King Cucaracha

When TNA is good, it's very entertaining. I remember Mike himself saying he thought Final Resolution was decent. But while the PPV shows have been mostly entertaining (IMO at least), the TV product tends to be hard to sit through. The look TNA have is different fromt he WWE. So they MIGHT be able to draw in viewers. But they won't do it with boring squash matches. They need to give an alternative, which would mean less emphasis on the old guys and more on guys like Skipper, Daniels and Dutt. Not gonna happen. EDIT: They might stand a better chance if Spike put Ultimate Fighter on at 8 against Raw. If that's a decent ratings draw, then you pull viewers away from the beginning of Raw. And if people miss the beginning of Raw and then have the choice of Raw Hour 2 or all of TNA, they might just choose the latter.

The FWA is as good as it's been in years right now and has been since about 2003. You can't argue with success. Of course, if you've have problems with Alex Shane, then you're not exactly an objective person are you?

Yeah, but not all Hollywood movies are funny. They started off parodying, but just like there's more than one side to Hollywood movies, I guess Vince is trying to show there's more than one side to his wrestlers. Hence, having Cena and JBL do a serious and very impressive skit that didn't need humour to get people interested in it's content.

Cornette hates the garbage style of wrestling, and sees IWA-MS as that. It really started to get going when the Louisville Eccentric Observer, a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, did a piece on covering IWA-MS, and talked in detail about the violent and bloody matches in IWA-MS. Cornette responded with a letter to the paper that basically said what IWA-MS does isn't wrestling, and don't compare what IWA-MS does to wrestling, because they aren't the same. The next week, Jim Fannin replied and took shots at OVW and Cornette, and it ended there, because Cornette didn't want to respond again, feeling that by doing so he was giving IWA-MS publicity that he didn't want to give them. Ah. So I'm guessing that was a while ago, before Ian changed up the company's style a little and dropped the deathmatches.

They couldn't really do that. A lot of time was needed for Angle to do his promos, so they couldn't devote a lot of time to the actual match. Putting in someone established against Angle would have needed at least another 6-8 minutes to avoid making the established person look weak. Plus, it would have made Angle weak to vow to show up HBK and then struggle.

Undertaker "From The Vault" = Possibly awesome.

Well, I might as well comment on it...I do believe my promo, coupled with the board promo and my upcoming Storm promo, are some of the better that I've done as Maddix. Which isn't saying a whole lot, granted. But still. Also, mad props to Cortez and Toxxic for their matches. And almost as mad props to W&D and Sly who aren't exactly 'mah boys', but still brought the content.

I know Corny's got a long list of people he doesn't like, but is it right that Ian Rotten's on it? What's the situation there?

Yeah, that report makes a lot more sense with Angle/Michaels. Marty Jannetty? Having just watched his shoot interview, he looked pretty good physically...certainly better than last I saw of him. And that was from last year. So hopefully, he should be in good enough shape for a 3 minute Angle squash. And post match, maybe Michaels can run out to save Jannetty from a beatdown, leading to some Rockers tag spots to run Angle off. And then of course, Michaels superkicks Jannetty for old time's sake. I'd watch Smackdown for that.

Agreed. I'm not a big Chelsea fan, but damned if I'm not routing for them here. Hopefully they don't throw it away...

If I could get to Coventry, I would. But sadly not to be. I'm still dissappointed they didn't go for broke on Joe vs. Misawa.

Not bigger. It's probably more prestigious, but in terms or international standing, the NWA Title is still higher. And it'll stay that way as far as historians are concerned. The only way I can see it becoming 'bigger' is if ROH organise high profile title defences around the world.

Obviously it hasn't been acknowledged on screen. But they could just say the General Managers paid them to act in the commercials, just like actors would be paid to appear in movies (or commercials, if you want like for like comparisons.) if they wanted to preserve kayfabé. Or just say Vince told them to. Oh and to nikjohns- As I posted twice, I'm done arguing.

Well, it was certainly better than the Stilts Match. And the Pie Match. Who the hell thought THOSE were a good idea?

Learn to read, dickhead.

Well, consider me trying to end it then, because you're right...it is pointless trying to argue with you.

...man, this thread is dead, huh?

Tag Team Title win with Kane?

The voice of a man who's been PWNED! Or...not.

Depends on the criteria. He was MUCH more entertaining as a heel. As a face, from what I've seen, Backlund came across as a little bland character wise. Nice guy. But maybe a little too nice. Of course he was more successful as a face. There's a lot of guys who were more successful in one disposition but more entertaining with another. Luger maybe, Michaels maybe, Backlund certainly. And that's not a knock on Backlund and his face run, because he did a great job with it. He was just more entertaining as a heel.

"I bet you think you're pretty smart." In a distinctly dark and dingy, rundown looking wrestling training facility, Landon Maddix sits in the corner of the ring, knees up to his sternum, head down. "You figured me out, outsmarted me. I bet you're real happy Toxxic. Laugh it up Toxxic. Enjoy your sweet, sweet revenge." Standing up, Maddix footsteps echo through the empty facility as he walks into the centre of the ring, adjusting the ICTV Championship belt around his waist. The camera isn't focused well enough to pick out more than Maddix's sillouhette at the moment, but his voice is still clear. "You may have beaten me. But I'm still standing. Still here. You got the win over me Toxxic. But the war isn't over yet. You should know that Toxxic. After all, you've been here before back in December of last year. When I took the World Title off of you, you questioned if you still had the fire. If you still had it in you. One loss and you thought you might have lost it. That's just how much of a goddamn ego you have Toxxic. Me? I'm not doubting myself like you did. See, I went through eighteen other men to win the shot at your title at the Clusterfuck. The fact I didn't win the belt doesn't change that. And, let's face it, I'm one of only FIVE men to have won the Clusterfuck Match. Five. Who HASN'T won the SWF World Title?" Suddenly, the mood changes. A wry smile emerges on Maddix's face, his 'solemn' look and body language cast aside. Reaching down, Landon Maddix unstraps the ICTV Championship from around his waist and places it over his shoulder, in camera shot. A camera shot that finally allows us to see the heavy neckbrace Maddix is wearing. "I don't have to doubt myself. Because I've got this." Maddix looks at the belt with pride, as if looking at a newborn child. "I know you're probably ecstatic at being the SWF World Heavyweight Champion still. And I also know you'll be running your mouth, happy to still be 'on top of the world'. But all you'll be doing is masking the facts. So, let's get to the facts shall we. You're the World Champion. Great, in theory. Not so great when you realise how much that belt has fallen. The World Heavyweight Title...has been RAPED of it's DIGNITY! Do you know how many times that belt changed hands in 2003? Six times. And last year? Twelve times. TWELVE times! Oh yeah, FEEL the prestige as you hold that belt Toxxic. You make a big deal about your last long title reign. Pretend it means anything. And while you do, remember that the belt hasn't really meant jack since the days of El Luchadore Magnifico, Tom Flesher, Edwin MacPhisto. Charlie Matthews was the last champion to really make it mean anything. The only belt that means anything in this business now..." With a smile, Maddix holds up the ICTV Championship. "...is this one. One hundred and twenty plus days I've held this belt. But I've short changed it. I lost sight of what this belt really means to me. I've put aside this belt for so long. And for what? To fight for the Hot Potato Championship? F*ck that sh*t!!" Maddix drops the belt back onto his shoulder, grimacing slighty as he clutches his neck...only to grit his teeth and carry on through it. "I've been at the top of the mountain before Toxxic. But I'm much happier near the summit where I am now. The view is just as good, but the air isn't as thin. From now on, THIS is the only belt that matters to me! You've said you don't care about this belt anymore. Then again, you couldn't even hold it for a full month...so you're more suited to the World Title really. So you can bring back Annie Eclectic again, paint her to be a 'top contender', beat her and feel real big for beating a retiree. You can take some big lug like Carnage, run through him and pretend it means anything. And I'll just get on with defending the belt that REALLY means something to me! Because as long as you have the belt, it never will." Noticing himself getting fired up, Maddix takes a deep breath to calm himself back down. "So, let's look at this in perspective. You're holding a belt that has been in possession of more men in the last year than that loose looking slut you carry around, which is saying something. 'Top of the world'. And who do you have to celebrate with? They say it's lonely at the top Toxxic. I guess you're living proof." Maddix flashes another wry smile. "The fact is, you have no friends in this business, do you? Jet's only with you for the paychecks and the chance to play Revolution Zero ringrat. You screwed over Spike Jenkins. You used Sacred and then ruined his career. Jimmy Liston was just a pawn in your game. Sean Davis? Just a musclehead you can use to your advantage. And your relationship with Pretzler is strictly business. So that leaves you with...you. Oh, and Chris Card. I would trust you over I trust him, which is a pretty big statement. He's using you as much as you're using him. You're alone, no matter how many people you surround yourself with. All you're doing is compensating. Now, I'm not going to bullsh*t you and say I'm Alan Clark's best buddy or that me and Todd Cortez are extremely close. But we get along just fine." With a sigh, Maddix re-adjusts his belt again before backing up, up against the ring ropes, leaning into them casually. "So, let's look at this in perspective...again. You're holding a tainted title and have no close friends in the business to celebrate with or talk to. And you had to try and kill me to do it. Meanwhile, I'm holding a belt that has more prestige in it than it did this time last year...and if I want to celebrate, I've got Cortez. If I want to confide in someone, Megan is always there. And Clark is...well, Clark. And hey, I don't have attempted homicide praying on MY conscience." "So, who's the REAL winner here Toxxic?" "Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?"

Dare I ask how? By posting in a thread you post in? Last time I checked, we didn't have a block feature.

Even with soccer? I find that hard to believe. -=Mike Obviously not in American soccer, because it's lightyears behind European and South American soccer in terms of talent and certainly in terms of fan passion. American soccer bores me to tears. In England, it's a lot different.

Almost as good as "Suckbag" Orton. You two have way too much free time on your hands, try getting a life instead of spending all day in your computers monitoring everything that I do. Ooh, good one. Don't flatter yourself there RVDSault.

Uhm, just for the record...I'm not leaving just yet. Never fear. While Toxx is right about the idea and while I do have some admitedly intriguing stuff awaiting if and when I decide to do that, I don't want to take away another established character while this place desperatly needs them. I just don't want the World Title after last time. That and the fact I have no desire to write against Toxxic's character after Slay Ride.