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DrVenkman PhD

F4W/WON Notes - September 9th - 15th

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F4W~! - September 9, 2008:

 

Contracts: While the Torch version of this story made it sound like Kim all but changed her mind and came apologeticly "came home" to TNA, it still seems like they won't give her the money she wants for financial security at her age (as a women's wrestlers, 32 is 'getting up there') and will likely still go to WWE. TNA COULD match the offer, but it would set an unwanted payscale precedent. Team 3D did re-sign and it is believed they are under contract until 2010. Nash still wants a WWE deal but Bryan can't imagine WWE offering him a contract he'd want for the amount of work he won't be doing. Christian's future is seemingly up to WWE at this point - as noted last week, he'd be a good fit in the 'new' (read: drug tested) WWE but the ball is in their court on whether or not they pony up a money offer for him to take. As is well known by now, Foley is officially signed for a short-term deal with TNA.

 

Other Notes:

 

- Bruno Sammartino recorded a sit-down interview for an upcoming Kurt Angle DVD [didn't I mention this last week?]. Bryan finds this unusual as Bruno is very anti-steroid and Kurt Angle is very much Kurt Angle.

 

- As expected, several people e-mail Bryan to inform him it is video game store policy to tell people to pre-order a game.

 

So... maybe the Observer will have more interesting TNA news.

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A couple of notes from the just posted WON to tide people over until Dr V does his thing:

 

Team 3D signed new deals last week. The deals are for two years.

 

Kevin Nash's contract has six weeks left, and he's making no secret of the fact that he's willing to go elsewhere. Everyone knows Nash will go where he gets paid the most for doing the least, and that he's looking to recreate the Diesel/HBK tandem, with the current Shawn/Jericho storyline having Lance Cade involved giving him the perfect set-up.

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Say what you want, but I've always liked Kevin Nash. Well, more his personality than his ringwork, that is. I'd like to see him go for a commentary position in WWE. That would be pretty sweet to have him and JR calling SD, heh.

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TNA star Kurt Angle was found not guilty of driving under the influence and careless driving today in an Allegheny County, PA courtroom. Authorities were unable to actually place him in his car after receiving reports from a woman who claimed the former gold medalist was driving erratically and cut her off. Angle was arrested at his home after refusing a breathalizer test.

 

Angle spoke to WPXI TV (Pittsburgh, PA) this afternoon regarding the ruling and said, "It's taken a toll on my family. I regret it. It's something that, you know, I didn't do anything wrong. The law tries to turn around and get you. Maybe because you're a celebrity, maybe not."

 

"I've gotten a bad name," added Angle. "And regardless of this interview or any interview, when people hear my name, they think Kurt Angle was driving under the influence. Just crazy how society is today."

 

"He was not intoxicated at that point, and the alcoholic beverages he consumed were after he was home and done driving," Angle's defense attorney Michele Santicola told WPXI.

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A couple of notes from the just posted WON to tide people over until Dr V does his thing:

 

Team 3D signed new deals last week. The deals are for two years.

 

Kevin Nash's contract has six weeks left, and he's making no secret of the fact that he's willing to go elsewhere. Everyone knows Nash will go where he gets paid the most for doing the least, and that he's looking to recreate the Diesel/HBK tandem, with the current Shawn/Jericho storyline having Lance Cade involved giving him the perfect set-up.

 

Thanks. I slept in this afternoon then felt like watching a DVD and now I'm at work so it's slow going.

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Angle had been in the wrestling news over the past week with the release of a shoot interview by RFVideo. Right after the interview was done, those involved with the production said it was amazing, because Angle contradicted so many things he had previously said. The main focus of the interview seemed to be to kiss Vince McMahon’s ass to the point people watching said when it comes out, it will be obvious Angle was angling for a return. He also went out of his way to heavily praise HHH and Shawn Michaels, two people he was critical of in tons of radio interviews since leaving the company.

 

Angle had frequently spoken of how often he has, over the past year, been talked with by fans who ask him what he’s been up to now that he’s no longer wrestling.(Editor's Note: Ouch!!!)There were those who felt that would eventually play on him to where he’d want to return to WWE. Whether WWE would take him back, given his injuries and the nature of his leaving the company, is not certain, but he is a major star, and it would be a major blow in hurting opposition. Angle turns 40 this year, and at that age, you start really hitting that mental time clock. Main eventers in WWE these days in spots similar to where Angle would be would earn $1 million to $2 million per year, and he’s believed to be closer to $500,000 to $600,000 in TNA, but he’s guaranteed a top spot in TNA, and has an easier schedule. Even those in WWE admit that going to TNA was probably the best thing for him long-term, as MMA could have destroyed his reputation and left him injured, and he was breaking down at an alarming rate in his last several months in WWE.

 

 

 

He says Vince is great, HHH is great, HBK is great...all guys he crapped on when he left. In fact, HHH is the greatest ring general there is.

 

When RF asked if he was serious about TNA being close to WWE's ratings: "You think I'm stupid? I know the ratings. It was all promotion".

 

He doesn't want to do MMA because he's too old and Lidell and/or Couture would "kick his ***".

 

And the funniest moment, as I mentioned in another thread, was "People ask me what I'm doing since I'm not wrestling anymore".

 

 

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...interview.html

 

 

 

 

And about a certain Mr. Helmsley;

 

"Triple H is the greatest ring-general ever. I have never had any problems with him. I think he's a great guy." Shawn Michaels also got a good review from Angle.

http://ukff.com/index.php?showtopic=106929&st=30

 

 

Seems like Kurt is looking for a job.

 

 

 

 

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Nash believes that there are definite problems with TNA's current amount of exposure. "I've walked through airports and people recognize me as Big Sexy or Kevin Nash, and then ask me, 'When was the last time you wrestled?' and I say, 'Last Thursday.' So there's a huge problem." He then stated, "If people have no idea that on Thursday nights I'm still available to be viewed. There's your problem. It's not what's going on in the ring ... We're doing our end. Somebody needs to pick up the slack on the other end to make sure they know we're on. And I'll take the heat for (saying) that."

 

 

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/...5/6676826.html

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TNA's failure to promote their product well is probably the most consistent thing they do. Eventually them and Spike need to run some kind of campaign to get the word out. Even if it means finding a way to shell out millions of dollars during the Super Bowl for a commercial spot. They need something. A huge awesome angle isn't going to matter if no one but the internet knows about it.

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I really don't watch Spike tv all that often but how often is TNA promoted?

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TNA should let Sting walk and let Angle and Nash walk, take all that money and beg Heyman to take over the book for them.

 

I've been screaming for this ever since TNA went to Spike.

 

Of course we're all leaving in a fantasy dream world. I don't think Heyman would come back to the biz.

 

But if he did, bring in RVD.

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RVD is the one guy out there that could really help TNA, though it would take some time. As in no hotshot booking of him vs. Joe the first month he's there. TNA's big problem is that they can't get any attention because they never seem to have a long term idea of what they are building to. If they sign RVD tomorrow and said "Okay, at next year's BFG show our main event is going to be Samoa Joe vs. RVD" they could build to that match. Make it seem important.

 

I think a Russo/Heyman booking team would actually work quite well. Say what you want about Russo, but he can in fact get the undercard guys involved in storylines. His problem is the lack of focus for the big picture and a tendency to toss out stipulation matches for no reason. Heyman can bring them that long term focus of what major matches they should build to. Heyman tried it in ECW but circumstances always intervened to prevent him from cashing in (Taz signed with the WWF, nixing the epic Taz/RVD match, RVD got hurt and Awesome left for WCW, etc.).

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Your giving TNA way too much credit Cabbage.

 

Heyman wouldn't work because he would still have to answer to Jarrett and Carter and god knows he hates that.

 

And why on earth would TNA trade a guy that is actually a draw for the company, Sting for a lazy unmotivated guy like RVD?

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I would also like to add that Heyman would pull his hair out if he had to book along side Russo. Russo's main problem is that he doesn't know how to book anything other than trying desperately hard to make it look like a soap opera. Heyman is someone who understands Pro Wrestling all around, the drama, the suspense, the fans emotion, all of that is something Heyman understands and (hopefully) to this day can work. However if Heyman tried to explain any of that stuff to Russo, Russo's head would explode and he'd pop in a episode of General Hospital to find ideas.

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And why on earth would TNA trade a guy that is actually a draw for the company, Sting for a lazy unmotivated guy like RVD?

"Sting isn't a draw anymore."

-Terry Funk, 2005, overheard backstage conversation

 

But seriously, how is Sting a draw? He's been with the company almost since the beginning. Including all those years when they, y'know, lost money and didn't draw. Meanwhile, ECW on Scifi drew drastically higher ratings when RVD was the champ, compared to everything that followed since then.

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And why on earth would TNA trade a guy that is actually a draw for the company, Sting for a lazy unmotivated guy like RVD?

"Sting isn't a draw anymore."

-Terry Funk, 2005, overheard backstage conversation

 

But seriously, how is Sting a draw? He's been with the company almost since the beginning. Including all those years when they, y'know, lost money and didn't draw. Meanwhile, ECW on Scifi drew drastically higher ratings when RVD was the champ, compared to everything that followed since then.

 

Nobody is a real draw in TNA because of their lack of marketing and promoting outside of the Spike TV shell. Not many casual fans even know Sting, Angle, Nash, etc, are even ON the TNA roster, or apparently that TNA even exists. Would he be a draw if he ever went to WWE? Chances are, probably.

 

And when RVD was still in WWE, chances are he wasn't the draw for that show......I think it was more that people tuned in to see what WWE was doing with the ECW brand (hence the steady decline to the low to mid 1.0s after its initial decent ratings)

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I would also like to add that Heyman would pull his hair out if he had to book along side Russo. Russo's main problem is that he doesn't know how to book anything other than trying desperately hard to make it look like a soap opera. Heyman is someone who understands Pro Wrestling all around, the drama, the suspense, the fans emotion, all of that is something Heyman understands and (hopefully) to this day can work. However if Heyman tried to explain any of that stuff to Russo, Russo's head would explode and he'd pop in a episode of General Hospital to find ideas.

 

Hard to say how they would work, it might work because some things they do share a philosophy of (particularly "shock" moments of sorts) and Russo publicly stated he got alot of ideas and general feel of his booking from Heyman himself back in the mid to late 90s.

 

Hell, Russo actually worked well with Jerry Jarrett, a way more oldschool philosophy.

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Heyman would need complete creative control, with only Dixie Carter to answer to. I think Heyman and Dixie would work well together actually, Russo and the rest of the bookers would have to be fired en masse.

 

I think Heyman would come back for the right price - I think he is itching to come back, and I think he'd love to take on McMahon, especially Stephanie, with Carter's money.

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Not many casual fans even know Sting, Angle, Nash, etc, are even ON the TNA roster, or apparently that TNA even exists

 

Reading FSM (wrestling/fighting magazine) this month, there's an interview with Kurt Angle.

 

Angle says he was recently asked by a wrestling fan what he's doing, now he's not wrestling any more.

 

That made me chuckle.

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And why on earth would TNA trade a guy that is actually a draw for the company, Sting for a lazy unmotivated guy like RVD?

"Sting isn't a draw anymore."

-Terry Funk, 2005, overheard backstage conversation

 

But seriously, how is Sting a draw? He's been with the company almost since the beginning. Including all those years when they, y'know, lost money and didn't draw. Meanwhile, ECW on Scifi drew drastically higher ratings when RVD was the champ, compared to everything that followed since then.

 

He was also working with Cena and Edge, two known draws.

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Heyman is a good guy too have on the team, until he starts trying run shit and all. But Heyman isn't a guy who can turn a product in to a success, he just isn't. The guy is ok, but like I said he isn't that great. He stole ideas, let people curse, showed some T&A (no pun intended), and just let guys go out and do whatever they wanted in the ring, and now people think he's some kind of Booking God, it just isn't true. TNA doesn't need Heyman, just like WWE doesn't need Heyman.

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I actually agree with Truthiness.

 

Heyman makes for good TV...but his booking doesn't sell PPVs. TNA doesn't sell PPVs on their own. They don't need his help.

 

Giving away great free TV matches is great for the casual viewer. But it kills interest in paying for a show and during Heyman's run as SD! booker...the ppv matches were anticlimactic at best.

 

His best days were booking ECW before PPV...and from what I've read OVW...which doesn't have ppv.

 

The idea should be about making things interesting enough for people to pay to see the result. Heyman isn't that guy. TNA can't do that either.

 

At the end of the day it doesn't matter who books TNA until they get word out that they exist

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Heyman would have had fans begging for a Joe vs Angle match, and would have held it off for a year. Heyman had to book the way he did because one bad week of shows could have been their last. Also he didn't have the in-ring talent necessary to make a PPV worth while, so it was basically a two hour television show that you had to pay for.

 

If you think Heyman and ECW was nothing more than swearing, TNA and garbage matches, well I can tell you never watched ECW in it's heyday.

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