BoboBrazil 0 Report post Posted May 26, 2004 ·The new Fox Sports Network television deal has changed the mood in the locker room. While everyone seems happy the company is taking this step, some of the younger wrestlers are said to be nervous about working in front of a national audience. Although the pay-per-views are technically national, the wrestlers know they will be seen by more viewers on FSN. Some of these wrestlers are said to be concerned that their popularity in Nashville may not carry over to Orlando or the rest of the country. Meanwhile, some of the veterans who have worked for WWE, WCW, or ECW in the past are excited to be getting back in the mix. There are also some wrestlers who are concerned that they will be lost in the shuffle, especially if TNA brings in some of the bigger names that have been rumored, such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Ultimate Warrior. Some of the locker room leaders have been trying to assure the concerned wrestlers that the big names probably won't work more than a few shows for the company. ·TNA is shifting away from the NWA initials since they don't own the rights to the name. When dealing with grown in general and a national network in particular, they need to assure any partners in marketing the product that they have full rights to the name and all associated revenues. TNA has been preparing for this transition for many months as the website URL www.tnawrestling.com has linked to the same website as NWATNA.com since last year. All references to NWA have been dropped other than a small logo on the website and the names off the titles, which gives the titles in theory a sense of history and more prestige. The new Fox Sports Net program is called "TNA Wrestling Impact." It's not clear yet whether the NWA initials will be completely eliminated or not, but without question TNA Wrestling is the main name of the promotion now. ·Jimmy Hart has gained management power as a result of the role he played in helping the company reach a deal with Fox Sports Network. Hart has not been helping with booking matters as he did in the past, but sources say he clearly has as much power as anyone who doesn't have the last name Jarrett. ·Because there is no Fox Sports Net affiliate in Philadelphia, Pa., TNA Impact was in danger of not airing in the fifth biggest U.S. market. Comcast Sports Net, though, has agreed to pick up TNA Impact on a Saturday night at midnight timeslot. ·TNA Notebook: The decision to give the belt to Ron Killings was puzzling to a number of people. TNA gave him an early run with the belt. He quickly lost steam after he won the belt, and he has only recently regained the popularity he achieved prior to winning the title. It turns out, Vince Russo and Scott D'Amore made a strong and successful push to convince Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantel to give Ron Killings the NWA Title win on Wednesday night... Apollo hasn't been appearing on TNA shows because he is under contract to the IWA. Officials from the Puerto Rican promotion pulled the plug on his TNA appearances after the company formed an alliance with the rival World Wrestling Council... TNA officials told Konnan they would release him from his deal, but they've also been trying to talk him into sticking around... D-Lo Brown hasn't appeared on TNA television in a couple of weeks. It may have something to do with Apollo's situation since the two were tag partners, but there have also been rumblings that TNA officials are once again attempting to force him into choosing between working for them or Japan. D-Lo has been pretty adamant about wanting to maintain his Japanese schedule because the pay is better, but it's possible that the addition of FSN to the TNA schedule will change his mind... The wrestlers have been told to plan on working at least eight days per month for TNA since the company plans to do away with the idea of taping one pay-per-view each month. That's good news for the wrestlers, who are paid on a per-appearance basis. This should also help the wrestlers who are losing out on indy bookings due to TNA's problems with Ring of Honor, and the company's controversial 15 percent booking fee that they are requiring indy promoters to pay them in exchange for using contracted talent... Vince Russo issued a statement on the internet to announce that he is going to ministry school in Colorado. He was telling friends backstage that he plans to continue working for TNA, although no one seems sure whether his school schedule will force him to give up his current on-air role... The word backstage is that TNA plans to hit the "reset button" when they launch the FSN show on June 4. Meanwhile, other insiders say that while the company will certainly attempt to spice things up, they will not completely abandon past storylines... Abyss was told a few weeks ago that he was going to be a background player until the FSN show starts. He was assured that he will be involved in a big feud once the show starts... Dixie Carter has been telling wrestlers that she will have access to overnight ratings for the FSN shows. However, given the timeslot, most people are predicting that the later segments will almost automatically draw better because viewership should pick up as people get home from work or school... There is plenty of talk that TNA was promised a prime time slot on either FSN or FX this fall. No word yet as to whether the company would still be expected to pay a programming fee if the prime time talk comes to fruition... Ron Killings didn't find out until the day of the show that he was winning the NWA Title. He was said to be frustrated when wrestlers warned him that his title reign would likely be a short one, since everyone expects Jeff Jarrett to win the title either before the show debuts on FSN or shortly thereafter... A.J. Styles was upset with Jeff Jarrett because of the cut he received from Jarrett's guitar shot. Although Styles calmed down quickly, wrestlers point out that Jarrett has a history of being reckless with guitar and chair shots. One incident that wrestlers recalled was when Jarrett split open D-Lo Brown's head on a TNA pay-per-view... Surprisingly, TNA officials are said to have very little interest in Sean O'Haire... Wrestlers who figure to gain the most from Jimmy Hart's involvement are said to be Jonny Fairplay and Konnan, whom Hart is high on... One rumor that TNA officials have been spreading is that Ultimate Warrior called them looking for work recently. No word as to whether TNA officials actually plan to use him or not... Antonio Pena was supposed to be backstage at the May 19 show, but he apparently missed his flight... TNA officials are planning to use a charter flight to transport the wrestlers from Nashville to Orlando for the weekly TV tapings. The idea of chartering a bus for the travel was discussed, but company officials decided that it would put too much of a strain on the talent prior to the show... Wrestlers say Monty Brown handles himself well in backstage situations. They add that he doesn't have the "big shot football player mentality" that some former NFL'ers turned wrestlers have developed. "He just does whatever Dutch tells him," said one wrestler... Sean Waltman is interested in returning to wrestling, and if WWE doesn't hire him, he may end up in TNA. He is a longtime family friend of the Jarretts and would be seen as someone with national name recognition as they begin airing on FSN nationally. TNA officials, especially the Jarretts because of their friendship to him, did feel burned by him last year when he missed some scheduled appearances, didn't communicate well with them, and eventually disappeared from contact, although if he showed them that his personal issues that affect him then were no longer an issue, they have enough history with each other where a reconciliation would be possible... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Donners Report post Posted May 26, 2004 ...some of the younger wrestlers are said to be nervous about working in front of a national audience. Although the pay-per-views are technically national, the wrestlers know they will be seen by more viewers on FSN. Some of these wrestlers are said to be concerned that their popularity in Nashville may not carry over to Orlando or the rest of the country. Not necessarily a bad thing at all. There's perfect incentive for them to step up a notch. TNA Notebook: The decision to give the belt to Ron Killings was puzzling to a number of people. TNA gave him an early run with the belt. He quickly lost steam after he won the belt, and he has only recently regained the popularity he achieved prior to winning the title. True, but that was two years ago when he was given probably a bit more of a push than he deserved or could handle. Those "overrated" chants were pretty bad, but from the crowd reaction I've heard (albeit over a month behind current shows), they're really starting to accept him. Apollo hasn't been appearing on TNA shows because he is under contract to the IWA. Officials from the Puerto Rican promotion pulled the plug on his TNA appearances after the company formed an alliance with the rival World Wrestling Council Not much of a loss, but isn't it about time they got Colon in? I could have sworn that was mentioned in one of the TNA.com columns about the deal with WWC. The word backstage is that TNA plans to hit the "reset button" when they launch the FSN show on June 4. Meanwhile, other insiders say that while the company will certainly attempt to spice things up, they will not completely abandon past storylines... No complaints from me if they abandon Kenney/NYC and Shane/Douglas, but they shouldn't throw away two years of backstory altogther, especially the Russo/Jarrett/Styles relationship. Abyss was told a few weeks ago that he was going to be a background player until the FSN show starts. He was assured that he will be involved in a big feud once the show starts Look forward to that. My pick for an opponent would be Sabu, but they've already had a bit of a run together. Good to see they do have a future plan for him. ...turns out, Vince Russo and Scott D'Amore made a strong and successful push to convince Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantel to give Ron Killings the NWA Title win on Wednesday night D'Amore has booking pull now? I know he's big in BCW, but didn't realise he had anything much to do at TNA. With Jeff, Jerry, Russo, Mantel, Raven, Banks, D'Amore and Gilberti on the booking team, I'd wonder how they'd get anything done. I just wish I knew who was standing in the way of Gilberti's Invisible Man character. Ron Killings didn't find out until the day of the show that he was winning the NWA Title. He was said to be frustrated when wrestlers warned him that his title reign would likely be a short one, since everyone expects Jeff Jarrett to win the title either before the show debuts on FSN or shortly thereafter I imagine he could figure it out himself without being warned by others. It's hard to see him being anything but a placeholder champion since he has very little name recognition to casual fans in comparison to Jarrett. Surprisingly, TNA officials are said to have very little interest in Sean O'Haire Very surprised at that. Kanyon and O'Haire would have made a logical team IMO. Wrestlers who figure to gain the most from Jimmy Hart's involvement are said to be Jonny Fairplay and Konnan, whom Hart is high on Which isn't much good if Konnan's going to leave... Sean Waltman is interested in returning to wrestling, and if WWE doesn't hire him, he may end up in TNA. He is a longtime family friend of the Jarretts and would be seen as someone with national name recognition as they begin airing on FSN nationally. TNA officials, especially the Jarretts because of their friendship to him, did feel burned by him last year when he missed some scheduled appearances, didn't communicate well with them, and eventually disappeared from contact, although if he showed them that his personal issues that affect him then were no longer an issue, they have enough history with each other where a reconciliation would be possible He wasn't that bad at all in the ring when I saw him last, and IF his attitude is right, he could go okay. But that's one big "if". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo Effect 0 Report post Posted May 26, 2004 That's a lot of uplifting news as far as I'm concerned. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted May 26, 2004 Apollo hasn't been appearing on TNA shows because he is under contract to the IWA. Officials from the Puerto Rican promotion pulled the plug on his TNA appearances after the company formed an alliance with the rival World Wrestling Council Not much of a loss, but isn't it about time they got Colon in? I could have sworn that was mentioned in one of the TNA.com columns about the deal with WWC. Isn't Colon REALLY damned old? His son is under WWE developmental contract, but Carlos a) didn't do a thing for me when he was younger and b) he isn't CLOSE to being young now. Honestly, since I have almost no knowledge of current Puerto Rican wrestling --- who is there worth bringing to TNA? The word backstage is that TNA plans to hit the "reset button" when they launch the FSN show on June 4. Meanwhile, other insiders say that while the company will certainly attempt to spice things up, they will not completely abandon past storylines... No complaints from me if they abandon Kenney/NYC and Shane/Douglas, but they shouldn't throw away two years of backstory altogther, especially the Russo/Jarrett/Styles relationship. Is this Russo' plan for EVERYTHING? Good God, it was bad back when he did it in 2000. Ron Killings didn't find out until the day of the show that he was winning the NWA Title. He was said to be frustrated when wrestlers warned him that his title reign would likely be a short one, since everyone expects Jeff Jarrett to win the title either before the show debuts on FSN or shortly thereafter I imagine he could figure it out himself without being warned by others. It's hard to see him being anything but a placeholder champion since he has very little name recognition to casual fans in comparison to Jarrett. I still debate the EXISTENCE of JJ's name recognition to casual fans. Surprisingly, TNA officials are said to have very little interest in Sean O'Haire Very surprised at that. Kanyon and O'Haire would have made a logical team IMO. I'm telling you --- Sean got MUCH worse over the years. It doesn't happen often --- but it does happen. Wrestlers who figure to gain the most from Jimmy Hart's involvement are said to be Jonny Fairplay and Konnan, whom Hart is high on Which isn't much good if Konnan's going to leave Ugh, Fairplay? Sean Waltman is interested in returning to wrestling, and if WWE doesn't hire him, he may end up in TNA. He is a longtime family friend of the Jarretts and would be seen as someone with national name recognition as they begin airing on FSN nationally. TNA officials, especially the Jarretts because of their friendship to him, did feel burned by him last year when he missed some scheduled appearances, didn't communicate well with them, and eventually disappeared from contact, although if he showed them that his personal issues that affect him then were no longer an issue, they have enough history with each other where a reconciliation would be possible He wasn't that bad at all in the ring when I saw him last, and IF his attitude is right, he could go okay. But that's one big "if". But what can they do with him? Their ME scene doesn't need HIM added to it when they are more deserving people *coughChrisDanielscough* and he sure can't work the X style. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vyce 0 Report post Posted May 26, 2004 Isn't Colon REALLY damned old? His son is under WWE developmental contract, but Carlos a) didn't do a thing for me when he was younger and b) he isn't CLOSE to being young now. Perhaps they're referring to his son. I think he actually has more than one in the wrestling business. Carlos Jr. (Carly, the one with the WWE contract) and another one (although I may be wrong). Is this Russo' plan for EVERYTHING? Good God, it was bad back when he did it in 2000. The WWE, it should be noted, does it a few times each year as well. In this case, it makes sense - if they're starting a new program that is designed to pull in new viewers, it would be advantageous to begin fresh storylines rather than focus heavily on past ones that new viewers wouldn't as readily connect with. Ugh, Fairplay? Ironically, Fairplay has more legitimate name recognition than Jarrett. ........can we make him champion? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thuganomics 0 Report post Posted May 26, 2004 Eddie Colon is the other son. He isn't that great from everything I've heard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Donners Report post Posted May 26, 2004 Isn't Colon REALLY damned old? His son is under WWE developmental contract, but Carlos a) didn't do a thing for me when he was younger and b) he isn't CLOSE to being young now. Honestly, since I have almost no knowledge of current Puerto Rican wrestling --- who is there worth bringing to TNA? Apologies - I was referring to Eddie Colon. He's not a bad cruiser for a 19-year-old, and is arguably a better talent than Carlos Jr. Aside from him I don't see too many stand-outs that would do well in TNA (though my WWC roster may be out of date). I'd find it amusing to throw the Headhunters into the X Division, but then I have an odd sense of humour. I also have an odd fondness for Abdullah the Butcher, having seen him in old Aussie wrestling tapes, but I couldn't see them bringing him in. Perhaps Kid Romeo? He's had a couple of TNA matches and didn't look too bad. Chris Candido is the only other I could think of. I still debate the EXISTENCE of JJ's name recognition to casual fans. Australia's been WWE-only for quite some time now (not counting a very brief and poorly-promoted TNA run on a minor channel), and we have a large percentage of casual fans, but from what I can tell from radio shows, message boards and the like, Jarrett and Raven among the very few TNA wrestlers to get any sort of recognition. Many don't even remember Shane Douglas and sure as hell haven't heard of Killings or Styles. Minor recognition is better than none, IMO. And for what it's worth, I do fully agree that Daniels is more than deserving of a ME spot, but they've been building it around regulars lately and with his Japanese commitments, it's understandable that he isn’t there ATM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
