Hunter's Torn Quad

Put everyone in creative in a room, throw in a hand grenade and shut the door.

Russo had three months the first time around with total control. It was a disaster from a creative and business standpoint. Seeing as his second run was more of the same, it's highly doubtful that things would have got any better if Russo had been kept in charge. Russo isn't the sole reason WCW sank, but whether his apologists like it or not, he is one of the main reasons. His one-trick style of writing was the exact opposite of what WCW's fans wanted. Not long before Russo came on board WCW commissioned a major survey of their fans, which was conducted by a professional research company, and it asked them what they wanted out of WCW. The results were that WCW's fans wanted less stupid skits and more emphasis on wrestling, which shouldn’t be a surprise because WCW fans were always more wrestling orientated. Unfortunately, the results came in after Russo arrived. He binned them and went in the completely opposite directions that WCW’s own fans wanted.

I agree with most of what you're saying. I'll just believe the intention when Marufuji actually wins.

I'm sure Misawa and everyone else knows that he should put Marufuji over. What has me worried that it won't happen is that they see Marufuji, as great as he as and as over as he is, as just a junior heavyweight. Akiyama putting Marufuji over for the GHC Title was a big deal, but there is a world of difference between how Akiyama is seen and how Misawa is seen, not just in the eyes of the fans but in the eyes of Misawa and company. I think Akiyama might have been the one to put over Marufuji for the title because Akiyama was the one top heavyweight that they were willing to sacrifice to Marufuji in order to get over the idea that a top junior heavyweight can beat a top heavyweight, and that Marufuji’s title win doesn’t necessarily mean a radical change in philosophy. Another reason I don’t think Misawa will put Marufuji over is that beating Misawa is major deal, and I’m not convinced that Misawa will give up a rare pinfall loss to Marufuji, especially when I think it more likely that he’ll give up a rare job to put over Morishima or, if he really does put over a junior heavyweight, to KENTA.

Misawa definitely cannot and should not go 60:00. If Misawa does indeed put Marufuji over clean, then it would be a major news story for so many reasons.

This is the same wrestling company that was on track to lose millions of dollars, 6 months before Russo even signed a contract with them, right? Whether WCW was going to lose a ton of money or not, it doesn't change the fact that Russo was a disaster in WCW. Did anyone else listen to the show with Lance? It was great stuff and he made some excellent points.

Vince was having so much fun in the role that the idea for a new GM was scrapped and Vince took the spot.

Raw did a 3.6, which is about the average it gets these days.

I saw that the first time around. It was a bad idea then and looking back it's an even worse one.

I know it won't change any minds here but from Alvarez:

The Pillman issue was great, but the Pena issue was just as good, maybe even better.

I disown you.

I sat on the front porch with my shotgun. Treat. For me, at least.

I just don't think Misawa et al are behind Marufuji to the extent that Misawa will put him over. I think when push comes to shove, they won't put their top junior heavyweight over their heavyweight legend. If Marufuji retains, it'll be because of a non-finish of some kind, maybe a draw, because I just can't picture Misawa putting Marufuji over. Then again, nobody saw Marufuji beating Akiyama either.

I don't think there are many people who doubt Vince takes something to enhance his physique, whether it's steroids or something else. As for any coke habbit, to work as hard and as relentlessly as he does, you've got to be on something. It might not be coke, though. He could just drink a whole lot of coffee to keep going.

Midgets Dives Off Of A Cage

For those signed up to Figure Four Weekly Online, Lance will be on tomorrow night's edition of Figure Four Daily to talk about his TNA commentary amongst other things. His website set a traffic record in the days after the commentary. F4W Online

I see Misawa getting the belt back.

Don't get too excited. K Fed's second time drew nowhere that number. K Fed was great for a ratings boost the first time out, but like any such act he doesn't mean as much the second time around.

Vince often changes his mind at the drop of a hat. Not only that, while Vince may have decided on what he was going to do with Van Dam three months ago, there has been plenty of time for not just Vince changing his mind but also for people down on Van Dam to bury him to Vince to the point that Vince has indeed soured on the guy and goes with what those people have been pushing for.

And you're outta here.

WO.com

Meltzer mentioned a good example of this on WOL last night. A number of the TNA wrestlers went to a World Series game in Detroit, where BFG was, and almost all of them got recognized by people. The problem was it was off of what they had done in WCW. Nobody knew about TNA or even that TNA was having a PPV in Detroit that weekend. Mike Tenay told a similar story just prior to TNA getting on Spike, about he had recently been recognized in the airport and got asked what he was up to since leaving WCW and how it told him that nobody knew about TNA. It's not an old problem but it's one that, for some reason, TNA are slow on pulling the trigger to do anything about. There is not one good reason they couldn't have blanketed Detroit with advertising, of any kind, to tell people that Kurt Angle was going to be at a PPV in the area. Or that there would be a PPV.

Yes, it was me. Not anymore. As for why, because I'm not feeling it. And because I can.....

The numbers for each quarter: F4W Online