Marc R. Warzecha, PW Torch contributor

Updated Oct 13, 2007

TNA is a company with significant creative challenges. The show feels chaotic, the booking isn't always logical, and the pace is frenetic.

All of these issues are legitimate, and also provide a flashy distraction from TNA's core problem:

They don’t know how to create marketable wrestling characters.

Look at pro wrestling's boom periods over the last twenty years. Great characters have driven them. The ultra-marketable Hulk Hogan led the 80's boom period.

The Monday Wars Era was all about outstanding characters: The New World Order. Goldberg. Stone Cold. The Rock. Vince McMahon.

TNA has been existence for five years now and the headline match at Bound for Glory – TNA's biggest show of the year - is Kurt Angle vs. Sting. These two wrestlers, of course, became stars in other promotions.

TNA didn’t create their Bound for Glory main event, they bought it.

Five years into TNA's existence and where are its homegrown stars? What have been the great TNA storylines involving those stars?

If TNA did slow the pace of the shows down their real problem wouldn't be solved, it would be exposed.

So TNA is running as fast it can, constantly throwing sand in the viewer's eyes hoping no one will realize that in five years time TNA has shown zero capability to create new professional wrestling stars.

Email Marc R. Warzecha at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com


Updated Oct 1, 2007

Currently, the second ever ROH PPV is available to order. ROH's great strength is the unmatched quality of in ring wresting that they provide.Nobody in America does it better in-ring than ROH. Nobody comes close.

But as ROH expands – however modestly – into the world of PPV television they must do a better job of dealing with their greatest weakness: production values.

ROH looks like a cable access show.

There are potential new fans that take a look at the product and enjoy the wrestling but are tuned off by the low budget feel of the show. ROH doesn't have the money – yet – to improve the quality of the production.

Until they have the financial means to do so, they should turn this negative into a positive.

They should acknowledge the lousy production values directly at the top of the show.

ROH should create a short video package to air at the top of each PPV to define the product for new fans. It could run something like this:

Voice over:

Tonight, we don’t have any midgets looking for their long lost father...

(B-Roll some silly indy midget wrestling footage)

We don't have any suspended NFL players…

(B-Roll someone playing an old Pac-Man arcade game)

We don’t have fireworks, a huge production truck, or a very big budget…

(B-Roll of a high tech control room)

We do have the hardest working, hungriest, best young professional wrestlers in the business…

(B-Roll some big ROH highspots)

We do have guts, pride, and integrity…

(B-Roll some stiff kicks and chops)

We do have the best professional wresting matches anywhere in the world today.

(B-roll more of ROH's top guys)

In the ring, WWE can't touch us. TNA doesn't even come close. This is the Ring of Honor. This is ROH.

(Open to the hot crowd in the arena)

By doing something like this juts once at the beginning of the show, ROH can define for new viewer where ROH fits into the wresting landscape. They can acknowledge their biggest weakness in an honest way. And they will allow new viewers to put it out of their head so that they can focus in on what ROH wants them to focus on: the top notch professional wrestling.

Email Marc R. Warzecha at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com


Updated Sept 17, 2007

Triple H's contributions to WWE since returning from a second career quad injury:

Defeated top act Booker T on PPV.

Defeated potental top act Carlito on PPV.

Defeated potental top act Shelton Benjamin on Raw.

Destroyed top act Umaga with the sledgehammer on Raw.

Pedigreed Carlito on Raw.

Squashed and Defeated the Tag Team Champions (called "the best tag team in WWE" by Ross prior to the match) on Raw.

Squashed and Pedgireed potental top acts London and Kendrick on Raw.

Made several cock jokes.

Wrestlers he put over: 0

Wrestlers he gave rub to: 0

Percent chance he would ever be getting a push like this if he wasn't the son-in-law: 0

Percent chance he realizes this at all: 0

Email me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com

Updated Aug 29, 2007

In the past several years WWE has slowly – and smartly – adjusted its in ring style.

Realizing that the high energy, high impact style of the attitude era was leading to a high risk of injury (causing WWE to lose top stars and possibly big money), WWE went retro.

They created and implemented a "new style" with more emphasis on ring psychology and wearing the opponent down. Moves that hadn't been seen in a WWE ring in years crept back into vogue.

Moves like the headlock and chinlock.

But WWE missed a step. Headlocks and chinlocks can't simply be stolen from yesteryear – taken from a time when they truly had consequence - and dumped into a modern day WWE ring.

WWE forgot they had to get the moves over again.

There is a very simple way to get moves like the headlock and chinlock over: let them end matches.

WWE should begin to book matches mid card or lower that occasionally end with a chinlock or headlock. After some strong offense, a WWE superstar could apply a tight headlock, weaken the opponent, and pin his shoulders to the mat.

A WWE Superstar could catch his opponent in a snug chinlock, wear him out, and cause him to tap or lose consciousness for a victory.

Using these moves regularly as a finish to a match would convince viewers that the holds are relevant in 2007 and increase drama in all matches when they are applied.

Oh, and on a related note:

The McMahons might find tag team wrestling a bit more exciting if they didn't book every tag match the exact same way.

A delayed, hot tag to your partner would be more effective if it hadn't happened in every single WWE tag team match for the last 20 years.

Sometimes the other team has to single an opponent out, make frequent tags, wear him down, and (gasp)…

Just pin him.

Email me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com


Updated Aug 18, 2007

In the mid-nineties I was the ring announcer for just about every independent wrestling promotion that ran shows in my home state of Michigan. There were more promotions then you would think and I was working steadily once or twice a weekend, every weekend, and having a great time.

The promotion that got me started – and always closest to my heart – was Midwest Territorial Wrestling. They ran monthly in Taylor, Michigan.

One month, MTW brought in The Missing Link.

Link was in his mid-fifties but filled a nice role on the card as a nostalgia act.

I was sitting backstage with Link, doing my usual business of getting the workers' (gimmick) hometowns and (worked) weights, and in walked Joe C.

For the uninitiated, Joe C was a rapper who toured with Kid Rock. He was from Taylor. He was a huge wrestling fan and later appeared in Russo-Era WWF.

Oh, and he was 3 foot 9 inches tall.

Joe C had coeliac disease, which stunted his growth. Although he was in his early 20's at the time he met Link, he had the appearance of a ten year old boy.

Joe was thrilled to meet Link, and talked his ear off. He rattled off Link's carrer history, and asked well-informed questions.

The Missing Link – well past his prime and probably wondering if he'd left any legacy in the business – was also thrilled. He lit up and held court for the capitve Joe C.

When Joe felt that he'd taken up an appropriate amount of the legend's time, he shook Link's hand, thanked him for his years in the busniess, and left.

Link had never previouly seen or heard of Joe C. After Joe's exit, Link looked up and me and proudly declared:

"That's a hell of a smart kid."

That memory always makes me smile.

It was just the three of us in that room.

Joe C died in his sleep on November 16, 2000. He was just down the road from that dressing room; at his parents house in Talyor, Michigan.

The Missing Link (John Robertson) died this past August 16 of cancer.

I hope those two unqiue performers run into each other again, and continue their talk. It made them both very happy.

Email me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com

Updated Aug 3, 2007

A reading from the Holy Book of McMahon, New Testament (1984 to End Times):

"Our Savior stood amongst the throngs of people. They worshipped him and called out his name. 'Hail, H of the Trips. Hail D of the X.' Then, his leg was pierced with a sharp pain. He crumbled. He was fallen.

"His enemies saw of this, and smiled. They wished to see him destroyed, so that they may take his place.

"He knew this and said unto them, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above, from the one and only all powerful Father-in-law.' They sneered, 'Away with him! Away with him!'

"And he was taken away.

"The land fell unto darkness. The people were lost. They attempted to heal the pain of their great loss by taking massive doses of wine and intoxicants. It caused them only more heartache. They became murderous, despondent, and finally disenchanted. Lives were lost. But more important to the almighty Father-in-law:

"Ratings fell.

"Suddenly the heavens opened. The people saw their Savior sliding down a ray of summerslammed sunshine.

"He was healed!

"He took the microphone and spake unto them. He spake and spake and kept spaking. He spake at great lengths as only he could. The people had become so desperate that they absorbed every word.

"He said to the children 'Verily, my children come to me.' And they did. He entertained the children as only he could, thrilling them with jokes of hot dogs, fat oily men, and cocks.

"The people worshipped him. Greatness was restored unto the land: Ratings rose. And the people chanted his name:

"All hail the King of Kings! All hail the King of Kings!"

This is the word of McMahon.




Email me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com


Updated July 18, 2007

-I wrote in my last blog (below) that WWE was fighting the wrong story in the media.

It wasn't until last night when I saw WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt and the head of WWE's drug testing program Dr. Black on MSNBC's Dan Abrams that I realized that they have been fighting the story intentionally. I wasn’t until last night that I fully realized what their game is:

Keep the story about the double murder suicide.

Stonewall.

Do everything you can to hold the line and keep the media from exploring the dangerous underbelly of professional wrestling.

Here's a telling quote from John Cena on last night's Larry King Live:

"Larry, we're doing the best we can to make sure our life goes on, and my life goes on, and my livelihood and our business goes on."

In the long run, WWE's unwillingness to admit mistakes and engage in an honest dialogue about the culture that encourages dangerous lifestyles will come back to bite them.

The word is out. You can't get that toothpaste back in the tube. Ratings are down, but they will rebound.

Until the next time a high profile wrestler dies.

From now on, the mainstream media will be watching.

-There has been a lot of discussion about the TNA's silence since the Benoit tragedy. Some have suggested that TNA has missed a great opportunity to lead the industry in providing a better life for wrestlers.

In terms of drug testing, there frankly is not much TNA can realistically do. TNA is a position where they need whatever quality talent they can get. Tough drug testing is going to repel some of the top talent (read: Kurt Angle) they wish to draw.

Furthermore, TNA talent typically only wrestles 3 days a month for the company. They truly are independent contractors. TNA does not have the same level of responsibility towards their talent that WWE does.

Finally, TNA truly cannot afford stringent drug testing. As sad as the above facts might be, they are the reality right now and until TNA is able to grow further as a company, it is how things will stay.

Let's hope that TNA will make the best effort they can to police their own talent, create and environment where they are looking out for obvious signs of drug abuse, and offer whatever help to talent they are able.

Where TNA may be able to lead is in benefits for their wrestlers. For instance, if TNA can make a step toward providing some level of heath insurance to top guys (as ROH does) they could be an example of some good having come from the terrible Benoit tragedy.

-Today I rewatched RVD defeat John Cena at last year's ECW One Night Stand. I know it's been said before, but my God did Vince McMahon blow the whole ECW deal.

The Manhattan Center was teeming with rabid, hardcore ECW fans. Playing to that base, and taping four weeks of TV once a month in NYC with Paul Heyman at the helm would have produced a phenomenal WWECW product.

Vince's insecurities wouldn't let him do it. He left a lot of money on the table.

-I got a ton of emails on my last blog suggesting WWE needs a new creative direction. Some excerpts from that feedback is below. You can always email me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com

Marc-

I agree with some parts of your article, but I have to disagree with the majority of it. WWE does need to recapture the "anything can happen" feel of the Monday Night Wars. No WWE programming has really been "must see TV" for a long, long time. During the glory days of Attitude, I couldn't wait until Monday to see what would happen on Raw. I haven't felt that way in a long time regarding WWE TV.

I actually think WWE has a solid foundation for the future already with guys like MVP, Kennedy, Nitro, Burke, London & Kendrick, and Punk. Not to mention guys like Cena, Orton, both Hardy's, and several other long time stars, aren't exactly old.

With that being said, I'm always in favor of bringing in new talent. I'd like to see Abyss, Harris, Storm, and Shelley brought in, just to name a few. They have done a good job by signing Colt and the wonderful Teddy Hart. Johnny Jeter should also get another look. That guy was a tremendous heel in OVW. Marcus CorVon is another guy I think should be pushed stronger.

Where we differ, is when you said that WWE should start de-pushing guys like Michaels, HHH, and Undertaker; and make Jericho, if he returns, a mid-carder. Well, I happen to enjoy watching those four more than 98% of the wrestlers out there. I'm not the only one either, as they still have huge fan bases. This isn't WCW where the old guard was completely stale and incredibly lazy in the ring. The WWE veterans can still go with anybody.

Justin

Marc,

A New Era for the WWE has been past due since after Wrestlemania 20. I would start re-tooling all of their shows with new looks, logos, color schemes, title belts (in the case of ECW more belts and talent), etc. I would even go as far as to shake things up with announcers. What better way to ring in a New Era WWE than to have a new announce team at ringside. Nothing against JR and King, but I have grown tired of all of the JR isms that he has been throwing around since the Attitude Era. Before JR had Bells Palsy, he was the premiere play-by-play man in the industry. The JR of today is not anywhere close to the UWF and NWA JR of the mid-late 80's and early 90's. I would place Styles and JBL on Raw, Grisham and Tazz on ECW, Cole and Lawler on Smackdown.

Herman

Marc-

While WWE needs a new era, your suggestions are stunningly "old school" Vince McMahon thinking (i.e. not original). Just sucking the air out of the competition may have worked when there were the AWA, WCW, and ECW as separate entities, but not now.

Some ideas to consider:

·Have character development through promos for new characters or characters being moved between shows. Matt Hardy was someone when he was Version 1.0, had his MFers, and was trying to make weight to be a cruiserweight. Now he is nothing. Another example, which may be before your time, was the Mr. Perfect was in numerous spots showing that he was "Perfect" at golf, bowling, etc., before hitting the ring. Forget the unknowns hitting the ring to make a point. Instead, promote the character as a viable challenger before booking him in a match.

·There is something certainly wrong when the head heel of Raw and ECW is Mr. McMahon. Now that Vince has had to break kayfabe, and there are people in the roles of "General Manager," none of the McMahons should be characters on the shows. Develop some wrestlers' characters so that they can be the head heel. Edge might be the only one at the moment.

·Have reasonable reasons for feuds driving storylines, instead of the farcical (and not original) Who Killed Mr. McMahon, and similar soap opera plots. Unless there was some twist that didn't come to light when the storyline was aborted, we have already seen "Who Shot J.R" and "Who Shot Mr. Burns."

·Have wrestlers beat on someone of similar size. It proves nothing that Khali can chokeslam a stage hand into the wall. Next time, have him pick a backstage fight with Kane or Mark Henry. Powerslam a Samoan. Forget the squashes of cruiserweights.

·Make sure that the territories with which the WWE has development arrangements develop the talent, including their characters and promo skills.
In short, internally develop a credible product instead of rehashing the old theft methods.

Jack


Updated July 14, 2007

Memo to WWE creative: Time for a new era.

First, let us agree some things. The unhealthy lifestyle of the professional wrestler has been exposed in a massive public way that has changed a wrestling fan's perception of your business not just in the short term, but it the long term. The only thing that can change that perception is you.

WWE must tackle this problem on both the creative and public relations fronts. I will touch on some brief PR bullet point fixes later. First let us focus on WWE Creative.

WWE needs to dramatically change the feel of their programming right now to generate buzz and stimulate waning passion for the product. This time in WWE history should be taken as seriously as the Monday Wars Era. You have competition again, Vince, and it’s the mainstream media. Here's how to begin:

-Starting right here and right now, it’s a new era. It may now be one you'd planned for, but it's here. It's not the 80's cartoon era, its not the new generation era, and its not the attitude era, but starting now WWE should decide on a new creative course for the company. In the attitude era WWE successfully incorporated key aspects of their competitors' products into their own. Do the same now by integrating ROH and TNA X-division style athleticism with WWE entertainment standards.

-Bring in several new talents. Choose 2 or 3 that can be pushed hard. Colt Cabana is already in. Jack Evans, Abyss, LAX, and Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Jim Mitchell can be lured over when contracts expire. CM Punk can be pushed. Marquis Cor Von can be pushed. WWE needs new faces.

-Older stars should not be given huge new pushes. Triple H's role at this point should be to work mid-card and semi-main event matches and get new stars over. Same goes for Shawn Michaels and Undertaker.

-No rehashing. Hogan, Austin, and Rock (assuming any of them would work with WWE right now) are not necessary to WWE's new creative game plan. Neither is Chris Jericho unless he is willing to be a mid-card player who is getting new stars over.

-Surprises. WWE needs an air of spontaneity it hasn't had in a while. Heel turns, new wrestlers debuting by jumping the guardrail and attacking John Cena, whatever it takes. A little hot shotting is needed.

-Celebrities. If there are any stars who would be willing to come in right now and help generate a different kind of TMZ buzz, that would be helpful.

-New look. Raw, Smackdown, and ECW should each be given new logos, new graphics, new colors, and new sets. The shows should feel fresh.

PR bullet points:

-Reverse your PR strategy NOW.

WWE PR has been off its game since this story broke. WWE is responding to the wrong story. The story isn't whether or not WWE is in some way culpable for Benoit's crime. Of course Benoit alone is responsible for what he did. The story is the much wider exposure of the dangerous underbelly of the professional wrestling industry.

No one is going to see your business practices as hunky-dory anymore. Its over. The jig is up. This is a public relations nightmare.

So, no more defensive press releases about steroids and death lists. No more Jerry McDevitt cockily insisting that Benoit had to be clean because he tested negative in April. No more Finley excuses and no more Ken Kennedy blogs.

Instead, the company line should be that you are appalled by the high death rate of professional wrestlers and although only 5 of those men died while under WWE contract, as the industry leader you have been and will continue to take strong measures to prevent that tragic list from growing.

In addition, the company line should be that you tested Benoit in April and are very concerned about the possibility that this test may not have been enough. Clearly Benoit had massive amounts of steroids in his house. If he cheated on the test or wasn’t tested frequently enough to ensure that he wasn’t using steroids, you are furious, disappointed, and determined to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

Send Linda McMahon out everywhere possible to say that while the WWE drug testing has been tough, it going to get tougher and more frequent. WWE is not responsible for Benoit's sick, sad, actions but it will do everything in its power to see that the heath and well being of its talent is always its top priority.

-Make some real changes.

Realistically, there are limits to what action WWE is willing to take in this area. But a few small changes will make a big difference in the press and in wrestler's lives.

Expanding the Wellness Program, giving wrestlers two four week breaks a year, and adding a pension plan would make a difference. Do it, then announce it, and repeat it over and over again.

-Finally, get with the program. Get off defense and on offense. And offense in this case means admitting some mistakes, showing concern and empathy, and taking control of this mess with a bold new game plan.

EMail me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com


Updated July 11, 2007

It's nice to be back on PWTorch.com. I'm home in LA now after two months directing a show in Chicago. Some thoughts on the last few weeks in professional wrestling:

-Superstar Billy Graham said on Nancy Grace tonight that it would be difficult to regulate professional wrestling because it's entertainment. How can you regulate "Broadway, or the movies" he asked.

One huge difference here. Unions.

Every actor you see on Broadway is a member of Actor's Equity – the theatre actors union (of which I am a member). Every actor you see in a studio film is a member of SAG (the Screen Actors Guild). Television actors are protected by AFTRA.

These unions assure certain protections for the talent involved in the production. They set guidelines for rehearsal and performance hours in a week, set minimum levels of pay for work done, set rates for any additional work the actor might be asked to do in regards to the production such as press photos or interviews, and set other regulations that the producers must adhere to. AFTRA, for example, requires that the production provide "cool, fresh drinking water" to the actors.

Actors can obtain heath insurance and pensions through the union if they are working consistently.

Pro Wrestling, as we know, has no union.

-John Cena, Chris Jericho, Ted Dibiase, Steve Blackman, and Bret Hart were extremely disappointing on Larry King Monday night. Cena, as expected, was a shill for WWE. His comment that WWE success is based more on entertainment skills then size was laughable.

Jericho pointing to himself as an example of the truth of Cena's comment was disappointing, as he well knows that he was an exception and not a rule. Near the end of his WWE career, he was consistently mocked on television for having "love handles", although he was still in very good shape. He also knows very well that his close friends Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, who were both around his size, put unhealthy amounts of muscle on their frames to get to the levels of success they achieved in WWE.

Minister Dibiase sitting on his hands while he has a platform to speak up and potentially save someone's life caused me to question his conversion.

Bret finally got some hits in during the final segment.

Steve Blackman was…well…Steve Blackman.

And Mr. King – or Larry as he insisted Cena call him – was unprepared, uninterested, and devoid of any insight on the issue.

-Thank God for Marc Mero and Konnan, who have done a hell of great job in the press trying to make a real difference.

-It's ironic that this tragedy occurred in the midst of an angle where Vince McMahon was exploiting the deaths of his wrestlers in the way he presented and promoted the death of his character.

Make no mistake; Vince McMahon intentionally mimicked the tone and tenor of previous WWE TV television shows that were legit tributes to dead wrestlers. He did it, I believe, for a very clear reason: he wanted to blur the line between character deaths and "real life" deaths of WWE stars.

Most WWE viewers don't follow the business as closely as those who read websites like PWTorch.com. There was legit confusion in the marketplace as to whether or not Vince McMahon was really dead.

Vince designed it this way.

He did it so that the next time a WWE wrestler dropped dead, the marketplace would again be confused. Was the wrestler really gone, or was it just part of a WWE storyline? Without any mainstream media to call him out, Vince would have succeeded in blunting the impact of any future WWE wrestler's death.

Don't buy it? Just look at the way he manipulated Eddie Guerrero's death into a yearlong storyline. Eddie's death became a part of the show; and his widow, cousin, and best friends all participated. Eddie being dead was exploited and integrated into WWE television in a way that made it ultimately seem like just another bullet point in a WWE storyline.

I'm glad that Vince was stopped in the midst of his shameful storyline, and devastated that it took this double-murder-suicide to expose his deplorable way of doing business to mainstream America

-Anyone else notice that no one in any of this coverage has referred to WWE as "Sports Entertainment"? All this time and money spent, and they still call it "Pro Wrestling". I guess Vince lost that one, too.

EMail me at: TorchWarz@yahoo.com

***

Updated April 17, 2007

John Cena getting booed as much as he does is a problem.

I've heard all of the justifications:

"The most important thing is that he gets a reaction".

"It's hard to get the fans to respond to anyone at all in this business, and the booing shows that fans care about him."

"The fans think its 'fun', or 'cute' to boo him to mess with him, but deep down they like him."

Some of this is true. But the primary reason that Cena gets booed as much as he does because the fans see him as Vince's handpicked golden boy WWE champion. The kind of heat that Cena got last night in Italy isn't enviable for your promotion's lead babyface. Many nights the majority of the fans in the audience genuinely dislike him, and don't think he's deserving of his spot.

Anyone see Wrestlemaina 23? The crowd in Ford Field wanted Shawn Michaels to win that match. They popped for HBK, the long time veteran who's won the fans over through years of excellent performances. They weren't booing Cena because they think its "fun" to give him a hard time. It's an uglier kind of "go away" heat. As Cena stood mid-ring with the WWE title held high in the air to close the show, the crowd cheers were minimal, and fans were streaming up the aisles to leave the arena.

These ongoing negative reactions for Cena are strong evidence that WWE needs to change the way he is presented. If WWE believed that they could keep pushing Cena in the same way and eventually he'd win fans over, well, they were wrong. Ross and Lawler attempt to compensate for Cena's boos by calling him "The most polarizing superstar in WWE." What? Why? What exactly about Cena's gimmick is polarizing? He doesn't do anything controversial enough to justify that characterization of him. He behaves like and 80's cartoon babyface and a lot of fans hate it. That's all.

WWE would be wise at this point to adjust Cena's character. It's time to get the belt off of him at Backlash. A few months chasing Michaels or Edge for the strap would take some pressure off Cena as the top guy for a while, and perhaps put him in a position where he could show some grit. A John Cena who is willing to be controversial to get his title back would at least justify the unpredictable reactions to him.

Updated April 15, 2007

Remember when Kurt Angle was a huge star? It was back in WWE.

Kurt Angle came into TNA as a star.

It didn't help anything that they blew thru a potential year or longer storyline with Samoa Joe in 3 months.

It didn't help that in the build up to lockdown, Kurt Angle was treated like crap by his own team. They disrespected him. Mid carder Rhyno several times screamed in his face and he stood there and took it. No one on his team trusted him. No one on his team treated him like a star. They treated him like a chump. It did nothing to sell the lockdown match, and it hurt Angle.

It hasn't helped that Kurt Angle has had so much causal interaction with Sting. Angle vs. Sting is arguably one of the few dream matches that TNA has left. Both men should be protected, and kept away from one another. Any contact between them should have been treated like a huge deal, and wasn't. It doesn't help either wrestler that their being on the same lockdown team wasn't really addressed. It diminishes their star power and hurts the power of an eventual main event between the two.

It doesn't help that Kurt Angle isn't TNA Champion by now. Kurt Angle is the biggest name in the promotion. His gimmick is that he has to be the best at everything he does. He always wants the title. If he was wrapped up in a hot storyline that seemed like a natural distraction from his pursuit of the title, fine. But he's not.

Kurt Angle used to be a big star. Hopefully TNA will capitalize on what's left of his star power before it all fades away.


Updated April 14

2 lessons learned this week from Hogan, Wight, and Vince…

What we learned: Hulk Hogan and Paul Wight are willing to come back to wrestling and have the match they were originally scheduled to have at Wrestlemaina.

What this means: TNA missed out on a huge opportunity.

TNA should have spent the money to have this match on Lockdown. They could have piggybacked the Wrestlemaina buzz, or better yet, rode the Wrestlemaina mainstream media buzz by beginning to promote the match in early March. They could have said that they'd "stolen" a huge match that WWE wanted at Wrestlemaina in Detroit. Instead it would be happening TNA: The new face of professional wrestling.

If Hogan and Wight didn't want to work the TNA tapings prior to the show, fine. The match would have been sold on the hook of whether Hogan could still slam a Giant 20 years later. Videos with each man shot from their homes and aired on Impact would have done the trick.

Also, Lockdown will be one of the rare TNA PPV's to take place out of the tiny Impact arena, so Hogan could have had the full arena feel he wants for footage on VH1.

What we learned:Vince McMahon will step in and attempt to interfere with a wrestling show he preserves to be a threat to him.

What this means:If Vince felt that TNA was a threat; he would make aggressive moves to interfere with them as well.

It’s possible that Vince McMahon is just fine with TNA existing as long as they stay exactly where they are now. TNA Impact draws a lower rating then WWE's lowest rated show: ECW. The Impact rating hovers every week at a 1.1 with no signs that it is set to grow beyond that. Vince can rest easily knowing that his "competition" can't even come close in the ratings to his third tier show. Also, TNA's PPV buyrates are low enough to safely assume that they are not taking away any significant number of buys from WWE, so no threat there either.

TNA is not in a financial position where they can steal away any major WWE players. And if an outcast like Kurt Angle shows up there now and then - no skin off Vince's nose – he wasn't going to work with him now anyway.

Alternatively, as long as TNA is where it is now, they may even help WWE. Vince McMahon can essentially use TNA as a development territory that he can eventually pull future stars from. Marquis Cor Von is the most recent example of this. Vince can allow wrestlers to develop in TNA, and then bring them in to WWE when they are ready.

Finally, if Panda Energy eventually runs out of patience and sells TNA, Vince could buy it. As long as it still had its TV slot on Spike, Vince could continue to run the promotion for a short time as a 4th brand and perhaps even have a TNA vs. ECW feud.


Updated April 12, 2007

Below is the actual series of letters between young Michael and the Make A Wish foundation leading up to Michael's appearance as honorary GM on the April 10th RAW.

Dear Make A Wish,

I have decided on the wish I would like to make. I would like to go to WWE RAW and meet all of my favorite RAW Superstars.

Thank you,

Michael


Dear Michael,

We have received your Make A Wish request. Are you sure that this is the wish you want to make? You only get one, you know. We could send your whole family on a fun trip to Disney World, or you could even spend a day with a nice, wholesome role model like Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning!

Think about it,

Make A Wish


Dear Make A Wish,

Thought about it. I wanna go to RAW.

Thanks,

Michael


Dear Michael,

Have your parents seen RAW? I mean, they know about this and they approve and everything? You're only 10 years old kid. How about we introduce you to Hulk Hogan?

Make A Wish


Dear Make A Wish,

I wanna go to RAW. My parents are cool with it. Who the hell is Hulk Hogan?

Michael


Dear Michael,

Fine kid. Whatever. We got you tickets to RAW. Some weirdo named Mick Foley will be there to meet you.

MAW


Dear Make A Wish,

RAW was awesome! Mick Foley introduced me to all of his hot stripper diva friends. Half naked women hugged me all night! The kids in my elementary school are gonna be so jealous. I also met a gangbanging thug tag team, a couple of guys in skirts, a super crazy Mexican dude, and this guy who was in pornos. These guys were way cooler then boring Payton Manning could be any day. At the end of the show Mr. McMahon and his guys busted Lashley's head open with a chair and he bled everywhere. I'm gonna try that in school next time I get picked on.

Best of all, my appearance was the first step of a new angle that will launch Mick Foley into his first hot feud in years.

I'm so glad WWE was charitable enough to use me in this way.

Thanks!

Michael (Honorary GM of RAW)


Dear Michael,

This was a huge mistake.

Make A Wish



Updated April 8, 2007, 5:30pm

Lax is one of the best acts in professional wrestling today. They have the classic tag team combo of a solid wrestler paired up with a vicious monster. They have one of the best mouthpieces in the industry; the always-passionate Konnan. Most importantly, they tap into one of the hottest and most emotional issues in American society.

LAX should be pushed to the moon.

Professional wrestling is in desperate need of cool, edgy acts. It doesn't seem like there is much effort made in either major TV promotion to find those acts that tap into the essence of a cultural movement and put it in the ring.

The big acts of the mid to late 90's boom era did this. The New World Order, Austin, and ECW itself met the audience where they were and hit the vein of what they wanted to see.

Where are the cool, compelling acts in wrestling today? Cena? He gets there sometimes with his solid money promos, and then undermines himself with goofy kiddie gags. Michaels and Undertaker? As good as they both are – and they are damn good - they are over based on a long-term relationship with the fans that took decades to establish.

And the TNA roster? Maybe Christian comes closest in terms of feeling young and hip, but most of the roster leaves much to be desired in that area.

Perhaps they would thrive in WWE. LAX could give WWE a hot, fresh, controversial tag team. If booked properly they could be a centerpiece of RAW.

But WWE doesn't have a great track record of pushing ethnic wrestlers without reaching for the most obvious one-dimensional racial stereotypes. It may not be long before we saw LAX riding to the ring on a lawn mower.

The genius of the LAX gimmick is that it is 3 dimensional and complex. One can understand LAX's side of the immigration issue, even if one disagrees with how they wish to achieve their goals.

A successful LAX run could see them attempting to take over RAW by starting a "violent revolution" and feuding along the way with Super Crazy, Chavo Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio. Much like the storyline of the popular X-Men franchise, these Latino WWE babyfaces would agree with LAX in principle, but be willing to do anything to stop them from employing their evil tactics.

LAX is in a unique position to be the right team at the right time tapping into a hot social and political issue that Americans have strong emotions about.

Will anyone step up and tap the amazing potential of this gimmick? Anyone?


Updated March 30, 2007

Some serious thoughts from a nostalgic Detroiter on WrestleMania weekend...

This weekend the original Sheik goes into the Hall of Fame.

My family knows the Sheik. My grandparents were immigrants. They came like so many millions did to work for the Big Three. To work in the factory. To have a better life here in America. To have better life, believe it or not, in Detroit.

It strikes me as odd now as grown-up to think back on my little French Armenian immigrant Grandmother and Grandfather coming to Detroit and for the first time in their lives watching professional wrestling on TV. This tiny immigrant couple coming to world they didn't know, immersed in a language they didn't speak, surrounded by a culture that was wholly unfamiliar. They turn on their TV and see The Sheik battling Bobo Brazil Jr. And they liked it.

They loved it.

I suppose now that the large themes and broad characters of 1950's professional wrestling must have been comforting. You didn't need the language to understand that this was good vs. evil. You didn't need the language to hear the crowd cheer and boo. You didn't need the language to understand that the Sheik was ripping his opponents eyelids off.

You could see it.

You could feel it.

It strikes me as odd now that my immigrant grandparents would get on the bus on Saturday nights and ride down to the old Olympia arena and watch wrestling live. But that's what they did. That’s what so many Detroit immigrants did. They bought their tickets and got as close as they could to the ring. They were fluent in booing that Sheik. They were fluent in cheering Bobo.

My grandmother, now at almost 80, still reveres and reviles the Sheik. She knows it "was fake". Well, she knows it in her head, but when she talks about the Sheik, she believes. She believes that he ripped his opponents eyelids off. That part – she'll say – one time was real. She saw it.

She was scared to death of the Sheik. When he came to the ring, she scattered. One time she says, he looked her straight in the eye. The memory frightens her now 50 years later. The sheik made her believe.

Sheik and Bobo ruled but there were other favorites. Dick the Bruiser, of course. They kept watching though the years, both sets of my grandparents did. And when my Mom and Dad were being raised wrestling was on in their house.

I discovered wrestling when I was 9 years old by watching WWF Superstars on Ch. 2 at 11am one Saturday morning. When my parents saw it on they didn't discourage it. They watched it with me. My grandparents did too. Vince's 80's WWF appealed to them. The big silly characters, the simple storytelling, the clear lines between good and bad.

When WrestleMania 3 came to the Pontiac Silverdome wrestling had once again taken over Detroit. WrestleMania coverage was everywhere all the time. The biggest wrestling show of all time would take place here, in our city. Detroit ate it up.

My Dad asked me if I wanted to go. I said no. I wanted to, but I was terrified. I'd seen dozens of local news stories about the tens of thousands of people who'd be streaming in from all over the world. They said you couldn't park anywhere near the arena. You'd have take buses or trams or walk for miles. I was 9. I was scared. I thought I'd get lost. I spent WrestleMania 3 afternoon of the floor at my Grandma's house trying to find WrestleMania on the radio. I was sure it would be there. All the Tigers games were.

Wrestling continued to thrive in Detroit. In Joe Louis Arena, I saw Hogan pin Flair in a "lifetime retirement match". I cut out of work early and snuck into that same sold-out arena just in time to see Austin drive the Red Wing zamboni to the ring and leap onto McMahon. And who could forget Hogan tossing the Giant off of the Cobo Hall roof into the Detroit River?

This Sunday I'll watch on PPV as WrestleMania returns to my hometown of Detroit. It'll be a new building, Ford Field. It'll have new wrestlers. New faces. New fans.

I'll watch, I suppose, for the same reasons my grandparents did. To be entertained. To disappear into another world of good and evil. To cheer and boo. To escape.

I'll be proud of my city and it's rebuilt downtown which is once again capable of hosting and event such as this. I'll be proud of Detroit's strong ongoing wrestling tradition.

I'll be thankful to generations of wrestling stars for giving of themselves and entertaining generations of my family.

And I'll be waiting.

Because somebody in that ring, on that show, even just for a spilt second, will make me believe.

Please send your feedback on this Blog to: TorchWarz@yahoo.com

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