Wrestling fans know Batista as a man of few words, but the current world heavyweight champion has plenty to say in his autobiography, Batista Unleashed (WWE/Pocketbooks, $26), which was released a couple weeks ago. In the book, Batista opens us about subjects such as his brushes with the law when he was younger, coming from a broken home and being raised by his mother (who is a lesbian), his failed marriages, being a grandfather at 38 and life on the road with WWE.

I spoke with Batista in a telephone interview on Monday, the day after he defeated The Undertaker in the main event of Cyber Sunday in Washington.

Q: How difficult was it for you to open up about some very personal things in the book?

A: Honestly, it wasn’t very hard. I only agreed to do the book if I could be open and honest about it. I made sure the people that I am close to and I love knew what I was writing about them and made sure they were OK with it first. I’ve always been honest – to the point where it’s gotten me in trouble.

Q: Did you find writing the book to be somewhat therapeutic?

A: In a way. It wasn’t really therapeutic getting it all written out, but it kind of opened up the door for communication between my ex-wife [Angie] and I. We had just built up a lot of anger toward each other, and I think neither one of us looked at our situation from the other side’s point of view. We really started talking a lot about it. She saw things in a different light and so did I. It’s funny, because we’re closer now than we have been in years. She said she learned a lot about me in the book and the way I looked at our marriage and the problems that I had on the road, because she said she never had any idea what I was dealing with on the road.

Q: In the book, you write about how you are naturally shy and quiet, and how your peers have sometimes perceived that as arrogance or aloofness. Has the book changed that perception of you backstage?

A: I hope it has. I think I’ve been around long enough to where guys know me well enough to know who I am and why I am the way I am. I’ve just developed such good relationships with a lot of guys on Smackdown and on Raw. I just don’t think they see me like that anymore. All the feedback I’ve gotten from the book so far from all the boys has been very positive and very supportive. There’s always going to be some guy who is going to look for the worst in you. Hunter [Triple H] always told me that when you get to a certain spot on the roster, you’re just always a target no matter what. You’re always going to have guns pointed at your head and it’s kind of up to you how many bullets you give them to shoot you with (laughs).

Q: You have some harsh words in the book for Dewayne Bruce, who ran WCW’s Power Plant when you had a tryout there about 10 years ago. What do you think he will think about the book?

A: I don’t [care]. He’s a [jerk], and he’ll always be one in my book. He probably chased a lot of talent away from WCW just because he has a really bad Napoleon complex. He made me feel like the biggest loser in the world for no reason. I busted my [butt] for him the day I went to that tryout to the point of [vomiting]. I’ve worked as a personal trainer and I’ve been working out my whole life, and anytime you push somebody to where they’re throwing up, it’s got to be obvious that they’re working pretty hard to show you that they want something. And I did that and more, and he still told me I was a piece of [trash] and I would never make it in this business.

Q: You and The Undertaker had another good match together last night, and the two of you always work well together. Can you talk about the chemistry in the ring that you two have?

A: It’s one of those things that is hard to put your finger on, but there definitely is something there. When we get in the ring together, I think it’s magic. I think we always have the same goal, and that’s just to give a heck of a competitive match. It’s not easy with us both being babyfaces, but as long as we’re competitive and we’re physical and give the crowd their money’s worth and take them on a ride, then it’s going to work. I think people have really been sucked into this rivalry, myself included. It’s like a dream come true. Him being such a large man and so athletic, he’s the perfect opponent for me.

Q: We all know that wrestling is entertainment and the winners and losers are predetermined. But what does it mean to you to get a win over someone of The Undertaker’s stature in the business?

A: It means everything. And maybe even more so, because it’s something that was a conscious choice. A win over The Undertaker, especially a win like that – I didn’t do anything shady to win, the referee wasn’t involved in anything shady; it was a clean, right-in-the-middle-of-the-ring victory over The Undertaker. That is a big deal. I don’t think most people probably would even think about that, but I did.

Q: Did you say anything to The Undertaker afterwards about him putting you over like that?

A: You bet I said a mouthful. Undertaker knows I love him and I respect him very much. He did something very special for me last night. I made sure he knew. I looked him dead in the eye and I said, “Thank you for what you did for me.” It came from my heart.

Q: Wrestling fans and critics all have their opinion as to what constitutes a good worker. How important is it for you to be regarded as a good worker?

A: I have a certain style that works for me. Sometimes I would like to do things that I’ve been taught, because I’ve worked a lot with Fit [Finlay] and I know a lot of holds, but they just don’t fit with my style. I could jump off the top rope all day long, but it would look stupid. It wouldn’t work for me. I have a certain brawler style that works for me, and I’m not stupid – I go with my strengths. I know how I look and I want to wrestle how I look. I don’t want to look how I look and wrestle like Jamie Noble. Not that I would ever be able to wrestle like Jamie Noble – who I really wish they would do something with, by the way.

Q: Do you get ribbed at all about being a grandfather?

A: The only guy who has ever ribbed me about it is Triple H. He seems to rib me about everything (laughs). I think everybody else has been pretty empathetic about it. They know it’s been heartbreaking for me – not having grandchildren, but the troubles I’ve had with my daughter. I love my grandkids. It sounds weird and it’s weird for me to say it – that I have grandchildren – but they’re beautiful boys, and I’m definitely not ashamed to be a granddad.

Q: In reading the book, I was surprised to learn that you have skills as a breakdancer. When discussing your off-camera skirmish with Booker, you wrote that it was a “personal problem” but you didn’t reveal the specifics. You guys weren’t arguing about who had the best breakdancing moves, were you?

A: (Laughs) No, it was a lot more personal than that. I wish it was something as stupid as that.

Q: Would you ever do any breakdancing on WWE television if the story line called for it?

A: Actually, we did a SummerSlam commercial a few years back – 2004, I think it was – where I did a little breakdancing in it. I think you can see that on YouTube.

Photos courtesy of WWE.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

All the clues pointed to Chris Jericho making his much-anticipated return to WWE last night on Raw, and you could sense the crowd in Philadelphia just waiting to erupt into a frenzy at the first sight of “Y2J.”

But he was a no-show – again. It also was strongly hinted that Jericho would be appearing at the No Mercy pay-per-view earlier this month, but that didn’t happen, either. I always figured Jericho’s return would occur on live television – either at Raw or on pay-per-view – so I wouldn’t expect him to appear at tonight’s Smackdown/ECW tapings on Long Island, either.

For some reason, this situation reminds me of a pivotal scene in the original Bad News Bears movie. Bad boy Kelly Leak came to bat at a crucial point in the big game and promptly proceeded to let two perfect pitches go by for strikes. When the coach angrily asked him what he was doing, Leak replied, “Just building up tension.” He then smacked the game-winning home run.

That might not be a great analogy, but my point is that WWE has gotten our hopes up twice, only to let us down. But the teases are building up tension, and Jericho’s return still has the potential to be a home run.

WWE should be careful, however, because there is a point where feelings of anticipation and tension cross over into feelings of being misled and disappointed. If WWE doesn’t deliver Jericho soon, it will be the equivalent of Kelly Leak striking out.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

A match-by-match look at last night’s WWE pay-per-view, which I attended at Verizon Center:

About 30 minutes before the action was set to start, a few people in the arena started doing the Ric Flair “wooo!” and the next thing you know, people all throughout the arena were doing it. I remember when that first started happening at shows I attended in Baltimore in the mid-to-late 80s when Flair was world champion. It’s amazing that the pre-show “wooos” are still around over 20 years later, even though Flair, unfortunately, isn’t on the scene. …

Jesse and Festus defeated Deuce and Domino (with Cherry) in a dark match. For a mid-card comedy tag team, Jesse and Festus are definitely over, or at least Festus is. It’s a novelty that probably will wear off at some point, but Festus’ Pavlovian gimmick is quite entertaining. A loud “We Want Festus” chant emerged while Jesse was in. …

Lillian Garcia sang the National Anthem. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of Garcia’s pop music or her ring announcing (I’m more of a Howard Finkel guy), but she sure can sing the anthem. If only we could get her at Ravens home games instead of Maceo Miller. …

Rey Mysterio defeated Finlay in a stretcher match. Nothing wrong with this match, but I’m just not that into the Finlay character. The finish was botched, as Mysterio was headed across the finish line with Finlay on the stretcher, and it got tangled in some cords. Veterans that they are, Mysterio and Finlay did a quick improvisation and didn’t miss a beat. …

In the first upset of the night, The Miz won the online voting to receive a shot at ECW champion C.M. Punk. Somebody should have demanded a recount. Miz has to be the most incompetent simpleton to ever win an election – well, considering we’re not too far from the White House, maybe the second-most. Chants of “Y2J” and “You can’t wrestle” – obviously directed at Miz – broke out during the match, which was won by Punk with the GTS. …

Torrie Wilson, participating in a divas’ Halloween costume contest, wore a Washington Redskins uniform. That makes her a heel in my book. …

Shawn Michaels, not surprisingly, won the voting for a WWE title shot against Randy Orton in a landslide over Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy. As I expected, a match between Hardy and Kennedy was added to the show. The crowd treated both guys as stars and they had a decent match. Since Hardy’s Intercontinental title was not on the line, it was no shock to see Kennedy get the pin. It was a little disappointing that we didn’t get Kennedy’s microphone shtick. …

With Matt Hardy – whose face looked pretty bad – not medically cleared to wrestle, MVP defended the U.S. title against Kane, who won big in the voting over The Great Khali and Mark Henry. I was pretty sure MVP wasn’t losing the title, and I also was pretty sure that Kane wasn’t getting pinned. It turned out that I was right on both counts, as Kane got the win when MVP was counted out. The crowd hated the finish, but I was just glad WWE didn’t take the belt off MVP. …

Speaking of unpopular finishes, the crowd wasn’t too thrilled when Orton retained the WWE title by getting disqualified for a low blow on Michaels. Until the finish, the crowd had been very hot for the match. Even when Michaels is less than 100 percent physically – as he was last night – he’s still very good, and Orton is a fantastic heel. I didn’t have a problem with the ending. Now is not the right time for a title change, and there was no way Michaels was getting pinned in his first match on pay-per-view since returning to action. Plus, the DQ finish puts more heat on Orton and ensures that the feud will continue. …

Triple H defeated Umaga in a very entertaining street fight. The crowd booed when the stipulation was announced, as the fans – myself included – wanted to see a cage match. I know Triple H has his detractors, but there’s no denying that he got the biggest pop of any active wrestler on the show. The highlight of the match was Umaga running off the Smackdown announce table, jumping onto the Raw table and splashing Triple H on the ECW table. …

As expected, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was the runaway winner in the voting to determine the guest referee for the world heavyweight title match between the champion, Batista, and The Undertaker. The big surprise was that Mick Foley only received 11 percent of the vote, which was just one percent more than JBL. It was shocking – and a little sad – to see just how little reaction Foley got from the crowd. It’s hard to believe the hardcore legend now is just stunner fodder for Austin. …

Batista retained the title by pinfall in a good main event. These two always work well together, and the match told a good story, as Batista finally was able to defeat The Undertaker.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view, which I will be attending at Verizon Center:

WWE champion Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels/Jeff Hardy/Mr. Kennedy: I would expect Michaels to win the online voting – and he clearly is WWE’s preference, based on how Raw has been booked – but Hardy does have a loyal fan base, so you never know. Either way, Orton will retain the title. I wouldn’t be surprised if Michaels gets the vote and a Hardy-Kennedy match is added to the show.

World heavyweight champion Batista vs. The Undertaker: Fans will choose whether the guest referee is Steve Austin, Mick Foley or JBL. It would be a stunner – no pun intended – if Austin doesn’t get the nod. Perhaps Santino Marella will get his stunner from Austin tonight, as well. As for the finish, I really don’t have a strong feeling. There is the possibility of a Batista heel turn, but WWE hasn’t dropped any strong hints of that happening, and this doesn’t seem like the right time for it. It would make Smackdown awfully thin on the babyface side. Somehow, Batista retains the title.

Triple H vs. Umaga: Fans will choose whether it’s a cage match, first blood match or street fight. I’m going with Triple H no matter the stipulation, but I’m thinking cage match.

ECW champion C.M. Punk vs. Big Daddy V/The Miz/John Morrison: It’s extremely doubtful that The Miz would win the voting, so it’s between BDV and Morrison. BDV has been booked the strongest, so maybe it will translate into votes. Assuming that is the case, I could see BDV dominating the match, but Punk escaping with the win after the big man slips on a banana peel.

Matt Hardy vs. MVP: Fans choose whether it’s a boxing match, wrestling match or MMA match. I’m hoping the fans don’t vote for anything other than a wrestling match, because that has the potential to be very good, while the other two would likely be very bad. The fans will come through, and so will Hardy, setting up another U.S. title shot for him against his tag-team partner.

Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio: Fans choose whether it’s a no-disqualification match, shillelagh-on-a-pole match or stretcher match: Since the shillelagh usually comes into play in Finlay’s matches, I think we’ll get the pole match. Mysterio probably should win, but if I’m right on the other matches, then only one heel (Orton) on the card has gone over. For that reason alone, I’ll go with Finlay.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Ever since Candice Michelle suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion during her match with Beth Phoenix on Raw Monday night, I have been receiving comments and e-mails from people saying how appalled and upset they were at the actions of referee Mike Chioda and Phoenix.

After Michelle slipped and took a nasty spill on her neck and shoulder, Chioda instructed Phoenix to drag a semi-conscious Michelle out of the corner and cover her for the pin. Phoenix was reckless in the way she pulled her, prompting Chioda to tell her to take it easy.

The point that a number of people have made is that it was extremely careless and dangerous to move Michelle at all, and it could have resulted in a much more serious injury. In retrospect, I agree that the right call would have been to immediately stop the match and call for medical attention. When a person has taken a blow to the head and/or spine, they should never be moved.

But, in all fairness, it’s easy for us to play Tuesday morning quarterback and say what should or shouldn’t have been done. The fact is that this was live television, and the mind-set in pro wrestling is always to finish the match.

We’ve seen John Cena and Triple H continue on in matches after suffering a torn pectoral muscle and a torn quadriceps, respectively. Remember when Steve Austin suffered temporary paralysis after having his spine compressed from a sloppy tombstone piledriver by Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997? Or when Brock Lesnar botched a shooting star press and landed on his head at WrestleMania XIX? Both men somehow finished those matches.

Perhaps if Chioda had it to do over again, he would handle the situation differently. Fortunately, Michelle escaped without suffering a life-altering injury. She is scheduled to return to action in six-to-eight weeks.

Speaking of injuries, Matt Hardy, who needed 35 stitches in his head when Rey Mysterio’s knee brace caught him during a move at Tuesday’s Smackdown taping, is expected to wrestle MVP at Cyber Sunday as planned, wrestlingobserver.com reported.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

Chris Jericho will be signing copies of his book, A Lion’s Tale, Monday in Philadelphia and Tuesday on Long Island, N.Y.

Those same days, Raw will be in Philadelphia and Smackdown/ECW will be on Long Island.

Coincidence? I think not.

Get ready, Jerichoholics, Y2J’s second coming is imminent, and WWE is about to be saved.

As for Jericho appearing at Cyber Sunday at Verizon Center Sunday, we'll have to wait and see. He is scheduled to do a signing that day in Fort Bragg, N.C., but it is possible that he is signing during the day and taking a quick flight into Washington for the pay-per-view.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Forget about Adam “Pacman” Jones. If pro wrestling promoters want to turn NFL stars into wrestlers, they should recruit Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and New England Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas.

The former Ravens teammates have engaged in a war of words recently – or, to use wrestling vernacular – they have cut promos on each other. Now, there is only one logical place to settle their differences. No, not on the field on Dec. 3, when the Ravens host the Patriots. We already know how that one is going to turn out. Pro wrestling might be scripted, but it’s less predictable than a Ravens-Patriots meeting this season.

Lewis and Thomas need to ditch the shoulder pads, don some wrestling tights and get in the ring. I can see it now …

Thomas comes to the ring in non-descript tights and generic entrance music. Then, Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” blares over the sound system and pyrotechnics shoot off, as Lewis struts down the aisle wearing flashy purple tights, sunglasses and a mink coat. He gets into the ring and does his trademark dance, while Thomas just shakes his head with a look of disgust.

Once the bout begins, Thomas is always one step ahead of Lewis, anticipating his opponent’s every move and countering it. The announcers speculate that Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have secretly videotaped Lewis’ private workout sessions and passed them on to Thomas.

Lewis eventually mounts a comeback. He takes down Thomas, then stands over his fallen foe and wildly beats on his own chest in celebration. At that point, Ravens coach Brian Billick makes his way to ringside. He intentionally distracts Lewis, allowing Thomas to recover and roll up Lewis for the pinfall.

Billick then cuts a promo to explain his actions.

“Quite frankly, the dynamics of my relationship with Ray changed when he went outside the parameters by questioning my play-calling,” Billick says. “That just didn’t fit our profile, so I needed to adjust accordingly in order to regain my swagger. Hopefully, we can put this behind us moving forward. In other words, it is what it is.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

When Candice Michelle took a nasty spill off the top rope, landing awkwardly on her neck and shoulder during her match with Beth Phoenix on Raw last night, I immediately feared the worst. I couldn’t help but think of former WWE star and Maryland football player Darren Drozdov, whose life changed in a split second when a botched move resulted in paralysis.

Last night’s incident was another reminder of how perilous is to be a professional wrestler. Fortunately, it appears that Michelle escaped without suffering a life-altering injury. According to a report on pwinsider.com, Michelle, who was carried from the ring on a stretcher, was diagnosed with a concussion and a broken collarbone after being taken to a medical facility in Omaha.

After Michelle’s fall, the referee could be overheard asking her if she was OK. When a glazed-over Michelle didn’t respond, the ref called for the finish. He directed Phoenix to “drag her out” from the corner “and cover her.” Phoenix – who obviously wasn’t thinking straight – recklessly grabbed Michelle by the hair to pull her to the center of the ring, prompting the referee to say, “Easy.” He then said, “This is it,” as he made the three count, signaling to the women that they were going straight to the finish.

Michelle eventually regained consciousness, moved her arms and then sat up and took a sip of water before lying back down.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t want to know what happens in the Sting-Kurt Angle match for the TNA world title that was taped last week for this Thursday’s Impact, do not read any further.

Without going into details about the various twists and turns that occur between Sting and Angle on the show, the end result is that Angle has the title back.

Just as I predicted after Sting won the title from Angle at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view on Oct. 14, Sting’s reign was short-lived. I just don’t understand why Angle was booked to lose the title in the first place.

It’s no secret that TNA booker Vince Russo loves frequent title changes, but I think the best thing for TNA is a lengthy title reign for Angle. I’m talking a year or 18 months. It would lend credibility to the title and build up anticipation for Angle’s eventual defeat. Then, when he does drop the title, it will be something special, and the wrestler who beats him will have truly accomplished something.

But Russo doesn’t think that way, and if you try to explain to him why it would be better for business to protect the integrity of the title, he’ll dismiss you as “thinking like a wrestling fan.” I know, because that’s what he said to me back in 2000 when he was the WCW booker and I was the editor of the company magazine.

From April 2000, when Russo returned to the WCW creative team after a few months on the sideline, until the end of that year, the WCW world title changed hands 15 times. That May alone, there were six title changes. I worked there and even I had trouble remembering who the champion was on a given day. There’s no question in my mind that the plethora of title changes under Russo was mind-numbing for the fans and a contributing factor in WCW's decline, although the company was probably beyond saving by that point anyway.

At least in TNA, Russo hasn’t scripted himself or David Arquette to win the title. Well, not yet, anyway. According to The Wrestling Observer, TNA has been talking to Arquette about bringing the actor in for an angle. Like I’ve said before, TNA is looking more and more like WCW (the Russo years) all the time.

It was announced at last week’s Impact tapings that the main event for next month’s Genesis pay-per-view will be Sting and a mystery partner against Angle and Kevin Nash, with the wrestler who scores the pinfall getting the world title. Could Arquette be the mystery man? After all, Arquette won the WCW world title in similar fashion. The Observer’s Dave Meltzer doesn’t think so – he believes Jeff Jarrett will get the spot – but I wouldn’t put anything past Russo.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

It comes as no surprise, but former WWE diva Stacy Keibler said she has no plans to return to pro wrestling even for a special appearance.

“They [WWE] haven’t contacted me at all,” Keibler told me earlier this week. “There’s usually not a one-time appearance kind of thing. It’s usually getting on the loop and doing all the house shows, and I’m just not interested in traveling like that right now. I will never say never, but I just couldn’t deal with that kind of lifestyle now.”

Although the Rosedale native and WWE parted awkwardly last year – she said the company informed her while she was doing Dancing with the Stars that it was not going to renew her contract – WWE did try to do business with her later.

“After Dancing with the Stars, I got a call from Johnny [Laurinaitis, WWE senior vice president of talent relations], and he was like, ‘We’d like to see if we can do something with you,’ ” Keibler said. “I was still injured [sprained ankle, pulled groin] from Dancing with the Stars. I couldn’t do anything because I was still under a doctor’s care, and it just didn’t work out.”

For now, Keibler – who has a small role in the sports parody The Comebacks, which opened today – is focusing all of her attention on her acting career. She played recurring characters last season on ABC’s What About Brian and George Lopez, but neither show was picked up this fall.

“I was pretty bummed about that, but everything happens for a reason,” said Keibler, who still is under contract with ABC. “It was a great opportunity to work with really talented people that have been working for years. But now it’s time to move on and work with another great group of people. The more people that I can work with and learn from, the better I can become.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

A stream-of-consciousness look at last night’s TNA Impact:

You have to give it to Kevin Nash – he definitely doesn’t look his age. He’s 48, but with his gray hair and beard, he doesn’t look a day over 60. In his new story line, he’s trying to channel Diesel, but he reminds me more of Oz. …

Kurt Angle has become the biggest babyface on the show as far as I’m concerned by delivering this line to Nash: “Your jokes aren’t funny and you’re a disgrace to the business.” Oh, it’s true. …

Looking for a peace offering to give to Nash, Angle asked Jeremy Borash, “What does Kevin like?” Borash: “He likes porn.” That Vince Russo is so witty. Suddenly the Hornswoggle bits in WWE don’t seem so bad. …

Disco Inferno is back? I thought he was in jail. Mike Tenay asked him why he chose TNA for his comeback. I’m not sure what Disco’s reply was, but the answer should have been: “Because WWE won’t return my calls and Vince Russo knows talent when he sees it.” …

With Disco on the scene, TNA is looking more and more like WCW circa 2000 every day. I can’t wait until Big Vito, Kwee-Wee, Lash LeRoux and Shawn Stasiak show up. …

Awesome Kong definitely brings something different to the women’s division, and that’s a good thing. With her size and mauling style, she reminds me of Bull Nakano. Thanks to Kong and Gail Kim, TNA has the edge over WWE when it comes to women’s wrestling. Unfortunately for TNA, women’s wrestling doesn’t move ratings or increase buy rates. …

Someone in TNA figured out the best way to promote the new Christian Cage DVD was to emphasize that it contains footage of Adam “Edge” Copeland from early in his career. It might increase sales, but by pushing the fact that a WWE star is on the DVD, TNA comes off looking minor league. …

There’s dissension between tag-team partners Chris Harris and Rhino. That was quick. Russo has never understood that tag teams, factions and couples first need to get along for a while for it to mean anything when they eventually split. …

I see that TNA has made progress in trying to cultivate more of a cutting-edge image. Yep, Tenay finally ditched the bow tie. …

Angle cut a promo in a wheelchair. I feel like I’m watching an old clip from WWE 24/7, because I’m certain Angle did the wheelchair bit several years ago. …

Lance Hoyt and Christy Hemme aren’t getting along. Neither are Kurt and Karen Angle, and Robert Roode and Miss Brooks. Please refer back to Harris-Rhino item. …

Junior Fatu tried to cut a Rock-style promo. As far as Rock imitators go, let’s just say he’s no John Cena. …

That outfit that Dustin Rhodes wears as Black Reign has to be a rib. There are Halloween costumes at Kmart that look less cheesy. …

Black Reign licked a rat. I’m sure there’s a joke there somewhere. …

Abyss, a 300-pound monster who has wrestled in matches involving barbed wire, broken glass and thumb tacks, is deathly afraid of the rat. I’m no big fan of rats myself (although I am a big fan of Ratt), but I would expect more from a high-level babyface. …

Cage and Samoa Joe had an excellent match, which Cage ended up winning thanks to interference from Roode. Hopefully this is the start of a bigger push for Roode. This match was so good, it almost made up for the previous hour and 40 minutes. Almost.

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

There’s no doubt that people at Titan Towers in Stamford, Conn., were feeling a lot better after hearing the news that the rating for Monday’s Raw was back up to 3.3 after a shockingly low 2.8 the week before.

I said after last week’s rating was released that there was no need for WWE to panic, and I was confident that the return of Shawn Michaels would boost this week’s rating over 3. When Chris Jericho makes his much-anticipated comeback, the ratings will likely spike again.

The real question is, what constitutes a good rating for Raw in 2007? I think WWE would be satisfied with a 3.5 and thrilled with a 4.5. Those are realistic and attainable numbers. The glory days of 6’s and occasional 7’s during 1999 and 2000 are over. Everyone knew the boom period wasn’t going to last forever, and those numbers aren’t likely to come back anytime soon.

Here’s something else to keep in mind when discussing ratings. When Raw dips below 3, it’s a major story and all the WWE bashers act as if the company is about to go under. Of course, TNA officials would be doing cartwheels to get even a 1.5. The fact is that ratings are merely part of the equation in assessing the health of a wrestling company. Sure, ratings reflect how many people are watching a particular show, but as far as affecting the bottom line, they aren’t as big a factor as things such as pay-per-view buy rates and merchandise sales. Business might not be booming, but it isn’t hurting, either.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

It seems like odd casting to me, but Nicholas Cage is in talks to play a professional wrestler in an independent drama, The Hollywood Reporter said last week. The film, which is titled The Wrestler, centers on Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a 1980s-era star pro wrestler who has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again. The prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis the Ayatollah, however, proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.

I’m just not sure I buy Cage as a pro wrestler. That’s almost as ridiculous as David Arquette winning the world title. Also, looking at the plot synopsis, I wonder if the writers of the film know that pro wrestling is a work.

When I first heard that there was going to be a movie titled The Wrestler, I thought they were doing a remake of the 1974 cult classic of the same name. That one starred over-the-hill world champion Verne Gagne as an over-the-hill world champion (Gagne, by the way, went on to hold the AWA world title until 1981, when he was 55 — talk about an unrealistic plot).

Since we’re on the subject of movies, it’s worth noting that The Game Plan, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, had another solid weekend at the box office. The Disney film was No. 2 for the weekend after two straight weeks at No. 1, and has grossed $54.7 million overall.

I saw The Game Plan last week with my wife and 2-year-old daughter. While the movie didn’t break any new ground, it was an entertaining family film, and Johnson’s charisma and comedic skills definitely carried it. On a personal note, it was pretty cool for me that the first movie my daughter saw in a theater starred a former pro wrestler. That fact doesn’t exactly thrill my wife, but at least it was The Game Plan and not The Condemned.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

I didn’t order TNA’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view last night, but it sounds like it was a good show judging by the reports that I have read. Looking at the big picture, however, I think TNA is its own worst enemy.

I don’t understand why a company that has a roster filled with talented wrestlers in their 20s and 30s would put its world title on 48-year-old Sting, and plan a major push for another 48-year-old in Kevin Nash.

Don’t get me wrong. I respect Sting – who defeated Kurt Angle for the TNA title last night – and I still think he has a lot of value. He works hard in the ring and deserves to have a prominent role. But not as the world champion. For TNA to have any chance at competing with WWE, it needs to brand itself as the cutting edge, up-and-coming company. Sting as world champion will have the exact opposite effect.

The good news is that Sting probably won’t be champion for long. With Vince Russo on the creative team, it’s apparent that no one will hold the title for more than a few months at a time.

Even more perplexing than Sting’s win over Angle is the decision to have Nash get back in the ring for a high-profile program, which looks to be the case based on last night’s show. Sting, at least, has a good work ethic and can still go in the ring. Nash, on the other hand, is infamous for being lazy and manipulative, and his knees are in bad shape.

It’s not as if Sting and Nash have a track record for being huge draws, either. While they were big stars in their day, neither of them drew money when they were put in the top position.

Furthermore, by having Sting as world champion, Nash in a major storyline, the Steiners and Jeff Jarrett as featured performers, Russo on the creative team and Jeremy Borash and Mike Tenay as on-air talent, TNA looks a lot like WCW when the company was on its last legs. What’s next, a Nitro Girls reunion in TNA?

The other thing that bothered me about the pay-per-view pertains to Adam “Pacman” Jones. First, TNA promoted that Jones was going to wrestle on the show, knowing full well that his agreement with the Tennessee Titans restricts him from doing so. Unlike previous tag-team matches in which Jones was technically part of the match (although he was not allowed to make physical contact), last night he had a debuting wrestler substitute for him.

Then, in a truly distasteful act, TNA had Jones throw dollar bills in the ring as a distraction, and referee Earl Hebner picked them up “like a dancer in a strip club,” in the words of Tenay. This, of course, was playing off the incident in which Jones threw cash from a plastic trash bag on stage at a Las Vegas strip club to “make it rain” for dancers. A melee ensued and shots were fired, leaving Thomas Urbanski, a bouncer at the club and a former pro wrestler, paralyzed from the waist down.

It’s disgraceful for TNA to make light of such a serious incident, and Jones is beyond clueless if this is his idea of rehabilitating his image.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

After the July 30 episode of Raw did a shockingly low 2.5 rating, it was eventually revealed that a technical glitch had skewered the number. This time, I’m not so sure that’s the case.

Monday’s Raw did a 2.8, which I’m certain is causing great consternation at WWE headquarters. It is especially surprising because it was the night after a pay-per-view in which a new WWE champion was certain to be crowned. If there are no glitches and that is indeed the real number, WWE has every right to be concerned, but – just like I said the last time this happened – there is no need to panic. Now, if the numbers stay at this level – or drop even further – over the next few weeks, then WWE really needs to rethink its current direction.

I am betting that the return of Shawn Michaels at the end of this past Monday’s show will get the ratings back up over 3 next week. If that doesn’t happen – or possibly even if it does – WWE might want to consider getting Chris Jericho back on Raw sooner than later. It’s ironic that the teases for Jericho’s return were the cryptic “Save Us” messages, and now he may be asked to literally save the show from its ratings woes. When Jericho first arrived in WWE in 1999, he said he was coming to save WWE, noting that ratings had been in decline, which of course was totally tongue-in-cheek because the show was regularly doing 6’s.

There are a number of possible explanations for Monday’s rating, including the fact that the New York Yankees were playing in an elimination game that night, and the undefeated Dallas Cowboys were getting a strong challenge from the Buffalo Bills in what turned out to be the most entertaining NFL game of the season to this point. The ratings decline could also be attributed to John Cena, WWE’s top star, being sidelined. Perhaps fans really don’t want to see Randy Orton as champion, either. And the illegitimate son story line that resulted in a push for Hornswoggle also could be turning off fans.

It’s too bad so many people missed Monday’s show, because I thought it was a strong episode. Michaels, Triple H and Orton are all compelling characters; Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy are involved in an exciting feud; and the Santino Marella comedy bits have been fun. If WWE keeps producing shows like it did on Monday, I think the ratings will bounce back. The last thing WWE should do is another hotshot angle involving Vince McMahon, seeing as how that might have been a contributing factor to its current dilemma.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

I apologize for not posting any predictions or post-pay-per-view thoughts in regard to No Mercy, but I was in San Francisco for the weekend to attend the Ravens-49ers game.

In retrospect, maybe I should have stayed home and caught Sunday’s pay-per-view. I could have watched the WWE title change hands three times in one night in the comfort of my living room rather than flying all the way out to the West Coast to watch the Ravens muster just three field goals on offense. To use a wrestling analogy, the Ravens are The Great Khali of football. Like the gigantic former world heavyweight champion, the Ravens win ugly and their offense is weak, boring and plodding.

But that’s enough football talk. It’s been an incredibly eventful eight days for WWE. Six days before No Mercy, WWE champion John Cena suffered a complete tear of his right pectoral tendon, putting him out of action for at least six months and throwing the company’s booking plans into disarray. When unfortunate and unforeseen things like this happen, however, an opportunity exists to turn a negative into a positive, and it looks as if WWE has succeeded in doing just that.

At No Mercy, WWE played an entertaining game of hot potato with the WWE title, as it went from Randy Orton to Triple H and back to Orton. The three titles defenses added a refreshing air of unpredictability, and the show concluded with what most fans feel was a classic Last Man Standing match between Orton and Triple H.

Orton came out of the event with the belt and some heel heat for being an opportunist, while Triple H came out as a strong babyface who fell just short with the deck stacked against him. Triple H is a polarizing figure among wrestling fans because he married the boss’ daughter and therefore wields incredible power, but I find no fault with the way he was booked at No Mercy. The bottom line is that Triple H did what was right for business by ultimately putting Orton over in the end.

Just when fans expected the Orton-Triple H feud to be advanced, however, WWE threw everyone another curve on Raw last night. After Umaga laid out Triple H, it became obvious that their program was going to continue. That left me wondering who was going to challenge Orton. Right on cue, Shawn Michaels returned to confront Orton, the man who put him out of action last May. So much for the reports that Michaels was contemplating retirement. Now, we are likely getting Orton-Michaels and Triple H-Umaga in matches with stipulations at Cyber Sunday at Verizon Center on Oct. 28. I know I’m looking forward to being there.

The one disappointment with recent events – and it’s a pretty big one, actually – is that Chris Jericho did not return at No Mercy. Technically, WWE never said that he would be there, but the cryptic “Save_Us.222” segments sure had most fans – myself included – believing that Jericho was showing up. I don’t know what the answer is, but perhaps Cena’s injury had a domino effect that caused Jericho’s return to be pushed back.

Speaking of Cena, there’s no question that WWE will miss him, especially because he was a box office draw on house shows, sold a lot of merchandise and was WWE’s biggest star among kids and women. But the return of Michaels, the likely return of Jericho, the freshness of Orton as champion and the booking of Triple H as a Steve Austin-like babyface, are all reasons to be excited about Raw. It remains to be seen whether these elements can boost Raw’s declining ratings, but I’m betting they will.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

The first two-hour episode of TNA Impact last night wasn’t bad, nor was it anything special.

The opening of the show had me immediately wishing for the good old days when Impact was only an hour. It seemed like the intro with the voiceover would never end. I know wrestling is all about hype, and I understand that TNA is excited about realizing its goal of going to two hours, but it was a bit overstated.

Then it was time for the opening match, and who is the first w