TNABaddboi 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 "All we have are the greedy, disloyal, has-beens from the '80s" - Vince Russo, referring to "the Huckster, Nacho Man, and Scheme Gene" in the WWF's 1996 Billionaire Ted skit Wrestling pay-per-views are supposed to end on high notes. Whether it's an emotional victory, stunning defeat, unexpected turn, or shocking debut, something should leave your audience remembering the night fondly. When it's a company's first major pay show, the show closing moment should be beyond memorable. It should be epic. In essence, it should cast a spotlight on the promotion's direction and show fans what the future has in store. According to NWA-TNA's closing angle on Victory Road, the company's future is 1992. With Pomp and Circumstance blaring over the Total Nonstop Sound System, Randy Savage emerged from the back, his face tattered and torn with age and his eyes bloodshot, pointing a finger at Jeff Jarrett and the Outsiders. The announcers flipped out over Randy's appearance and no one could imagine why he had shown up. While Savage's debut was something positive for the company, the magnitude of which it was presented wasn't. The Macho Man, while still a marketable name, is not in a position to have any wrestling federation based around him. Should Mach be featured on a company's pay-per-view? Sure. Should he be the focal point of the pay-per-view's closing moments? Ooooo No. Seeing the Rapping Leather Cowboy point his Macho finger at the evil doers while security held him back was rough. It didn't seem like a good moment for TNA. In a company with a number of loyal wrestlers on the roster, Total Nonstop Action had begun to make a number of morale killing missteps. Rather than work with the names that they already had, the TNA Powers-that-be had signed Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Hardy, and Randy Savage and featured them all more prominently then the younger and more reliable talents that had given their all for the company. Making matters worse, earlier that weekend, when questioned about interest in the recent WWE releases, TNA Monarch Jeff Jarrett said that they would be "interested in talking to all of them." Sends a great message, huh? The message got worse. Two days later at the Impact Tapings, Randy Savage quit. Yup. He quit. His reasoning? Well, Hulk Hogan was backstage at Victory Road. Hogan, who Randy had relentlessly tormented to the point of obsession, was on hand at the request of Panda Executive Bob Carter. When Savage ran into the man that he had written a scathing rap song about, Hogan allegedly challenged him to step outside. Instead of following his own rap-song advice to "Be a Man," Macho walked out of the company and cited unsafe working conditions stemming from the Hulkster's appearance for his departure. Ooooooooo…yeah right. Savage left TNA for one reason. He had gotten what he needed from them. To close out the promotion's first three hour pay-per-view was a step up for the forgotten Macho Man. WWE would surely see that there's people out there who view him as a marketable name now. Vince McMahon will hear that the biggest star at Victory Road was Randy. Vinnie would kick himself for not allowing the former King to come back to World Wrestling Entertainment. Maybe this would be the wake-up call that WWE needs. With a depleted roster of main eventers, Macho could once again be a name they would consider. After all, TNA knows what a major name he is. Now Big Mac could remember too. That's not to say that Hulk's appearance backstage didn't lend itself to Randy's exit. Surely he wasn't happy about seeing his arch nemesis there on his big night. However, ask yourself one thing. If WWE had brought back Macho Man to close out Survivor Series and he ran into Hulk Hogan backstage there, do you think he'd quit? I'm betting no. If Vince McMahon brought Savage back into the fold as a major name, he could run into Hulk Hogan, Satan, Lex Luthor, and Charles Manson backstage and still be the first one there the next night for Raw. It's not about unsafe working environments. It's about getting what you want. Randy wanted publicity. TNA gave him that. He then left, regardless of the fact that in doing so he'd hurt the company and the wrestlers that worked for it. Well, maybe he didn't hurt all the wrestlers. There's the Outsiders, who are playing the same exact game as the DJ Jazzy Randy. They have no loyalty to the company and no vested interest in keeping the other wrestlers in a positive state of mind. Tuesday at the Impact Tapings, Kevin Nash made up for Macho's departure by going so far over his allotted promo time that others had to have their segments cut down. The loyal wrestlers that toiled for TNA lost TV time because the new guy spoke too long. People were upset and justifiably so. Did Kevin care? No. Why should he. He doesn't own TNA stock. He's getting his face on TV. He's reliving the time of his life that was obviously over during his WWE run. In the end, he'll get what he wants and no one else's needs will matter. At this stage of their development, TNA needs to focus on building up their loyal wrestlers. Knowing that your investments won't leave at the drop of a hat is important. By bowing down to those that don't care about the company, Total Nonstop Action is ignoring those that do. In doing so, they’re turning wrestlers who care about TNA into wrestlers that are apathetic. In the end, no one will care. I don't care what they name the pay-per-views, it sure sounds like they're on "Defeat Road" to me. Credit: PWTorch.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheBigSwigg 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Nothing breathtaking there, though he's right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooneyTune Report post Posted November 11, 2004 Extra Extra! Read all about it! Randy Savage wets his pants in the presence of the mighty Hulkster! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest whitemilesdavis Report post Posted November 11, 2004 While the article is right, that Savage is not a good closer for the first PPV, I think it is wrong about a lot of other things. Making matters worse, earlier that weekend, when questioned about interest in the recent WWE releases, TNA Monarch Jeff Jarrett said that they would be "interested in talking to all of them." Sends a great message, huh? This part, for instance is stupid. You can't fault Jarrett for talking to available free-agents. Any viable company has to keep their eyes open for fresh talent. If the talent already in TNA is good enough, they should be able to compete. I realize that politics come into play, but it also political for the TNA guys to want to keep out free-agents. Savage left TNA for one reason. He had gotten what he needed from them. To close out the promotion's first three hour pay-per-view was a step up for the forgotten Macho Man I also disagree with this. I can't see how Randy could possibly think this would help his standing in WWE. Just doesn't make sense. Hogan punked him out. Plain and simple. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Coffey Report post Posted November 11, 2004 You know, I was with him through the whole thing up until the end. He was well written, and was conveying his point as he progressed. Then, right at the very end, he called it "Defeat Road" and the whole article becomes a joke because of it. At least to me. Man, that was really, really cheesy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twisted Intestine 0 Report post Posted November 11, 2004 If WWE had brought back Macho Man to close out Survivor Series and he ran into Hulk Hogan backstage there, do you think he'd quit? I'm betting no. No, because they'd be smart enough to have him under contract! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooneyTune Report post Posted November 12, 2004 Not exactly...Hogan competed for nearly an entire year without an actual contract (February-August 2002, January-June 2003), so maybe Savage can get away with one too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted November 12, 2004 Savage left TNA for one reason. He had gotten what he needed from them. To close out the promotion's first three hour pay-per-view was a step up for the forgotten Macho Man I also disagree with this. I can't see how Randy could possibly think this would help his standing in WWE. Just doesn't make sense. Hogan punked him out. Plain and simple. You're thinking logically. You need to think Macho-ese, oh yeah! Hogan did the same sort of thing last year, negotiating with TNA and even shooting an angle for them, when he had no intention of ever wrestling there. That too was just a ploy to try and get Vince to call him up. I think it was the same thing here as well. And, like with Hogan's attempt, it'll fail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
