After a very strong angle last week on Impact in which A.J. Styles was bloodied and beaten in a five-on-one attack, TNA could have done a better job advancing the story line on Thursday night’s episode.

During a long promo segment that opened the show and seemingly involved half the roster, A.J. Styles did a run-in seconds before an abrupt cutaway to a backstage segment. It was way too early in the show to see Styles after last week’s dramatic ending.

The teaser throughout the show was that Styles had something that he wanted to tell Karen Angle. Not surprisingly, he never got to tell her anything, as he was beaten down again by the band of heels, only this beat-down had much less impact.

Here’s what I think is a better scenario:

I would have kept Styles away from the Impact Zone altogether. In the opening segment, the announcers say that Styles is going to talk about what happened last week during a sit-down interview with Mike Tenay later in the show. During the interview, Styles cuts a serious, intense promo. Rather than just having the black eye that he was sporting in last night’s episode, he also has a bandage for the cuts on his head. When Tenay asks him about his relationship with Karen, Styles says that he wants to speak to her directly — which he will do next week on Impact.

Then, what occurred Thursday night — Styles not getting to talk to Karen and suffering another attack — would happen on the next episode, which is the go-home show for the Slammiversary pay-per-view. That way, they get another week out of the story line, and the impact from the original angle resonates longer.

It’s really just basic booking. Two angles from the early ‘80s immediately come to mind as textbook examples of this type of angle. When Jimmy Snuka and Bruno Sammartino suffered brutal beat-downs from Magnificent Muraco and Larry Zbyszko, respectively, the babyfaces didn’t do a run-in in the first segment of the very next show. Instead, they did emotional, intense sit-down interviews in an empty arena.

It’s just a shame, because it seems like TNA missed an opportunity to really have people dying to see Styles versus Kurt Angle at Slammiversary.

Other thoughts from Thursday night’s show:

Both King of the Mountain qualifying matches were good. Christian Cage beating Tomko was the right call, but I would have had James Storm beat Rhino. …

Speaking of Tomko, he seemed like a sure breakout star when he was the strong, silent guy who rolled his eyes during Cage’s promos. Now he comes across as just a cookie-cutter heel who yells during his promos. …

Booker T. is doing as much of his King Booker schtick as possible without getting a cease and desist letter from WWE legal. I laughed out loud when he burst into Jim Cornette’s office and talked about having a locker that smelled like rat urine. Perhaps Black Reign/Goldust, Booker’s former tag-team partner, was playing a rib by having his pet rat, Misty, soil the locker. …

Awesome Kong’s Awesome Bombs are looking more dangerous every week. …

When Kevin Nash came into Cornette’s office with a baseball bat, Brother Devon asked if he thought he was Billy Jack. I’m not sure if he was referencing the wrestler from 20 years ago or the movie from almost 40 years ago. Either way, I bet most viewers under 30 had no idea what he was talking about. …

Angelina Love and Velvet Sky continue to be impressive — the brown-bag treatment is a nice touch — but Love’s altering of Booker T.’s old catch phrase didn’t make any sense. She said, “Don’t hate our beautiful looks, hate the game.” …

TNA was begging me to turn the channel when they had The Rock and Rave Infection in the ring, some American Idol reject named Ace Young outside the ring and Hermie Sadler on commentary. I don’t know what’s worse — Ace Young on Impact or Cousin Sal on Raw. Probably, Cousin Sal. At least American Idol is the most popular show on TV, but I still would have much rather seen Ace Frehley than Ace Young. Heck, I would have rather seen “Ace” Orton, Johnny Ace, Ace Darling or Ace Steel over Ace Young.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
                    

I’ve been interviewing pro wrestlers for well over a decade, and almost every one has been a “shoot.” Yesterday, however, I conducted a phone interview with Santino Marella, and it was one of the rare occasions when the subject did the entire interview in character. From the moment he greeted me in his exaggerated Italian accent, I knew I was in store for a fun conversation. Just keep in mind as you’re reading his responses that he is saying it in his “Santino Marella voice.”

I’m a big fan of Santino’s Casa on wwe.com. Do you pick the topics for the segment? And do you write the material or do you collaborate with writers?

I don’t pick the topics. I work with some writers, but we work together and they give me some freedom.

Has there been any talk of you bringing Santino’s Casa to TV as a regular segment?

There are some – what do you call it? – preliminary talks, but I guess they they want to see how the Casa develops and evolves, and maybe one day you’re going to see Santino’s Pit or something.

Speaking of Santino’s Pit, what it’s been like working with Roddy Piper, and what’s going to happen with this Cousin Sal?

You see, I was a Hulkamaniac growing up, so I know what Rodney the Piper is capable of, OK? And I was also a fan of Mr. T. So, although I respect Roddy Piper for his legendary accomplishments, he’s always been on the other side of the court, so to speak. Now, this Cousin Loser Sal – is this a joke for me? I’m a world class athlete. I beat Umaga in the past. This guy is like swatting a mosquito. But I’m not going to knock him off quickly or make him submit quickly. This is absolutely a lesson. I’m sending a lesson to Hollywood: You stay there, and we are going stay here and come there! Basically, this is going to be legal torture. He’s going to have to change his panties when I’m finished.

You obviously have great comedic timing. Do you have any background in comedy or are you just naturally funny?

People always told me when I was growing up that, “You are so funny person; you should be in movies and comedy and all this.” When the teacher in class tells you to stop being a class clown, there’s no job for this – ha, I guess there is.

I know that you have an MMA background and that you did a shootfighter gimmick when you were in developmental. Was it hard to make the transition from that type of character to a comedic character?

Not really, because there is a dichotomy within Santino Marella. Santino Marella can pretty much destroy anyone he meets. But there’s also that comedy component. So, at this particular time, I’m doing this component. Hopefully, one day the two can become one, and then I’ll be more dangerous. I’ll still be entertaining and pretty much be the best thing ever next to sliced bread – and I don’t mean Brian Kendrick’s finishing move. Because that’s called Sliced Bread – did you know that?

Sliced Bread No. 2, right?

Oh, it’s No. 2? Maybe you know more than me (laughs).

You mentioned your character becoming more dangerous. Do you really see that happening? Because I think the character would be more over if the character was more of a threat in the ring.

I think that’s just a natural evolution, because the more popular a character becomes, people want to see him competing for something worth competing for. In order to do that, they must allow my real ability to choke people, armlock people, leglock people and smash people on their heads. It must – this is a good word – permeate through the character. You like that word – permeate?

Yes, that’s a good word. Luckily, I have my dictionary here. Looking back at your WWE debut, it seemed like the idea was to create an instant babyface star with your win over Umaga. Why do you think that didn’t really get over?

Let me put it to you this way, Kevin. People like chocolate bars, right? What’s your favorite chocolate bar?

Uh, I guess I’m partial to Snickers.

OK, so I say to you, “Kevin, wake up, time to eat a Snickers. Oh, you like it? Have another Snickers, Kevin. Hey, don’t slow down with those Snickers – have three more.” Kevin, how long is it going to take before you don’t like Snickers?

I guess I’d get sick of them pretty quickly.

There you go. You can’t force-feed somebody. They must desire Snickers. Currently, you like Snickers because it’s your choice to go eat one. So now that Santino Marella is people’s choice to go indulge in him, it’s more popular.

I think you had the best gimmick in the company – being paired up with Maria. What was it like working with her?

Maria was a very nice chapter. We appreciate the opportunity to be together; we had lots of fun. She has very soft skin and smells nice. But, at the end of the day, Maria is just a chick. You know, I love Maria, but for people like me – I’m not sure about you, Kevin – they come and go like nothing. I am the true meaning of international playboy.

Can you talk about the infamous incident in which Jim Cornette slapped you because he thought you were laughing at an inappropriate time when you were in OVW?

Jim Cornette is a loser. Jim Cornette is an insecure person. And controversy creates cash, so maybe one day, Jim Cornette, I’m going to wrap that cheap tennis racquet around you neck. I’d like to have a cage match with Jim Cornette. I’ll put that out on the Worldwide Web right now. Jim Cornette is a misunderstanding person. Look, I’m watching wrestling in the audience – make it very clear – just in the audience. My daughter is sitting in front of me. Boogeyman turns to us, [and] I think, “OK, he’s going to do me a favor because maybe he knows I’m a student in this OVW school, so he’s going to scare my daughter for me, and treat my daughter to an experience.” So I’m happy. If your daughter is going to get an experience like this, you’re going to be happy as a father, right?

Sure, I would be.

Of course, there you go. So you are just as guilty as me then, Kevin, so Jim Cornette would have slapped you, too. Do you deserve it? No, because you are a good person. So anyway, this loser took advantage of a situation because he knew I would not hit him back because I was a student. He freaked out and he slapped me several times. I did nothing because I think to myself: “I am not American citizen. I don’t have green card. If I punch this guy, shatter his face the way my punches can actually do, then I’m going to be kicked out of the country.” You can’t just show up somewhere and start breaking skulls, Kevin. It doesn’t work like that. But now that I’m in a position to challenge him to a cage match, I make an official challenge to Jim Cornette for the first time, right now, right here.

OK, we’ll see if he answers.

Of course not. He’s a coward, Kevin.

You have a pretty interesting story as to how you got into pro wrestling. Can you talk about that?

I was under the understanding that you go to Japan, and you do good and then people notice you and bring you to America. So I went there with my vast judo background and my fighting ability. I have to really stress that I am a very, very serious fighter – it’s not comedy. So, I go there and I beat up lots of people, things are going great. I’m doing MMA and working for a good company called Battlearts. I don’t realize that you have to leave the country every 90 days. So, I made one mistake. I don’t leave the country for 94 days, and they say, “I’m sorry. You can’t come back.” At first it was for five years, but the law changed and it was for one year. So, here you are a young man, all the talent in the galaxy, trying to make it in this business and all of a sudden your plans just do a 180-degree turn. So, I have to reformulate my game plan, and we went to United States for school and it worked out pretty good.

There is more of an MMA influence in pro wrestling these days. Do you see the business continuing to move in that direction?

As a business, no. Some of the in-ring techniques? Probably. I saw one match where CM Punk was fighting like from the guard. It’s happening. The more it does, the better for me, because that’s where I come from.

The One Night Stand pay-per-view show is coming up Sunday. You aren’t on that show, correct?

Currently, I am actually not booked for that show. But I will be watching that show very carefully because there are some matches that are of particular interest to me, namely Randy Orton and Triple H. It’s no mistake that Randy Orton is my friend. So the more power he has, the better for Santino Marella. There’s just going to be some good fights. I want to see the girls. That’s going to be a good one, too.

Santino, I can honestly say this is one of the most entertaining interviews I’ve ever done.

Thank you, Kevin. It was a real pleasure for you to talk to me.

Photo courtesy of WWE

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
                    

My interview with Scott Steiner a few weeks ago elicited more response than any of the Q&A's I’ve posted since starting the blog a little more than a year ago. In particular, Steiner’s unflattering comments about Ric Flair, Triple H and Shawn Michaels touched a nerve with readers. Some applauded the controversial Steiner for speaking his mind, while others accused him of being bitter and jealous.

In this follow-up interview, Steiner clarifies some of his statements and responds to his critics.

A number of people who saw your comments about Ric Flair, Triple H and Shawn Michaels said that you were bitter and jealous of their careers. What is your response?

I have nothing to be bitter about. I’ve made a lot of money, and more importantly, I’ve saved a lot of money. I’m not bitter. I love this business and that’s why I’m still in it. I’m just telling you the way it is, man. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

There’s no way I’m jealous, because there’s no way I would want their careers. For one thing, I couldn’t be Triple H because there’s no way I could [have sex] with Chyna. And he was doing that before she even got face reconstruction. There has only been two people in the history of the Howard Stern Show where they had them go to the bathroom to make sure [they were women] – Chyna and Nicole Bass. And she was on the show after the face reconstruction.

Look at Triple H’s career before he started (having sex with) the boss’ daughter: He lost to Ultimate Warrior in 30 seconds; he was losing to guys like Alex Wright in WCW; he lost to one of the Godwins in a pig slop match. And then all of a sudden he’s [having sex with] the boss’ daughter and he’s the toughest guy in the world. I’m not the only guy who thinks that. It’s no secret what Kurt Angle thought of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Here’s one story I got from Kurt: Triple H was trying to block Kurt Angle from winning the [WWE] world title. He said in a meeting, “I think Kurt Angle’s too small.” And Jerry Brisco stood up and said, “Well, what do you think would happen if you guys fought for real?” And he sat down, shut his mouth and they ran with it.

Shawn Michaels is one of those wise-cracking guys who would say a smart comment to you, but then if you face him, he would run and cry somewhere. That’s exactly what happened one time when he was cutting down the Harris Brothers – I think it was Don Harris. Finally, he had enough. He waited until Shawn Michaels got in the room, kicked everybody out of the room, shut the door, grabbed him by the neck and was going to pound the [heck] out of him. A tear came down his eye. He turned around, started laughing and walked out. That is Shawn Michaels in a nutshell.

As for Ric Flair, I could go on and on. I was there one time when we were doing TV tapings at Center Stage [in Atlanta], and Rick Rude followed Flair around for about an hour and just totally blistered him. He told him he looked like hell and he was friends with the booker, totally blistering him. Finally, Flair had enough, left and did not come back to Center Stage until after the TV taping started. People think I’m making this stuff up.

Wahoo McDaniel could not stand him. He told me one time Blackjack Mulligan knocked Flair out with one punch. Jim Crockett at one time owned the NWA. I always liked David and Jackie Crockett, but I only met Jim Crockett once or twice, and everyone thought he was a [jerk]. But Flair had him as the best man in his wedding. Who has the promoter as his best man? Wahoo said back in the day when there were territories all around the country, one of the ways the boys made sure they wouldn’t get fired and wouldn’t have to worry about a job from week to week, is they would borrow money from the promoter. That way the promoter couldn’t fire them because he wanted to get his money out of them. Wahoo said that Flair had tax problems and Jim Crockett bailed him out, so there’s no way he was going to get rid of Ric Flair. Wahoo did not like him, did not like his wife – he called her the rat from Raleigh. The stories he would tell me – he just blistered him. And Flair had no idea.

When I was in WWE, it was right after Andre The Giant had died. We were doing a Raw in New Jersey. I was talking to Rene Goulet, who was an agent then. Everybody was pretty bummed out because everybody loved Andre – I only met him once, so I didn’t know him that well. Flair came by and did his usual, “Wooo!” I swear to God, Rene was so [angry], he wanted to punch him out. He said Flair lived like two hours from where Andre was buried in North Carolina. He said, “That piece of garbage. He wouldn’t drive two hours to pay his respects to Andre.” He wanted to kill him. I could go on and on.

I remember a world title match back in 1991 between you and Flair at a Clash of the Champions. What was it like working a match with him? Did you have a different opinion of him back then?

No. I always knew he was a piece of garbage. Flair never drew when I was in the NWA and WCW. Flair had all of his friends booking him on top and we were not drawing. People can say what they want, but I was there and we did not draw nothing. They may have papered the crowd to make it look good for a Clash or a pay-per-view, but we did not draw. I can say for a fact that Flair at that time did not draw a dime. And they say he was the greatest? If you want an honest opinion, you ask somebody who they would rather be on the card with – Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair. If they don’t say Hulk Hogan, they’re out of their minds. At least you knew when you were on a Hulk Hogan card you were going to get paid. Thank God in WCW we had guaranteed contracts. If we had been paid by the houses that we were drawing, we would have starved.

Here’s the deal with that Clash of the Champions. Things had gotten so bad, and they wanted to put the belt on somebody else. They actually wanted to make me the world champion. I had just beaten Ric Flair in a gauntlet match to set up for the Clash of the Champions. So we’re going over the match backstage, and he was like, “Yeah, I got this, I got that,” and then he went out there and sandbagged. It was one of the worst matches I ever had. And I was wondering, “What was that?” The match I had with him in the gauntlet was 10 times better. So I went in the back and I was disappointed. Then I heard a couple weeks later, he was telling people in the office that I got tired, I wasn’t ready for the spot. And to tell you the truth, I really didn’t want to be the world champion. At the time, I still wanted to team with my brother. About a month later, I was wrestling him in Philadelphia, and I gave him nothing. He tried to hit me with a chair, and I grabbed the chair and hit him with it. I just beat the crap out of him. I came back after our match and waited for him right at the door, waiting for him to say something. If he would have said something I would have clocked him one, but he didn’t say nothing. He put his head down and walked back to his dressing room. He’s a punk, man.

Flair was messed up on so many different levels. One time in Baltimore, Sting was going to beat Flair for the belt. So Flair pulled Sting aside, and Sting thinks he’s going to tell him something about the match or give him some big knowledge, and this is what he said to him, and Sting could not believe it. Flair said, “When you get married, it’s a big deal. When you have kids, it’s a big deal. But there’s nothing like winning the world title.” Sting came back and grabbed my brother and I and Lex [Luger], and said, “You’re not going to believe what Flair just told me.” That’s how messed up he was.

Here’s a story that Gary Hart told me. He was managing Muta at the time, and they were going to go in a different direction with Muta. Basically, they were thinking about getting rid of Gary Hart, and he was hurt by it. Back in the day, if you were NWA champion, different territories had to give you their vote to keep you as champion. Gary at one point was in Texas. So Flair at that time came by, whined and dined him and kissed his [butt]. So, later when they were thinking about firing Gary, he said to me, “I went up to him now to see if he could help me out, and that piece of [garbage] said he couldn’t do nothing for me.” Two or three weeks later, he was fired. That’s the way Flair was. He used you, and then he cut your throat.

Another thing that people took issue with was when you said that Triple H and Shawn Michaels were the only guys in WWE who respected Flair. What about guys like Batista, Chris Jericho and Big Show – who was crying during Flair’s Hall of Fame speech and during his farewell on Raw – and others?

Trust me, if it was a different time, Flair would cut their throats in a second, but he’s not in that position anymore. When Flair was in Evolution, he knew he needed those guys to keep his spot, so he helped them out. So I believe Batista has respect for him, because he helped him out. As far as Big Show, I think he’s a crier. He cried when Hulk Hogan retired, too. Can’t take him to a sad movie, either (laughs).

I think some people believe that you don’t respect anybody. Are there any guys in the business that you do have respect for?

The main guy you have to have respect for is Hogan. Hogan was the man. I remember when I was [in WWE], Chief Jay Strongbow used to call him the golden goose. He always said he could lay a golden egg. That was the respect that Hogan had – because he drew. The greatest is the one who draws the money. Would you rather be a 16-time world champion like Flair or would you rather be like Bruno, who had a 10-year run like he had and always sold out Madison Square Garden? That’s respect, man.

You have to respect the guys that have set attendance records and drew a lot of money – like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. And, of course, The Rock, not only for what he’s done in wrestling, but what he’s doing right now in the movies, which is unprecedented, where a wrestler has been so successful in Hollywood. One of the guys that I most respect is Kurt Angle. When he left WWE, I think a lot of people thought he was the best wrestler there. Not only that, but he was an Olympic champion. I think a lot of people don’t realize how hard it is to be an Olympic champion. Wrestlers in general I respect, because it’s a hard life.

One of your biggest gripes with Flair is that he was cutthroat in his backstage politics. A lot of people say that Hogan was far worse when it came to playing politics.

Oh, God. No. Flair was 10 times worse, and Hogan was a man about it. Hogan, if he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t [BS] you; he just wouldn’t talk to you. He wasn’t like these guys that come up to you and be all “ha-ha” and tell you you’re the greatest and then go behind closed doors and stab you in the back. Hogan had the best contract because he had creative control, and everybody knew that. But he had that respect man, and you got to give it to him. Hogan was the master. He went up there and actually convinced Vince, and he beat Triple H for the belt. I loved it. You know it had to [tick] off Triple H. And it was the worst match ever. It happened right after Hogan had that great match with The Rock at WrestleMania. And then Triple H wrestled him [a month] later and it was horrible. And they say Triple H is such a great worker. Yeah, right.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (139)
                    

It’s fitting that “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase appeared last night on Raw. In a not-so-subtle attempt to boost ratings, Vince McMahon is buying into – pun intended – DiBiase’s theory that everyone has a price.

At the top of the show, McMahon promised to make an announcement regarding something that’s never been done before in the history of television. In the final segment, McMahon revealed that he will be giving away $1 million every week on Raw to show his appreciation for the fans. He did not go into details regarding the giveaway.

This isn’t the first time that a wrestling company with declining ratings tried to lure viewers with the promise of $1 million. In fact, WWE did it back in 1997. I don’t recall the specifics, but I do remember Sunny seductively standing in front of a big case of money. I believe it was some kind of contest in which viewers could win an opportunity for a shot at $1 million. I’m pretty sure no one got lucky – I mean with the money, not Sunny. In 1999, WCW also had a $1 million contest going. Again, I don’t remember the details, but I think the idea was quickly dropped without any explanation.

As far as big announcements go, at least this was better than the revelation that Hornswoggle was McMahon’s illegitimate son. Hey, if it gets WWE some publicity and helps the ratings, why not? It could blow up in McMahon’s face, however, if this is some kind of bait and switch, although he did make a point last night to say that it wasn’t a hoax.

The other big announcement wasn’t much of a surprise, as McMahon said that there would be a draft in four weeks. With so many inter-brand matches, as well as the “talent exchange” between Smackdown and ECW, I think the drafts have lost some of their luster.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Triple H and Randy Orton both did a great job on the mic in their intense verbal confrontation. I really didn’t have any interest in seeing another match between these two after the Judgment Day pay-per-view last week, but by the end of this segment, one more match didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all. …

I know there are people who think that Orton cuts a boring promo, but I couldn’t disagree more. Not everyone has to be The Rock or Ric Flair on the stick. Orton’s promo style is perfect for his character, which is cold-hearted and cunning. His persona is not over-the-top, so witty catch phrases wouldn’t work for him. …

One match that I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing is Shawn Michaels versus Chris Jericho. They had another good match that advanced their compelling story line. Jericho again seemed to be on the verge of turning heel, as he was contemplating attacking Michaels with a chair before putting it down and help Michaels get to his feet. A Jericho heel turn six days before Michaels’ stretcher match with Batista at the One Night Stand pay-per-view wouldn’t have made much sense. …

DiBiase was on the show to introduce his son, Ted DiBiase Jr., who has been training with WWE for a less than a year on a developmental contract. The younger DiBiase cut a decent promo, especially considering it was his debut on a big stage. It was interesting that DiBiase Jr. confronted Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes. Dave Meltzer reported in The Wrestling Observer this week that WWE is mulling over the idea of putting together a young heel stable that would include second-generation wrestlers such as DiBiase, D.H. Smith, Afa Anoai Jr. and possibly Rhodes. …

The Roddy Piper-Cousin Sal stuff just seems like a big waste of time. I wouldn’t mind WWE doing a celebrity angle with Piper and Santino Marella if an actual celebrity was involved. …

JBL got in the line of the night when he said that Mickie James was trying to make the divas into escorts with her idea of having a contest in which divas would hang out with fans. The only thing that would have made it better is if Ashley was standing there instead of James. …

I must have missed something, because I have no idea why Melina and Jillian Hall suddenly don’t like each other. It seems as if Melina is a babyface now even though she never really turned.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
                    

Hulk Hogan and his family can’t seem to stop making headlines, as Hogan’s daughter, Brooke, was involved in a car accident this afternoon. According to the police report on tmz.com, Brooke had one passenger in the car (not her mother or father, as was first believed), and no one was seriously injured. The report suggests that Brooke was not at fault.

Even before this latest news, I was planning to write more on the Hogans. Since my post early this morning on the Nick Hogan tapes, I have received a few comments and e-mails from people who are supportive of the Hogans. Sorry, but I’m just not going to drink the red and yellow Kool-Aid anymore.

One person claimed that “the wolves are out bashing Hogan and his family.” Generally speaking, I do think sites like tmz.com go too far the way they hound celebrities and go to extreme lengths to show them in an unfavorable light. In the case of the Hogans, however, especially in light of the recently released tapes, they bring much of the negative reaction on themselves.

As far as me personally contributing to the “bashing” of the Hogans, until this morning’s post I had refrained from writing about Nick Hogan’s legal troubles, as well as Hulk and Linda Hogan’s messy divorce and the infamous sunbathing photos of Hulk and Brooke. The only time I wrote about the Hogans’ personal issues was back in November after Linda filed for divorce. And the only reason I wrote that one was because I thought the divorce could impact the wrestling business (if Linda were to get a huge settlement, I speculated that it could lead to Hulk making a return to wrestling sooner rather than later).

Another point that was raised in the comments I received was that it is understandable that parents would want to alleviate their child’s suffering. As a parent, I certainly understand that. However, it is possible to support your child and be there for him or her in trying times, but still do what is right. It’s called tough love. It’s also called being a responsible parent.

It’s difficult to say what any of us would do if our kids were in the same predicament as Nick Hogan. I’d like to believe that I would be strong enough to show them tough love.

When Nick asked Hulk to speak to the judge and try to get him out of jail and on house arrest, Hulk’s response shouldn’t have been, “I’m trying, Bubba.” It should have been: “Nick, I feel for you and I love you. But, in life there are consequences to our actions. You made a bad decision that had very serious repercussions, and now you have to pay the consequences. You need to be strong, do your time, learn from it and move on with your life. You are going to be uncomfortable for eight months, and then you have the rest of your life and a bright future ahead of you. Think how lucky you are that you weren’t seriously injured or worse. John Graziano wasn’t so lucky. His life will never be the same.”

When Nick asked Hulk to broker a deal for a reality show, Hulk’s response shouldn’t have been that he was working on it, it should have been: “Absolutely not. You committed a serious crime and you are paying your debt to society. You nearly killed your friend, and you are not going to profit in any way from that.”

While I believe that Nick should be held accountable for his actions, I don’t discount the fact that he is 17. His parents, by seemingly condoning his foolish behavior both before and after the accident, certainly haven’t done their son any favors. Hulk may claim that he and Linda “run a tight ship,” but it seems obvious that the inmates were running the asylum to some extent. When that happens, who is more to blame when things go awry, the inmates or the people in charge of the asylum?

As for the reader who said that “it’s very possible that Nick does feel a lot of remorse for what happened. … Let’s give him a chance to serve his time and see if he’s learned his lesson,” all I can say is that, after listening to the tapes, he sure doesn’t seem to be remorseful or enlightened. Calling Graziano “a negative person” and talking about wearing his orange jumpsuit in front of a judge to play the sympathy card show him to have a perverse value system to say the least.

The same person also said, “If he does something like this again, obviously he should have the book thrown at him.” The fact is that Nick Hogan was a serious accident waiting to happen. It has been reported that he was busted for unlawful speeding three times in the 11 months prior to the accident, for going 115 mph in a 70 mph zone, 57 in a 30 and 106 in a 70. It’s unfathomable that his parents seemingly did nothing to curb this outrageous behavior.

The most absurd comment that I got was from someone who blamed Graziano for Nick’s incarceration because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. That probably doesn’t even warrant a response. However, I will say this: While I certainly empathize with Graziano and his loved ones, I do not believe that he is a completely innocent victim. Graziano got in a car with Nick knowing that they were going to be doing something illegal and incredibly dangerous that could have killed themselves or others. Still, what happened to him is beyond sad, especially considering the fact that he was a Marine who had served two tours of duty in Iraq.

While there is no doubt that Graziano made an extremely unfortunate decision to get into that car with Nick, it was Nick who chose to get behind the wheel and drive recklessly. Both are paying for their actions, but, as I stated earlier, Graziano basically got a life sentence, while Nick only got eight months.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)
                    

Hulk Hogan has been pro wrestling’s ultimate Teflon man for years, but this time I think his reputation has been tarnished beyond repair – and rightfully so.

I’m assuming that most people reading this have either heard the taped conversations between Hogan and son Nick during Nick’s incarceration or have heard about them. I don’t know how anyone can ever look at Hulk Hogan the same way after listening to the tapes on tmz.com. I know I certainly won’t.

During one conversation, Hulk and Nick – who recently began serving an eight-month sentence for felony reckless driving – assassinate the character of John Graziano, who was Nick’s passenger during the accident and was critically injured.

If that isn’t disgusting enough, Nick also talks to his father about wanting to put a deal together for a reality series that would chronicle Nick’s attempt to get back on his feet after leaving jail. When an enthusiastic Hulk asks who they should make the deal with, Nick says, “I want to do it where I’ll make the most money.”

So rather than having the car accident and jail sentence serve as a wakeup call, the Hogans are busy thinking about how they can cash in. These are some sick people.

In addition, Nick is heard asking his father to pull some strings for him and get him out of jail and onto house arrest. “I’m trying,” Hulk replies. Nick also complains that he doesn’t have a window in his cell and has nobody to talk to. In a conversation with his mother, Linda, a tearful Nick says, "I have to get out of here.”

So much for the recent claims of Hulk and his daughter, Brooke, that Nick in real life was nothing like the spoiled, cocky knucklehead he was portrayed as on Hogan Knows Best.

With everything that has happened to Hulk Hogan in his personal life recently, just think about how ironic the title of his reality show is. I was on a conference call with Hogan about three years ago before the show’s debut. When comparing it to The Osbournes, Hogan said he and Linda as parents were the exact opposite of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. “We run a real tight ship,” he said. It would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.

Hogan certainly is no stranger to controversy. He was in the middle of a steroid scandal in the early 1990s, and he is almost as famous for his backstage politics as he is for his 24-inch pythons. More recently, he has been involved in a messy divorce and allegedly had an affair with his daughter’s friend.

I can overlook all of that, but I will never be able to get past Hogan badmouthing Graziano and callously trying to turn this tragedy into a money-making entertainment vehicle.

For decades in wrestling story lines, countless heels tried to kill Hulkamania. As someone who first became a Hulk Hogan fan in 1979, and who always found him easygoing and gracious during the handful of times that I interviewed him, it pains me to say that the person responsible for killing Hulkamania is a guy named Terry Bollea.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (52)
                    

The A.J. Styles babyface turn that has been building for months came to a head with a hot angle last night on TNA Impact.

The show climaxed with Styles being battered and bloodied by Booker T., Tomko and Team 3D. Karen Angle was bullied by the heels for trying to protect Styles from the attack, so she went to the back and returned with Kurt Angle, who was carrying a chair. Instead of saving Styles, however, Kurt joined in on the assault and nailed him with the chair.

This was a strong, well-executed angle to kick off the Styles-Angle program.The beat-down seemed to go on forever, and it almost seemed like watching a scene in a slasher flick when the camera doesn’t pan away from the carnage as quickly as you might like. The blood oozing out of Styles’ forehead was used to great dramatic effect, as well. Brother Ray at one point rubbed Styles’ blood on his own face, and Karen Angle had his blood all over her top. Believe me, it was not a coincidence that she was wearing white.

Anyone who has been paying attention knew Kurt wasn’t going to save Styles, but sometimes predictable is OK. Everything doesn’t have to be a swerve – although I think one is eventually coming in this story line. I’m still betting that Karen, who seemingly walked out on Kurt earlier in the show after he begged her to take him back, will end up turning on Styles at some point and reuniting with Kurt.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

Team 3D also participated in a beat-down to open the show, as they combined with Booker T. to lay out and bloody LAX. Team 3D are such tremendous heels. I hope it’s a long time before they go back to being babyfaces. …

In the first segment, Team 3D was shown talking to someone behind a partially closed door, and the announcers were speculating as to who it could be. Gee, do you think it might be Booker T., the guy they formed an alliance with last week? Why is TNA so adamant about making its announcers look like idiots? …

I think Karen Angle has been a good performer for the most part since becoming an on-air talent, but she was overacting during her verbal confrontation with Kurt. At one point, her shrill voice was more annoying that Christy Hemme’s. I was waiting for Kurt to say, “On second thought, maybe we should separate.” …

Kurt asked Karen if she was seeing someone else, but didn’t she already indicate a while back that she was seeing someone on the TNA roster? …

Thank God Styles finally tossed away that ridiculous crown. …

The on-again, off-again tension between Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash was back on, as Joe did not choose Nash to be one of the participants in the King of the Mountain qualifying. If Joe ends up being duped by Nash it officially makes him the most gullible babyface of all time. Joe and Nash being allies has always seemed like a stretch anyway. …

I like the angle of Awesome Kong issuing an open challenge to fans in the audience. It gets Kong over as a monster and a sadistic bully, and it also has the potential to create a new star when someone comes out of the audience and gets the better of her. The plant on last night’s show was trying so hard not to look like a plant that it was obvious that she was one. She took a very scary-looking Awesome Bomb. …

The second part of Mike Tenay’s interview with Sting focused on Jeff Jarrett, although Jim “Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig’s name was dropped again. Sting talked about Jarrett losing his wife to cancer and him having to raise three girls now on his own. I really hope that Jarrett is coming back as a babyface. Yes, it would be a shocking swerve for him to go heel, but no one wants to boo him at this point. Plus, his heel persona has been played out. …

It’s difficult to get a predominantly male audience to boo attractive women such as Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, but TNA is making it happen. Not only has the head-shaving angle succeeded in getting heat on The Beautiful People, but it also has helped Roxxi Laveaux get over as a babyface. Love and Sky have become really good in their roles as the conceited hot girls who tease men with their provocative antics but make it known that they are unattainable. …

Referee Rudy Charles came off as one of the biggest heels on the show when he stopped Laveaux from shaving Love’s head. TNA is doing a good job of making people want to see Love lose her blonde locks, but I have a hard time believing that will ever happen. …

There were two separate references to “plastic breasts” on the show, and we also had ODB placing backstage interviewer Lauren’s hands on her breasts (and she kept them there for most of the interview). I’m not really offended by any of this, but it’s funny that TNA used to push the idea that their program was suitable for the entire family. Yeah, maybe the Manson Family. And speaking of which, with her shaved head, Laveaux kind of looks like ex-Manson girl Leslie Van Houten. …

What was the point of having the Rock and Rave Infection brawl with Black Machismo and Sonjay Dutt when the cameras were just going to cut away after the first punch was thrown? …

Eric Young continued his search for Elvis in Memphis. Perhaps he should look for him at the corner of Know Your Role Boulevard and Jabroni Drive. Surely, there is a better use of two minutes on the show than this. I think I’d rather see Super Eric.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
                    

The surprising plot twist of William Regal being fired on Raw last night was due to Regal (Darren Matthews) being suspended 60 days for his second violation of WWE’s drug policy. WWE announced the suspension on its Web site this morning.

The abrupt halt to Regal's story line -- which was the main angle on Raw -- seemed like it had to be a response to one of two things: Either WWE was panicking because the ratings had slipped, or, as I wrote early this morning, “something has happened behind the scenes that we don’t know about.” Now we know.

Regal has been open about his battles with drug addiction, including going into detail about the subject in his autobiography. He also has credited Vince McMahon with saving his life by for paying for his rehab several years ago.

This latest setback comes at a time when he was getting perhaps the biggest push of his career. It also means that he is one more violation away from termination.

I have long admired Regal as a performer, and I hope I can see a lot more of his work in the future. More importantly, I hope that Darren Matthews can overcome his problems and get his life back on track.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
                    

While I didn’t really care for WWE turning out the lights and ruining good matches recently, I did enjoy William Regal’s performances as Raw general manager. He was generating a lot of heel heat as WWE’s megalomaniacal authority figure and King of the Ring.

Just three weeks after pulling the plug during the Raw main event, however, Regal seemingly had the plug pulled on his story line last night on Raw, as he lost a loser-gets-fired match to Mr. Kennedy.

Blurring the line between reality and fiction, WWE chairman Mr. McMahon alluded to the fact that the ratings were down because of Regal. WWE is misguided if it really believes Regal’s stint as general manager is the reason that ratings have slipped a bit lately.

The good news is that – unless something has happened behind the scenes that we don’t know about – Regal isn’t going anywhere. I’m hoping that this is all just a plot twist and that Regal will be returning to power shortly. WWE has done a good job the past few weeks of repackaging him, and it would be a shame if his push gets shelved.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

There was an emphasis on wrestling, as there were four good, star-studded matches. In addition to the Kennedy-Regal bout, I also thought Batista’s win over Chris Jericho, the double countout between Jeff Hardy and Umaga and Randy Orton and JBL’s victory over Triple H and John Cena were all solid TV matches. …

Hardy took a painful-looking bump when Umaga delivered a sidewalk slam on the floor. …

The One Night Stand pay-per-view is just two weeks way, so WWE couldn’t waste any time in announcing some of the matches. None of the four matches are fresh, although they all have “extreme” stipulations: Triple H vs. Orton (last man standing), Cena vs. JBL (first blood), Shawn Michaels vs. Batista (stretcher match) and Hardy vs. Umaga (falls count anywhere). The only match among the four that I really don’t care to see again is Triple H-Orton. Triple H already has beaten Orton clean on the past two pay-per-views. Why should Orton warrant another title shot? I’d much rather see a new program between Triple H and JBL start sooner than later. …

As the late great Gorilla Monsoon often said: “What a miscarriage of justice.” I’m referring to the fact Santino Marella now is getting bullied by some guy named Cousin Sal from Jimmy Kimmel’s show. I didn’t even know Kimmel’s show was still on the air. And I certainly don’t know Cousin Sal from Cousin Junior. Cousin Sal has to be the worst “celebrity” to do an angle with WWE since Herb from the Burger King commercials appeared at WrestleMania 2. ..

Beth Phoenix looked dominant in her win over Maria. I don’t like Melina’s chances in this feud. I would love to see Phoenix work against Awesome Kong and Gail Kim. …

Katie Lea’s delivery was fine when she was cutting a promo on Mickie James, but she had some kind of eye contact issue going on there, almost appearing as if she was reading off a teleprompter. …

It could just be a red herring, but it was strongly hinted that Teddy Long will become the new GM. For those who missed it, he quit/was fired as Smackdown assistant GM last week, so it does make sense. I don’t see Ted DiBiase – who made a cameo appearance – having a recurring role at this point.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (31)
                    

Looking at the card for last night’s WWE pay-per-view, I figured it would be a decent show but not a special one. And that’s pretty much how it turned out.

Starting with Cyber Sunday in October, I think the past seven WWE pay-per-views have ranged from good to very good. Sooner or later there was going to be a show that didn’t quite deliver what fans expect for their $40, and Judgment Day was it.

Overall, there was nothing wrong with the action or the effort of the wrestlers, but the booking fell a little short for me. The basic formula in wrestling is that the story lines on television build to some kind of payoff on pay-per-view. I just don’t think there was enough payoff, making this one pay-per-view that fans could have skipped.

Coincidentally, the two best matches on the card – Shawn Michaels versus Chris Jericho and The Undertaker versus Edge – were the most disappointing in terms of delivering on the expectation of either a resolution or a big angle.

Here’s a match-by-match look at last night’s show:

WWE champion Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a steel cage match: I don’t think anybody really thought that Triple H was dropping the belt just one month after winning it, and that took away some of the drama. I’m not saying that WWE should have pulled a swerve and had Orton regain the title, but it could have done a better job in the buildup of making it seem like he had a good chance of winning. That could have been accomplished if Orton had taken out Triple H on Raw last Monday and it was established that the champion was going into the match at less than 100 percent.

The Undertaker defeated Edge by countout (the world heavyweight title remains vacant): These two work very well together, but as good as their matches are, I think fans are ready for Undertaker and Edge to move on to new opponents. The finish of Undertaker seemingly winning the belt only to have Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero declare the title still vacant because the fall wasn’t decided by pinfall or submission would be fine for an episode of Smackdown, but not for a pay-per-view that advertised that a new champion would be crowned.

John Cena defeated JBL: I’m a little surprised that Cena got the win because I thought Triple H versus JBL would be a fresh program. I didn’t think we’d get to Triple H-Cena until later on down the line. I also was surprised that a match involving Cena opened the show. Perhaps Cena can use his placement on the card as further justification for his heel turn if it ever happens. Cena again played the underdog who takes a beating before pulling out the victory out of nowhere, and JBL came out looking strong in defeat after he dominated the match.

Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho: It’s certainly no surprise that these two had a very good match, but everyone was waiting for one of them to turn heel or for Batista to show up and attack Michaels. Neither happened. I understand that this story line has a slow build, but, again, if you’re asking fans to pay $40, I think something more needed to happen.

Jeff Hardy defeated MVP: WWE made the call to put this match on in place of the Big Show-Mark Henry bout. Good call. It’s a no-brainer that Hardy shouldn’t lose this early in his return, but I am disappointed in the way MVP has been booked since losing the U.S. title to Matt Hardy. I am hoping – and perhaps it’s just wishful thinking – that MVP’s recent losing streak is part of a story line that leads to him regaining his focus and getting a big push. WWE could use some fresh faces at the top of the card, and MVP would be a good choice.

World tag-team champions John Morrison and The Miz defeated Kane and CM Punk: The mystifying booking of Punk continued, as he did the job here. The Money in the Bank gimmick is seriously being devalued.

WWE women’s champion Mickie James defeated Melina and Beth Phoenix: As I expected, James retained her title and Phoenix wasn’t involved in the decision. Phoenix putting both James and Melina on her shoulders for a backbreaker might have been the spot of the night.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

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

WWE champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton (steel cage match): There’s no way WWE had Triple H go through a long chase to regain the title just to have him lose it a month later. The “Age of Orton” won’t resume tonight, as Triple H retains.

Edge vs. The Undertaker for the vacant world heavyweight title: When The Undertaker defeated Edge for the title seven weeks ago at WrestleMania XXIV, the logical assumption was that he would be getting the long reign that he was denied last year due to injury. That still may be the case, but I have a feeling that Edge is getting the title back tonight. Edge makes a better champion, and Undertaker doesn’t need the belt to get over.

John Cena vs. JBL: Cena has been on a bit of a losing streak lately, and I think it is going to continue tonight. Look for JBL to cheat his way to a win and become Triple H’s next challenger.

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels: This is the match I’m looking forward to the most. Heel turns have been teased by both men, and Batista basically came right out and said that he was going to show up to hurt Michaels. WWE has me guessing as to how it’s all going to play out, but I think a heel turn is imminent for Jericho, and he will come away with the win.

Big Show vs. Mark Henry: WWE isn’t doing Big Show any favors by having him face The Great Khali and Henry on consecutive pay-per-views. This match probably will be kept short, with Big Show getting the victory.

World tag-team champions John Morrison and The Miz vs. Kane and CM Punk: The way Punk has been booked lately has been odd to say the least, so I have no feel for where his character is going. With Morrison beating Kane and Miz beating Punk on ECW Tuesday, one would assume the babyfaces would avenge those losses and win the title. But Morrison and Miz are actually starting to get over as a team, and I don’t see Kane and Punk as tag champs. Somehow, Morrison and Miz will retain the title.

WWE women’s champion Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina: I expect James to pin Melina and retain the title, which will keep her program with Phoenix going.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

I have “You Really Got Me” and “Runnin’ with the Devil” running through my head as I’m writing this, so it’s a little hard to concentrate on last night’s TNA Impact.

I was thinking about pro wrestling while I was at the Van Halen concert last night at 1st Mariner Arena, however. Watching David Lee Roth perform, it struck me as amazing that someone with “Diamond Dave’s” cheesy personality and showmanship never had any involvement in sports entertainment. Judging by the six-packs abs on the 53-year-old front man, it may not be too late for him to climb in the ring. I know I’d pay to see a smackdown between Roth and Sammy Hagar.

Moving on to the subject at hand, I thought Impact was a decent show, and there were a few things that really stood out in a positive way. For one, I think Booker T. is a much more interesting character as a heel. And as much as I found his King Booker schtick entertaining, the nastier, more serious Booker that we are seeing now is even better.

I’m also becoming more impressed every week by The Beautiful People — Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. They are rapidly becoming a hot act — no pun intended. They cut a great heel promo last night, and they are definitely getting heel heat for their demeaning treatment of crowd favorite Roxxi Laveaux.

I also like the fact that LAX is getting a big push again. They are perhaps the best tag team in wrestling (although that really isn’t saying much these days). It looks as if Hernandez is being groomed for a singles push somewhere down the line.

Other thoughts on last night’s show:

I never get tired of watching Gail Kim and Awesome Kong wrestle. Even though they have had better matches together, this was the best bout on the show. The tag-team match of Love and Sky versus Laveaux and ODB wasn’t bad either, as the women’s matches continue to be a strong part of the show. …

I thought Booker completely overshadowed Samoa Joe in the verbal confrontation that opened the program. As far as star power, I still think Joe is somewhat lacking, and it becomes apparent when he is put in situations like this with guys such as Booker. …

When Team 3D came to Booker’s aid in that segment, it was pretty obvious that they were going to be his partners in the six-man tag main event. Yet, for some reason, the announcers kept saying that they had no idea who Booker would get to team with him. …

The six-man match was good, and Team 3D’s attack on Hector Guerrero, who was left knocked out and bleeding, was a dramatic way to end the show. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in the Team 3D-LAX feud. …

I’m not sure what the purpose was of Sting talking with Mike Tenay about how he broke into the business. I guess it’s interesting to newer fans who don’t know his history. The mentioning of Sting’s former tag-team partner Jim “Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig surely will spark rumors that he’s coming in. Say what you want about Warrior, but I bet a Warrior-Sting match on pay-per-view would do a good number for TNA. Warrior, of course, wouldn’t come cheap. …

The Abyss character always has come off like a combination of Kane and Mankind, but the newly repackaged Abyss, who was seen in a straightjacket rocking back and forth in a padded cell, seems like a total copy of Mankind. …

So, Black Machismo proposed to SoCal Val and she responded by saying “Oh yeah.” Didn’t we see the same exact scene a while back when he asked her out on a date? Sonjay Dutt obviously wasn’t happy, but it seems too obvious that he is turning on Machismo. I still think it’s SoCal Val who is turning on him and revealing that she has been seeing Dutt. I wonder if Dutt will show up at the wedding reception with a present with a snake in it. Then Val can ask him, “Is that a snake you have there or are you just happy to see me?” …

It’s really a shame that The Motor City Machine Guns are getting buried. Will they ever be able to get out of the doghouse? …

Don’t even get me started on the Eric Young story line in which he is looking for Elvis. That has bathroom break written all over it. Maybe it will end with him finding The Honky Tonk Man. …

Lauren returned as the backstage interviewer this week. She’s OK, but comparing her to Crystal is like comparing Buddy Landell to Ric Flair. Or Sammy Hagar to David Lee Roth.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

Finally … the cable has come back to Bal-ti-more!

Yes, my TV is back in business, and, luckily, just in time to watch ECW (insert your own joke here). But I digress. I’m here to talk about Raw, which I finally watched thanks to a combination of a colleague’s videotape and youtube.

The big news from Monday’s show was the return of Jeff Hardy from his 60-day suspension. It wasn’t advertised ahead of time, but it was known in wrestling circles that Hardy was set to come back Monday. Jim Ross called it “a big surprise,” and the crowd greeted Hardy with a tremendous ovation.

Hardy acknowledged that he made a mistake and he paid for it. Before Hardy could get too far into his promo, William Regal cut off his microphone. I thought that was a good move. It gets more heat on Regal and it allows Hardy to address his suspension without going into specifics or cutting a long promo.

Regal immediately ordered a match between Hardy and Umaga, and Hardy surprisingly went over in about two minutes (although it looked to me as if Umaga got his shoulder up before the three count). Having Hardy defeat Umaga in such convincing fashion tells me that Hardy is still going to get a big push. I truly hope that Hardy can keep it together and realize his potential.

Other thoughts on Monday night’s show:

I liked the latest twist in the Chris Jericho-Shawn Michaels story line, as Jericho apologized for accusing Michaels of faking his knee injury, and then Michaels admitted he was faking and proceeded to knock out Jericho with a superkick. In the bygone era of babyfaces such as Bob Backlund and Rick Steamboat, a move such as that would signal a heel turn, but nowadays, babyfaces are expected to be almost as cunning as the hee