Statements From Piper And Percy Pringle On Tonight

[Guest BoboBrazil]

Roddy Piper's:

 

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper wants to set the record straight regarding his appearance tonight on the NWA-TNA Pay-Per-View. Piper, in Nashville returning his tour bus as the first part of “The Tour The Fans Demanded” comes to a close, made an agreement Tuesday with an NWA Official to appear on the show. Roddy, after hearing the fans comments over the last month regarding the state of Pro Wrestling, and after seeing a copy of last weeks NWA-TNA Show, given to him by a fan, wanted a National Forum to try and get the Wrestling Business back on track.

 

The only stipulations that Roddy Piper had were that nobody knew he was coming and that nobody in the NWA Organization had any say in the interviews content. Piper, who refused payment for the appearance, wanted to speak from the heart and wasn’t even sure when he got to the ring, what exactly he was going to say.

 

In addition, nobody in the NWA Organization authorized Vince Russo to come to the ring. This was not scripted and as you can see by Russo’s demeanor in the ring, a total 100% shoot. Apparently, Russo listening while getting ready for his segment of the show, couldn’t resist coming to the ring. As seen live, he wouldn’t speak unless he was given the mic and when he wasn’t (Piper’s Pit Rule #1-Never surrender the microphone), they were forced to send The Harris Brothers to the ring to get the situation under control. This further complicated the planned storyline of The Harris’ aligning with Russo 10 minutes later as if it were scripted, why wouldn’t they have turned on Piper.

 

Regardless, Roddy Piper holds absolutely no ill will toward the NWA-TNA or any of their officials as they acted completely professionally in the face of Vince Russo’s lack of professionalism. Piper, however, regrets that his message was interrupted by Russo’s egotistical antics.

 

Roddy Piper also wants to stress that his comments regarding Owen Hart were 100% from the heart. He does not forget that there are children that have to grow up without a father and that nobody was ever held accountable. Although the way it played out, it looked like an angle, Roddy Piper for no amount of money would base an angle, payoff, or promotional venture including his book, which has been unbelievably successful with major National Media, around an incident that to this day, still brings a tear to his eye. Case Closed."

 

Percy Pringle's:

 

Good evening friends from a freezing cold Nashville, TN, where I just returned from The NWA-TNA Asylum. After several weeks of private negotiations I signed a deal with TNA this very afternoon.

 

Of course, I will be Percy Pringle again after 12 years. I am really excited about this new venture, and I apologize for not answering the posts here at my forum and my email like I usually do. Now that the secret is out, I can tell you that I have been very busy the past several days.

 

Needless to say, NWA-TNA is a very unique orgainization, but I am certain that I will be able to adapt to their style rather quickly. Aside from my on-air character, I will be a backstage agent, and write for The TNA new website as well as several other duties.

 

I am sure you have many questions. I will answer as many as possible after I return home tomorrow. To head some of you off at the pass, I can tell you that I never spoke to Vince Russo at all. He does not dress or hang out in the same area as the rest of the talent. In fact when our eyes met at the end of tonight's broadcast, was the first time we have seen each other since he left The WWF. There are a lot of things involving Russo that I do not understand yet, but I will. It appears to me that he does what he wants to do around there, and really hates The Jarretts for a shoot. I have never seen anything like it. But It is not fair for me to comment on it any further, until I have the facts to backup my statements.

 

I was just as shocked as many of you, as well as the talent and management backstage, at Roddy Piper's comments about the late Owen Hart. I thought it was tasteless. I was in the production meeting, Russo and Piper were not, and I can tell you that Piper's comments were not written for him by anyone in NWA-TNA. Everything he said, was of his own accord. I never had the chance to see or talk to Roddy. He came in a back door already dressed, and left immediately in the same manner.

 

What have I gotten myself into?

 

Take care my friends.

~Percy

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Well, in the other thread I said I was starting to think Piper's lost it.

 

Now I'm sure he has.

[Guest JHawk]

I'm still trying to figure what everybody's beef with Piper was tonight. He implied that he blames Russo for Owen's death. As I said in another thread, he's about the only guy nobody blamed for it, but he's the guy who took credit for everything in the WWF between 1997 and 1999 (even the stuff that sucked).

 

Tasteless or not, don't you guys at least think Piper might have a valid reason (in his mind) to think Russo's somewhat accountable?

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

He blamed Russo for Owen's death.  As I said in another thread, he's about the only guy nobody blamed for it, but he's the guy who took credit for everything in the WWF between 1997 and 1999 (even the stuff that sucked).

I think part of the backlash is because everyone assumed that was a trademarked "and that's a SHOOT, Tony!" promo, unaware it was really truely honestly an actual shoot, or so they say. I think we'll have to see whether they mention the Owen comments again or just forget about it to see what happens.

 

As for my own personal opinions on the matter:

 

Russo's job is to write scripts. It's not his job to check the safety mechanisms of the harness. Sure, some people also blame Vince (McMahon) for it, but they're either uninformed on the issue or their first name is Bret.

[Guest bob_barron]

What was the point of Piper bringing up Owen anyway??

[Guest RedJed]

Well turns out Piper was shooting after all. Fuckin a! I can see and understand his feelings regarding Owen just because he's so close to the Harts and its natural to throw the blame on someone, anyone. I'm sure he feels about the same way towards McMahon on the topic of Owen's death too.

 

I think the initial beef people had was that they thought it was scripted, thats all.

 

Thats cool that we will see Percy Pringle III back. I remember back in the Memphis and Texas regions where he was really over as a manager. He could play a decent role against Mitchell, or with him.

[Guest RedJed]

What was the point of Piper bringing up Owen anyway??

Personal sense of accomplishment or something.......who knows with Piper. He's a very illogical person at times.

[Guest bob_barron]

Scripted or not Piper shouldn't be going out there and just shooting his mouth off.

 

There was no need to mention Owen- it was pointless, offensive and stupid

[Guest dreamer420]

Just for the record Piper said "someone like Russo was responsible for owen's death."

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Then he stuck the mic in Russo's face and said "Did you kill Owen Hart?"

 

And pressed it on.

 

Russo only went to the ring because he was being made out as a murderer anyway.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Russo only went to the ring because he was being made out as a murderer anyway.

Seriously. I think that's the first time I've ever felt sympathetic for the guy.

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

Russo only went to the ring because he was being made out as a murderer anyway.

And because, y'know, it's a scripted show and part of said script had him scheduled to come out at that time.

[Guest geniusMoment]

Conflict sells, the first rule of the media.

of course TNA wants you to think it is a shoot

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

Was it Keith who came up with the following summation of Russo's main idea - "Everything in wrestling is fake EXCEPT what you're watching right now, which is a SHOOT".

 

Shouldn't be more than another week or two before we get the patented Russo "Oh my God! The Wrestlers are deviating from the planned finish to the match! They're shooting on each other! This is a REAL fight!" bullshit.

[Guest RedJed]

Notice how the announcers never mentioned the Owen Hart comments at all?

 

Notice how TNA wasn't the one who released the comments, it was Piper himself at his own website?

 

I firmly believe Piper would not use that as part of a scripted storyline due to his closeness to the Harts, in particular Bret. They're all like part of his family. I don't buy that this was a quasi-shoot angle at all.

[Guest dreamer420]

I believe that interview was a shoot. He said something before he started ranting about russo wanting a shoot so he was going to give him one.

[Guest J*ingus]

And because, y'know, it's a scripted show and part of said script had him scheduled to come out at that time.

Russo wasn't scripted to come out at that time.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I think the whole point of that post was that, you know, he didn't buy it.

 

We're going to have troubles ahead of us if future shows are going to send us into fights over what's shooting and what's not. With Russo it's usually easy to tell 99% of the time.

[Guest bob_barron]

I hope they don't turn NWA TNA into WCW 2000.

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

Russo wasn't scripted to come out at that time.

Of course not.

 

Man, I hope Killings is okay after James hit him with that chair!

[Guest J*ingus]

Russo wasn't scripted to come out at that time.

Of course not.

 

Man, I hope Killings is okay after James hit him with that chair!

I saw the script. Russo coming out wasn't part of Piper's segment.

[Guest dreamer420]

You saw the script?

[Guest J*ingus]

Yes. I hang out for hours every week before the show starts, talking with all the guys that I know.

[Guest dreamer420]

riiiight

[Guest J*ingus]

What, you don't believe me?

[Guest dreamer420]

I've just never heard of this before. Tell me more.

[Guest Tony149]

Jingus could be telling the truth. The guys who run totalnonstop.com talk with a lot of the wrestlers.

[Guest J*ingus]

Current/Former TNA'ers who know me by name: Bob Ryder, Bill Behrens, James Storm, Sinister Minister, Chase Stevens, Bert Prentice, Athena, Belladonna, David Young, Anthony Ingram, Rick Michaels, Chris Michaels, Mortimer Plumtree, AJ Styles, Miss Lollipop, and Joel Gertner. And most of the others at least recognize me enough for a "hey brother how ya doing". Ironically, I've never talked to either of the Jarretts, but oh well.

[Guest treble charged]

Current/Former TNA'ers who know me by name: Bob Ryder

Sure you want to brag about that?

[Guest dreamer420]

Current/Former TNA'ers who know me by name: Bob Ryder, Bill Behrens, James Storm, Sinister Minister, Chase Stevens, Bert Prentice, Athena, Belladonna, David Young, Anthony Ingram, Rick Michaels, Chris Michaels, Mortimer Plumtree, AJ Styles, Miss Lollipop, and Joel Gertner. And most of the others at least recognize me enough for a "hey brother how ya doing". Ironically, I've never talked to either of the Jarretts, but oh well.

That is pretty cool. So who let's you see a script then?