through 1999 with no pretense. Jericho is secure enough with himself to share some embarrassing moments with readers, such as getting star struck around celebrities, making bad first impressions and the unfortunate result of his first sexual encounter. Hopefully, Jericho someday will write a book about his WWE years with the same humor and honesty of A Lion’s Tale.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Some thoughts on last night’s TNA Impact:

If there is anything positive about the angle involving Adam “Pacman” Jones, it’s that Ron Killings is back on television in a somewhat prominent role. With his charisma, decent ability in the ring and solid skills on the microphone, “The Truth” is fun to watch. He saved last night’s opening segment, as Jones was trying to cut a promo with his back to the camera. I’m not sure I understand the logic, but for some reason, Jones and Killing have formed a tag team after being adversaries Sunday at Hard Justice. …

The real star of the show was Karen Angle. Considering that she is a novice as a wrestling performer, she did a tremendous job of playing heel. She was the catalyst of an intense pull-apart, slapping Matt Morgan after he shoved down Kurt Angle. By the way, Kurt might want to talk to Randy Savage, Marc Mero, Diamond Dallas Page, Kevin Sullivan and Steve McMichael about how things worked out for them when they brought their wives into wrestling. …

It had to be a rib when the announcers kept emphasizing how the Angles fooled everyone by having Karen swerve Samoa Joe. Don’t they read the Internet? …

Jay Lethal and Christopher Daniels had a good match, although it was a little sloppy in places. It actually was one of only two matches on the show. I guess Total Nonstop Action isn’t meant to be taken literally.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Some thoughts on last night’s Raw:

As far as entertainment value, I think the show got back on track after a rather dull episode last week. There was a nice mix of soap opera and comedy along with a heated beat-down and a good main event with a hot crowd.

The Vince McMahon illegitimate child story line has me intrigued. Depending on which direction this goes in, the payoff could be really good. Mr. Kennedy is rumored to be the wrestler that ends up being Vince’s son, but I don’t know that a final decision has been made. The fact that McMahon took a long look at Kennedy as he exited the ring last night and the announcers questioned whether it could be Kennedy makes me think that they might be going with someone else.

I think it makes more sense if McMahon’s son — I’m assuming it’s not going to be a woman — is a babyface, because that would give the story more legs. There would be an initial conflict, as the son would be disgusted at the revelation that McMahon is his father, and eventually the son could do a heel turn, embrace his bloodline and join forces with the old man.

The only negative from McMahon’s performance last night was that he still had to get in his shots at Congress and the media. On a day in which another wrestler died — 44-year-old Brian Adams was found dead by his wife in bed — I wish he could have shown some restraint. …

WWE Idol wasn’t as hilarious as last week’s Dating Game, but it was funny, nonetheless. Santino Marella is must-see TV, and Ron Simmons is more over for having a one-word vocabulary than he was for being WCW world champion. …

King Booker was great again in his segment with Jerome, er, Jerry Lawler. Yes, Booker will probably be putting over Triple H at SummerSlam, but I’m still looking forward to the match. …

The main event of John Cena and Umaga vs. Randy Orton and Carlito benefited from the crowd being so into it, especially when Cena was in. I still think the buildup for the Cena-Orton main event at SummerSlam is lacking, however. I was very interested in the matchup when it was first announced, and I still am, but WWE hasn’t done anything to make it a can’t-miss confrontation. Next week’s Raw is the final one before the pay-per-view, so hopefully WWE has something planned to get some heat on Orton. The “Legend Killer” videos just didn’t do it for me.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

So it turns out that Kurt Angle’s wife didn’t really leave him. It was all just a big act to snooker Samoa Joe at last night’s TNA pay-per-view. Wow, I sure didn’t see that one coming.

OK, enough of the sarcasm. Honestly, the swerve was so obvious, I actually thought TNA might change the finish from the original plan. Surely, the so-called creative team could have cooked up a way for Angle to win without making Samoa Joe look like such an idiot. If TNA had its heart set on having Karen Angle cost Joe the match, it would have been less damaging to his character if she had just come out at the end and done the turn. At least that way Joe wouldn’t have seemed so naïve by actually trusting her and inviting her to sit ringside.

Speaking of predictable finishes, when Angle vs. Abyss was announced as the main event for next month’s No Surrender pay-per-view, a colleague of mine at The Sun said he already knew how that one was going to end. He said that Judas Mesias, Jim Mitchell’s new monster, would interfere and cost Abyss the match. Took the words right out of my mouth. …

Considering that Adam “Pacman” Jones is not allowed to touch or be touched, TNA did the best it could with him. Having Jones being laid out off camera – after he had a verbal battle with Ron Killings – was a way to get around the restrictions, but how is Jones going to get retribution? Pro wrestling is pretty basic in that at some point there has to be a physical confrontation in the ring. Another problem with Jones is that he is horribly miscast as a babyface. As I expected, the crowd in Orlando heavily jeered him.

TNA should scrap whatever plans it had for Jones and just make him a heel manager. Here’s a suggestion for how his final appearance in TNA should go: Jones, after weeks of being a heel manager and having someone else fight his battles, is booked in a tag-team match with his charge against the babyfaces they are feuding with. Jones, worried that he will get hurt, shows up in a football uniform complete with pads and a helmet. He plays cowardly heel and never gets tagged into the match. After his man loses, Jones runs away from his opponents and heads backstage. A few seconds later, Jones appears on a balcony. The babyfaces catch him and toss him off the balcony, through a table. He is then taken out on a stretcher and never heard from again in TNA. Of course, it will actually be a stunt double, with the football helmet concealing his face. Yep, it’s the old stunt double switcheroo, first used in WCW in 2000 when “Sting” was set on fire and tossed off a scaffold at the Baltimore Arena. …

I think Robert Roode has a lot of potential as a top-level heel, so I’m hoping that his feud with Eric Young came to an end last night. It’s way past time for him to move on to bigger and better things. …

Scott Steiner never ceases to amaze me. He did a Frankensteiner off the top rope in the Steiner Brothers’ win over Team 3D last night. It was just two months ago that he nearly died in Puerto Rico and had to undergo emergency surgery to repair his damaged trachea.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Now that it’s official that Adam “Pacman” Jones will appear at TNA’s Hard Justice pay-per-view tomorrow, I have a suggestion for his ring entrance music. How about MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This?”

As expected, an agreement has been reached between Jones’ lawyers, the Tennessee Titans and TNA that allows Jones to make appearances for TNA with the provision that he cannot touch or be touched. It looks like Total Nonstop Action won’t apply to Jones – unless it’s legal action, that is.

Under this arrangement, at least TNA won’t suffer the humiliation of Jones not being allowed to appear at the pay-per-view after the company heavily promoted that he would be there. The damage to TNA is already done, however.

As the disappointing ratings for Jones’ debut on TNA television Thursday demonstrated, the public wasn’t all that interested in Pacman’s wrestling exploits anyway. Now that it has been made clear that Jones will not be doing anything that requires physical contact, the small percentage of people who were curious about Jones in TNA probably don’t care anymore.

As I said earlier this morning, it’s inexcusable that TNA didn’t have the parameters of Jones’ involvement all worked out before promoting him. It was obvious that there was confusion regarding Jones’ role in TNA when the story broke a couple weeks ago. Jones’ laywer said at the time that Jones “won’t be wrestling.” Jeff Jarrett, however, stated: “Absolutely, yes, he’s going to get in the ring.” The Titans, meanwhile, declined to comment, which actually spoke volumes.

Hoping to score a touchdown by bringing in Pacman, TNA fumbled the ball. I guess TNA will have to find some other infamous athlete to help it attract a wider audience. Is it too late for Vince Russo to call O.J. Simpson about that lie detector test?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

After a court order yesterday prohibited Adam “Pacman” Jones from participating in TNA’s Hard Justice pay-per-view, the suspended NFL player’s lawyers and the Tennessee Titans reached an agreement last night that might allow Jones to appear at tomorrow’s show after all, The Nashville Tennessean reported.

Earlier in the day, the Titans were granted a temporary restraining order from a Tennessee court that barred Jones from participating in any TNA event as a “wrestler, spectator, announcer, participant or otherwise.”

Under the new arrangement, Jones agreed to avoid physical contact of any kind in TNA, a source told The Tennessean, which reported that the two sides will go before a judge this morning in attempt to modify the original court order.

After these developments, it seems likely that Jones will appear at Hard Justice as scheduled. The plan never was for him to wrestle on the show, but if he was scripted to do a run-in or a pull-apart, that probably won’t be happening.

The question is, what value does Jones have in TNA if he is not allowed to do anything other than stand around? Terms of his contract with TNA have not been disclosed, but it’s unlikely that the company will get its money’s worth, no what the figure is. With Jones not being permitted to wrestle, I wouldn’t be surprised if TNA tried to pull out of the deal.

Signing Jones, who is more infamous than famous, was a desperate attempt by TNA to get mainstream publicity, and it has blown up in the company’s face. Those who negotiated this deal for TNA have no one to blame but themselves. TNA should have never signed him, let alone advertised him for a pay-per-view, until it had in writing exactly what he could and could not do as far as physical contact.

Although TNA has gotten its wish as far as making national headlines, I said right from the start that Jones wouldn’t attract that many new viewers. I did expect his heavily hyped first appearance on TNA television to slightly raise the ratings for Thursday’s Impact, but the ratings actually went down. Thursday’s show did a 1.0, down from last week’s 1.1.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Before I get into my thoughts on last night’s TNA Impact, I just want to reiterate something that I wrote in yesterday’s entry: I want to like TNA. Really, I do. But it keeps getting harder and harder.

I think TNA blew a golden opportunity. With all of the publicity the company has received for signing Adam “Pacman” Jones, TNA likely had a lot of first-time viewers tuning in last night for the suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback’s first appearance on TNA programming. Well, I’m betting most of those first-time viewers aren’t going to become second-time viewers, because TNA delivered a stinker of an episode. To make matters worse, it was the go-home show before the Hard Justice pay-per-view on Sunday.

The buildup for the Kurt Angle-Samoa Joe main event gets more ridiculous every week. Remember when these guys were busting each other open by delivering stiff head butts, and TNA was producing tremendous video packages that really gave their bouts a big-match feel? We’ve gone from that to Angle spending most of last night’s show sobbing because his wife left him.

I’d rate Angle’s crying right up there with Goldberg wearing a blonde wig as the best examples of how to kill a main-eventer’s heat. The past three weeks, Angle has done way too much comedy for a world champion headlining a pay-per-view. Dr. Kevin Nash? Please. It’s one thing for Nash to do “funny” vignettes with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal, but he should never be sharing screen time with Angle.

There really was nothing on the show that would make me want to spend money for the pay-per-view. Even the wrestling action – which is supposedly what makes TNA superior to WWE – was below the standard of most Impact episodes.

As far as Pacman’s debut, there really wasn’t much to it, other than the revelation that he’s going to announce what his plans are for his TNA career at Hard Justice. It would have been much more entertaining if TNA had aired a tape of his appearance yesterday on ESPN2’s First Take. Now that was pure comedic gold.

By the way, is it more ironic that Pacman – who has been arrested six times since being drafted in 2005 – is appearing on a pay-per-view with the word “justice” in the title, or that the strip club connoisseur is working for a company called TNA?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

I feel the need to address a comment from a reader named Andrew that was posted in response to my last blog entry (“Shane and Stephanie have a sibling?”). Before doing so, I want to say that I welcome and appreciate comments, and I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with me.

Andrew’s contention is that I have a WWE bias. “It’s next to impossible to ever find you saying a good word about [TNA],” he wrote. “I know, this is a blog, an opinion piece, and you don't need to be objective, but I can't help but notice the double standard each time I read.”

The truth is that I do watch WWE and TNA programming with an open mind. I have no personal stake in favoring one company over the other. However, I don’t deny that I think WWE puts out a better product. Based on television ratings, I’m not alone in that opinion.

Raw did a 3.8 rating Monday night. As bad as Andrew and others think that show was, it was the highest-rated Raw since the Chris Benoit tribute show on June 25. When TNA announcers giddily proclaimed recently that Impact did a company-record rating, that record rating was only a 1.2. Even ECW, which is clearly WWE’s “C” show, posts higher ratings.

But let’s forget about ratings. If we�