Fro

No, because reaching 70% of the country in a great time slot on a network some people watch, at a time people are actually watching TV >>> reaching 90% of the country in a terrible time slot on a network people don't watch, at a time nobody is watching TV.

WGN is on in more homes (65 million+) than Nitro was when it started. It's on in virtually every cable system in the Midwest and most of them in Southeast. It is usually a lower numbered station on most cable systems. It's not going to be a big problem. They're going to have a much, much higher profile than on Fox Sports Net, trust me. They are going to have a constant timeslot, in prime-time, when people actually watch TV instead of 4 pm, 1 am on Saturday Nights, and Midnight on Thursday night. They can't start on 6/6 because there is a Cubs baseball game in that timeslot (one of three games during the summer where TNA could possibly be preempted and then the schedule is *completely* clear for them).

He can be dorky sometimes and be a badass in the ring... that's the balance they need to hit more often. Angle's great at everything he does as a heel. As long as they book him as a tough guy who's a machine in the ring, he'll be over. If he didn't have his injury problems, he would have had a good heel run with the belt by now. I do agree this stuff with Sharmell is pure Wrestlecrap.

They're not scheduled because there's no announced deal yet. They're going to have no problem clearing the Monday Night timeslot because it's just crappy movies at this point. There is no first-run programming, or even syndicated programming that they have to axe or move to make room for TNA.

It's pretty much standard operating procedure to say which network you're leaving for on your last show. Letterman mentioned he was leaving NBC for CBS, WWE mentioned they were moving to TNN, sports teams mention when their next broadcast is, even if it's on a different network. Furthermore, since TNA paid for the timeslot, they can say whatever they want.

Considering they couldn't be on Spike TV until the fall, I'd say a deal with the Tribune (WGN), at least for a few months is their only option. I fully expect a deal to be announced today, in time for them to insert an announcement on the last Impact show. I hope for the sake of all the people in the Northeast whining about not getting WGN that it includes a syndicated version of the show that the Tribune can put on the stations they own in NYC (WPIX), Boston(WLVI), Hartford, Albany, DC (WBDC), Harrisburg and Philly (WPHL). This could also reach Tribune-owned stations in Seattle, Portland, LA, San Diego, and Sacramento.

That was a great segment, as crappy as it was. Gotta love WWE exploiting the situation for money. Although whatever Meltzer is hinting at today is either a Hardy return or ECW.

They've really booked themselves into a corner here because it makes logical sense for Edge to use both title shots. Batista can't afford to lose to Edge and Edge can't afford to not pin Batista with two shots at it.

It's a weekly show that will be live every other week.

This was a pretty good (really good by TNA standards) episode with a nice mix of some good matches and angles. This actually felt like an A-Show instead of a B-Show for once. If this is what I can expect from the new booking committee, they've got me back watching every week.

Latest is 8-10 PM Mondays on WGN according to the Observer... official deal could be made this week. They would be live every other week. This could start really soon as TNA's deal with FSN is up May 29th. The new booking team also wants to bring in American Dragon, Samoa Joe, and CM Punk. They're looking at bringing in Ultimo Dragon to fight Chris Daniels for the 3-year anniversary PPV.

This is a death timeslot. It'll be interesting to see how the ratings hold up. On the other hand, there's a lot less competition in the slot than Thursdays.

I want to see the whole package from Nintendo before I pass judgement. I was quite disappointed they didn't show any trailers for Revolution games. It certainly seems like they're going to be last to the party, so for their sakes, they need some real innovation (and meaningful exclusive 3-party support). However, everything they've shown at this point has been quite good. They still have a few months to show all before 360 comes out though.

LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOAH. For some reason, they've decided to add a couple pieces of actual recent footage to the montage, but they haven't taken out any of the people like Nikita and Kanyon who haven't been in the company in years. Your Hosts are Dean Hill and... nobody Dean Hill informs us that Jim Cornette is missing and nobody knows where he is. Apparently this has thrown the locker room into chaos, even though Cornette just makes matches and Danny Davis runs OVW. Well, let's see who sinks and who swims without the smoke and mirrors. Let's have an awkward cut to an obviously pretaped Alexis Laree backstage, who apparently now is a backstage corrsepondent in the new Dreamer/Snow/Storm booking era. Apparently the OVW locker room has expanded from the 20 people who were regularly on TV to a couple hundred people. Looks like a huge frat party. Why are all these people backstage if they're not wrestling tonight? This segment consists of Alexis walking around and talking to random people who have been on TV once and asking them if they know what's going on. God, she sounds TERRIBLE on the mic, worse than the Diva Search women. This just drags on and on... Back at ringside, Hill talks to us at home and acts like a lost puppy. MNM come out (sans entrance music, because I guess Cornette ran that too?) They do the gag acting like the title belts are their penises. Melina looks very hispanic tonight. Matthews decides now's the time to cut a terrible promo and says Cornette isn't here, so MNM is running the show. Nitro sounds pretty embarassing. Melina says out of the goodness of their hearts, they going to let the fans take pictures of them up close. Anyway, they walk around the ring seemingly forever and Melina ends up slapping a fan. Security comes out and MNM starts laying out a ton of people like this is a Bruce Lee movie.They snapshot a guard and go to pillmanize his ankle (like they did to Mac Johnson last week. Apparently there's not 50 babyfaces in the locker room or anything. Seth Skyfire finally runs out, randomly with a crutch to make the save. Where did he get a crutch from? Johnson is hurt, not him. Mindnumblingly bad. -Ad Break Let us throw you back to last week, as we are joined by Al Snow on commentary. The security guard is getting stretchered out. Basically Mac Johnson gets pillmanized, so now Seth Skyfire and Rey Misterio (in a rare bit of WWE/OVW contunity) will team at Six Flags against MNM. - Ad Break Let us take you to the backstage search for Cornette with Alexis Laree and Leslie Neilsen searching for clues. Oh my god, it's a locked door, what the heck is going on? Apparently Cornette was the person who unlocked all the doors in the building. We overhear Mike Mondo saying "Cornette is done!" Try as Alexis might, she can't break the closet door open to see what's behind it. Apparently it must be a new room or something that has magically appeared because nobody out of the 200 people in the locker room hallway knows what is behind it. Alexis actually says "someone is jamming it". There's doors locked everywhere. This is wrestlecrap. Let us abruptly cut to the ring with Al Snow. Anyway, here's some rambling with Al Snow talking like Jim Ross after Owen Hart's death. Finally... let's bring out Bobby "The Brain" Heenan! YES!!! Now, this still has to be good, right? They can't screw this up. "BOBBY" chants from the crowd, which change to "WEASEL". Bobby says he's here to see Bolin, bolin for dollars. He says everyone in wrestling is talking about him, and Snow tries to act like Cornette which kinda flops. He produces a gift sack. KENNY BOLIN (w/ Miss Blue) finally comes out to Theme from the Sopranos. Heenan shakes his hand and says he admires how Bolin manages, as loud BOLIN SUCKS chants continue. Heenan is very awkward playing babyface to Bolin, trying to be funny and his jokes fall flat because the audience can't understand him and they're actually not that funny. Snow is doing his fake laugh like crazy. Bolin takes a long time to say that he is the best manager ever, not Bobby Heenan and he taught Jim Cornette everything he knows. Not bad but not an interesting promo. Anyway, Heenan finally gives him a super-oversized pair of women's underwear (Bolin is quite the obese guy and these are twice the size of him). He freaks out, Heenan says he has a six-foot trophy for Bolin. As Bolin turns around, Heenan puts the underwear on Bolin's head and throws him around the ring a bit. Bolin, blinded by the underwear, swings wildly for Heenan. Bolin gets free and charges at Heenan, but Heenan uses his red suit jacket like a matador's cape and Bolin goes crashing to the floor. Okay, the last minute of that segment was gold, but this was really disappointing. - Ad Break REY MISTERIO, CIRCA WCW. "HE'S COMING". Yes, this was the old introduction promo for him. -- Let us go backstage, where Aaron "The Idol" Stevesn has a random women with him, then he pushes her away when Beth Phoenix comes into the frame. Apparently Alexis has given up her search for Cornette and we're just randomly going backstage. This is Deesere, apparently. Alexis Laree apparently decides to hold the microphone in front of them, even after yelling at Phoenix before that so we can hear Stevens' plan for later. Abrupt cut to Brent Albright coming out. Albright is your OVW Heavyweight Champion and has a new belt which looks awesome. Apparently he is still the TV champion as well, even though he has to forfeit it. He cuts a promo that is decent (which is a step up from his usual stuff). Basically says he's forfeiting the TV title and there will be a match next week to decide the new champ. Ok, this guy is better on the mic without Cornette around. Aaron "The Idol" Stevens is out with Beth Phoenix. Idol tries to talk into the mics on the commentary title, but they aren't hooked up to the PA, so Phoenix has to go into the ring and steal Albright's mic. Idol says the only reason Albright beat him for the TV title was because of Danny Inferno. Albright decides to put the TV title on the line after Phoenix has to give the PA back to Albright and I guess Al Snow okays it, so we'll have it after the break. -- Usual Brent Albright match. Ref gets bumped. Albright locks in the crowbar on Idol and Idol taps but no ref. Phoenix distracts Albright (despite being billed as Albright's cousin http://www.ovwrestling.com/superstars/phoenix/profile.htm). I could drive a truck through that plothole. Idol hits him with a chair but the ref is still out. I guess there's only one ref tonight, because usually someone runs out at this point. Danny Inferno comes out, and acts like he's counting, Stevens thinks he's won, Inferno clocks Stevens, then chases Phoenix off. After about five minutes, the ref finally wakes up. After a bit of wrestling, Albright reverses a sunset flip into the crowbar, so he is your winner! Okay match. The ref gives Albright his thousand dollar check even though the match wasn't scheduled and Albright was supposed to forfeit the title tonight! Albright does his usual "best damn wrestler" schtick, but out runs Simon Dean! He clocks him from behind, whips him with the championship belt! He tosses him into the side of the announce desk which moves about 4 feet(!) About a billion security guys and refs (where were they earlier during the match??) run out immediately, but Dean fights them off since wrestlers have superhuman powers now in the Dreamer era. A bunch of random guys in street clothes get decked (what the hell? oh well, it looks cool). It's about 20 on 1 and Nova is beating up everyone. Now all 20 guys just stand and watch Nova beating up Albright and they stick their hands out like they're trying to stop him. Nova takes a chair and sits on Albright. He says he doesn't work here anymore, but it doesn't mean he doesn't watch this crap. He says guys in boas, bananas, fat guys, and "a goof who talks to head is comentating. This place is a friggin circus. Albright, on behalf of myself, Damaja, Basham, Dinsmore, the Ironman, the legends of OVW, you ain't a shooter, you'd better replace that o with an i, because that's exactly what you are, a piece of crap!" He demands Snow make a match between him and Albright for next week "My name is Simon Dean, and Simon Says I don't believe in any of you." He gives a guy NOVACAINE on the mat at ringside! Okay, Dean was pretty entertaining there at least. -- Rey Misterio is coming, and he won't do any of the moves he does in this promo because WWE is afraid someone will get hurt!! -- Snow says okay for the Dean/Albright match next week. He says it'll be only live in the arena, not on TV. Here comes the Tolands and the heel locker room out to "take over". Tank says the inmates are running the asylum. Kenzo Suzuki and a bunch of random people are here... some other guy doing an arab gimmick and a bunch of people I've never seen before. Let's go to yet another break! -- Oh my, the inmates have taken over. Here comes the faces and a bunch of random people. The Heartbreakers are randomly here, despite leaving OVW for good last week. There's Puder. Jeter gets to talk, for whatever reason. Jillian Hall, who has apparently recovered, throws rubbing alcohol in Jeter's eyes and all heck breaks loose with a bunch of random people fighting. I can't believe a huge brawl is so boring, probably because I don't know who is who. Probably if your favorite indy guy is "in OVW", you saw him in that segment. Okay, this is the worst episode of OVW TV I've ever seen.

According to the Observer this week, the WGN deal involves going on at 9 pm on Monday nights, and TNA is leaning very strongly towards taking it. This could start as soon as June. They need to take this deal ASAP.

It's fake, someone just took a magazine scan of the 2005 lineup and added some names.

Ditto on Skies of Arcadia Legends... great turn-based, old-school feeling RPG. Obviously, if you haven't played FF IV/FF VI/Chrono Trigger give those a spin.

Yeah, when you consider a back bodydrop is 270 degrees and the Destroyer is 180 for the guy taking the move, it's not really a huge feat to flip over. Petey has it a little harder, but he's just doing a flip. Really looks incredible though, since both guys are in midair at the same time.

Teaming Damaja and Doug Basham is fine. They were a great team in OVW. They should have given Cornette a little more notice though. Only problem is they didn't let them talk for months (and they still rarely do) and they encourage them to just do headlocks and crap since that's "toned down WWE style". They also shaved Doug's head and called Damaja his "brother", further robbing them of their quite distinct personalities in OVW. You'd never in a million years confuse Damaja and Doug Basham in OVW. The big point is, WWE doesn't have a damn clue about how to book talent to their strengths, and they expect guys to get over by not talking and not doing highspots.

Turner doesn't own any of his TV networks anymore and he lost a lot of money when Time Warner merged with AOL and the stock value tanked. At this point, he doesn't have any TV networks.

I would have said yes when he first came into WWE and looked great. Lately, I'd say no.

Keep in mind, Dean was DNC chair for only a few weeks of the first quarter. He's got all his ducks in a row now and the Republicans are on the defensive on several issues.

If he just *has* to be on the show, it's a much better use for him than wrestling. And I do dig the music... sounds like something Graeme Norgate would right (who did the music for Killer Instinct, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, and the Timesplitters games).

So I guess you can add Raven and Lynn to the list of guys. That's really great news... it'll be awesome to see Raven and Jerry Lynn. Dunno if they'll even have Douglas appear or not with all the bad blood with him, but maybe they'll surprise us. Only problem is going to be they practically need another hour for the PPV now... hopefully they tape some stuff just for the DVD.

Gangrel wrestled on OVW TV this past week and looked pretty awesome. Of course he was in there with Elijah Burke who's one of the better workers down there, but it's nice to see him get another shot.