The Decemberists 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 My Observer normally turns up on Friday or Saturday, but this week I've had to wait till today. But better late than never. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company officials are (were) expecting a rating between 1.0 and 1.1 for the 11/16 special. Anything above 1.0 would be considered a success, anything below 0.9 a major disappointed. Interally they're more concerned about quarter-to-quarter growth, as they can no longer fall back on the excuse that ratings fall as people are going to bed as they have work the next day and it's 11:30pm or whatever. The feeling is the first hour will be low as there's no UFC lead in, but the second hour will do better as there's the cage match and Angle. Kurt Angle was out and about signing autographs last week and was constantly being asked by fans why he hadn't been on WWE TV recently. He had to explain over and over again that he had now signed with TNA, and then had to explain what TNA was, what channel it was on,etc etc etc. This sums up TNA's biggest problem right now, which is not the booking, the talent or the match quality, but the visability they have when it comes to casual wrestling fans. In reality we're talking about a 14 month old promotion (you can't really count the Wednesday PPV and FSN days) in terms of visability. Comparisons to WCW when it was about to explode in 1995 are dumb. WCW had been on national TV since the invention of cable, and alway had a roster filled with good regional draws and by 1995 had a significant number of national "superstars" on the roster too. TNA, on the other hand, has Angle. Angle's contract is for four dates a month - two TV tapings, one PPV and one house show. However he will work more when asked and clearly the contract will be changed should they get a regular two hour show and start doing one taping a week. Angle was doing a ton of media this last week. On 11/9 he was on the Bubba the Love Sponge show and was asked about Puder. He called him a 'moron' and 'a peice of shit' and that he'd be quite happy to take him on in a no rules fight, with eye gouging legal. Angle claimed Dana White wanted to make the match and told him that it would be the highest buy rate in UFC history, all because of Angle. He claimed that White had asked him to toy with Puder for a few minutes and not to knock him out in 40 seconds. He said that when they had their skirmish in WWE Angle couldn't even do 5 push ups because of his injuries but was still able to dominate Puder. He said that in the WWE Puder had a match with Shelton Benjamin and Benjamin told him Puder really sucks. What actually happened was on the afternoon on the 2005 Royal Rumble Benjamin and Puder were playing around in the ring with some amature wrestling and Benjamin, being way out of Puder's class as far as wrestling goes, took him down easilly a couple of times. Puder than asked Benjamin if he wanted to try some submissions and Benjamin declined saying he didn't know anything about them. Vince turned up and thought things were breaking down in the ring and there was shooting going on right before a major PPV and got mad at everyone. Angle claimed Puder had no fight training (he's actually part of the number 2 fight team in the country) and that he can't take a punch. Angle said if Dixie Carter allowed it he'd pull down his pants and rub his balls in Puder's face after he beats him. In other interviews Angle admitted failing a steroid test because Dr David Black wouldn't accept the prescription (or the date of the prescription expired accoriding to another interview) as he will only accept those written by surgeons. Angle said he was one of eight guys who failed for steroids due to prescriptions not being from surgeons but he was the only one suspended. He claimed the suspension cost him $125,000 (the figure Meltzer heard was $83,000) and Vince claimed he'd make it up for him. Angle claimed he failed the test due to getting a cortisone shot in his neck. Now that seems odd as cortisone is a corticosteroid which would not be illegal in WWE's drug policy, and it does not register with Deca or another steroid which would be a policy violation. Angle appeared on 11/4 on Spikes's "Casino Cinema" show and noted he had broken his neck four times in total. Beth O asked him why his mother would let him back in a wrestling ring. He said "I'm 32 years old. I don't need to ask my mother!". Kurt was born Decemeber 9, 1968, so that makes him almost 38.... On 11/11 they had a house show scheduled for East Hartford, CT. There were problems as apparently someone called the local inspectors as the building they were running didn't have the right permits for the show. The company found out on 11/9 and were told that they could appeal and get everything sorted out, but all government offices were closed on 11/10 or the holiday weekend they were unable to save the show. They then moved the show ten miles to a tennis club in Bloomfield, CT. The afternoon police and local fire officals from an entirely different city than the first crew showed up and told them their weren't enough exits to accomodate the expected 800 strong crowd and they couldn't run a show their either. When TNA's website blamed local authorities on shutting down the show, Bloomfield police captian Jeff Blatter said TNA was attempting to 'manipulate their own fan base into believing the Bloomfield police department, or other town officials, was responsible for cancelling of their Saturday event is midleading and disingenuous". They said that TNA failed to notify the city of it's plans to hold the show nor applied for proper permits. He denied that Vince McMahon had anything to do with it, saying that the supervisors didn't even know who Vince McMahon was. On 11/10 they drew on 500 fans to the old ECW Arena, even with Angle headlining. That's less than ROH drew six days earlier. They overpriced tickets with the cheapest being $35 and the best seats going for $125. There is talk in Australia of showing Impact on the PPV channel Main Event for free to try and increase buys on the PPV's which currently are bought buy about 2,000 each month and are on a two month tape delay. However if this doesn't increase buy rates then TNA may well find themselves out of the market. Konnan is getting hip replacement surgery done very soon. He needs a cane to get around backstage Rey Mysterio's contract with WWE expires around the time he's due to return from injury (May/June). Angle is planning to try and get him to agree to jump over to TNA. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kardo 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 There is talk in Australia of showing Impact on the PPV channel Main Event for free to try and increase buys on the PPV's which currently are bought buy about 2,000 each month and are on a two month tape delay. However if this doesn't increase buy rates then TNA may well find themselves out of the market. It's actually 2 weeks, we're not that far behind down here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eirejmcmahon 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 Angle said if Dixie Carter allowed it he'd pill down his pants and rub his balls in Puder's face after he beats him. If he hasn't been in character over the last few weeks, Kurt's current spate of crash'n'burn has been hilarious to bear witness to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanks for the Fish 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 In the same interview he also added he'd bring his wifeinto the ring so she could piss and shit on Puder... Mysterio is going to get paid - either by the wwe or by TNA. TNA might make more sense at this stage of his career, though I think fans might be disappointed in him if they expect wcw Mysterio in the x-division matches. I'm surprised that wwe didn't re-sign him before the surgery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wyld Cannon 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 If you're rubbing your balls in someone's face after beating them up, and they stick their tongue out and lick your balls, can you call them a fag?? "I was just rubbing my balls in his face and that homo licked 'em! GROSS!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eirejmcmahon 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 In the same interview he also added he'd bring his wifeinto the ring so she could piss and shit on Puder... Hard to imagine they were having relationship problems, isn't it ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TNABaddboi 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 Company officials are (were) expecting a rating between 1.0 and 1.1 for the 11/16 special. Anything above 1.0 would be considered a success, anything below 0.9 a major disappointed. Glad to see they were being realistic about the rating expectations for once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Obi Chris Kenobi 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2006 The more of these Angle interviews I read the more I worry about Angle's mental health >.< He seems so far out, angry and bitter right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ginger Snaps 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 Angle just seems like a headcase at this point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Blank 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 the Ultimate Warrior of 2006 = Kurt Angle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EdwardKnoxII 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 the Ultimate Warrior of 2006 = Kurt Angle Nah, only when he starts using a bunch big words that have no place in what he's saying then you can call him that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisMWaters 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 the Ultimate Warrior of 2006 = Kurt Angle Nah, only when he starts using a bunch big words that have no place in what he's saying then you can call him that. And when Kurt starts dressing like a Neon Love Chicken. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GCWPatrick 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 Angle said if Dixie Carter allowed it he'd pill down his pants and rub his balls in Puder's face after he beats him. If he hasn't been in character over the last few weeks, Kurt's current spate of crash'n'burn has been hilarious to bear witness to. Why do you hate America^H^H^HTNA so much? (j/k) -PB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 On 11/10 they drew on 500 fans to the old ECW Arena, even with Angle headlining. That's less than ROH drew six days earlier. They overpriced tickets with the cheapest being $35 and the best seats going for $125. You wonder why they are getting such low numbers because look how much tickets are. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Coffey Report post Posted November 22, 2006 Isn't admission to iMPACT! in Orlando still free? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jebus 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2006 Universal Studios tapings and PPV's are free...shows from anywhere else are not Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Metal Maniac 0 Report post Posted November 24, 2006 He said that when they had their skirmish in WWE Angle couldn't even do 5 push ups because of his injuries but was still able to dominate Puder. I didn't realize that getting caught in a kimura and then having a ref do a fast count for you so you don't look like a total moron was "dominating". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scroby 0 Report post Posted November 24, 2006 the Ultimate Warrior of 2006 = Kurt Angle Nah, only when he starts using a bunch big words that have no place in what he's saying then you can call him that. Isn't that Sid? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ginger Snaps 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2006 I just heard about the gimmick Angle proposed for Sabin. Kurt really has gone crazy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2006 For those wondering, Kurt suggested Sabin do a gimmick like Pig Pen from Peanuts and have food and dirt all over him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest netslob Report post Posted November 26, 2006 jesus...let's hope Russo doesn't hear about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uhftv 0 Report post Posted November 27, 2006 I think it's a pretty good gimmick, as I've seen Sabin wrestle for the past 4 years and everytime I see him I forget what he looks like. A large majority of unknowns could benefit with some Peanuts character development. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted November 28, 2006 Ugh...a "pig pen" gimmick would be up there with Beaver Cleavage in terms of Wrestlecrap-itude. I think they're already doing a good job with Sabin's heel turn. There's no need to suddenly saddle him with an over the top gimmick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toxxic 0 Report post Posted November 28, 2006 So what would that gimmick be? "You're cocky! You show no respect! ...and you smell!" Wow. Money. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
