Email This Article - Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

|

Updated daily from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.

Updated Thursday, September 4

Gail Kim is fortunate to have something on her side right now. Options. The former TNA Knockouts champion is reportedly torn between staying with a company that low-balled her on a contract offer and her former company, which will set give her financial security for the very foreseeable future.

Kim only has to look to fellow-Canadian Trish Stratus, who did her time in WWE, saved her money, and can now call her own shots with a Yoga studio and TV show in Canada.

Based on the contract offered to her from WWE, Gail can follow the same path to financial independence and family security for the next five years, ten years, and so on if she saves her money wisely.

However, TNA seems to have realized their mistake in low-balling one of the top TV draws in the wrestling industry. As we reported yesterday, Dixie Carter has reached out to Kim in attempt to fix a poor job of contract negotiations.

At a time when the Republican party has nominated its first female Vice President, the value of women in a position of power has never been more evident. Somewhere along the way of negotiating a contract, TNA failed to realize the value of the Knockouts division, and specifically what Kim brings to the table.

Kim would be giving up her friendships and top spot in TNA by moving to WWE. She would have to compete with the likes of Mickie James and Candice Michelle for TV time on Raw. On Smackdown, she could instantly fit in as a top babyface to complement Michelle McCool.

If TNA steps up and patches the damage done through the prior contract negotiations, Kim could find the financial security she's looking for without having to compete for TV time in a different WWE locker room than the one she left several years ago.

Kim has plenty of options before her. Does she go for guaranteed financial security with WWE while putting her body through more physical punishment on a tougher schedule? Or, does she try to heal wounds with TNA and gain the financial security while maintaining a lighter schedule?

It depends on TNA at this point. How bad do they want to patch the relationship with Kim and offer her the financial security promised by WWE? TNA has options too. How they exercise their options will determine where one of the top TV draws in wrestling ends up on national TV this fall.

***

Updated Tuesday, September 2

If anyone can draw a logical explanation from the nuances of the Rey-Kane storyline, please consider yourself fortunate. It's amazing how the same TV program can deliver the greatness of Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho along with the ultra-confusing and convoluted Kane-killed-Rey storyline that was apparently made up by Kane or just something he envisioned in his head.

Putting the Kane storyline aside, last night's Raw was a strong show aimed at selling the PPV on Sunday. Randy Orton's return was a welcome addition - yes, it's shocking to write that - with Orton showing a new sense of confidence and having an air of authority to him.

He seemed to have been paying attention to Chris Jericho's recent presentation, as Orton's verbal and non-verbal language enhanced the storylines he was a part of with C.M. Punk and Cody & Teddy. There is potential for a strong main event feud between C.M. Punk and Orton when Orton returns from injury, plus the opportunity to "mentor" the tag champs, who showed necessary fire on Raw.

Back to Michaels and Jericho for a second. Just when you thought they had said every possible line or looked at this storyline from every possible angle, they pulled out a few more angles to build intrigue for Sunday. Jericho's line about telling his family he'll never be Shawn Michaels because it would be a degrading label was a great comeback. Michaels having the line that he hopes God forgives him for what he does to Jericho was the icing on the cake for selling the PPV.

Whether or not they can pull off a match on Sunday at the level of expectations they created remains to be seen. Michaels has a full week to get his arm in a condition to wrestle, but you certainly hope Michaels isn't risking permanent and long-term injury by going forward with the match. Jericho is a professional in the ring, but Michaels will take risks out of instinct, which could create further damage.

WWE really can't afford to drop this match from the line-up. They gave this the final hard sell in the final segment of the show, making it the match to order the PPV for. WWE risks damage to future PPV business if the match doesn't take place, but the concern should be on Michaels's health first and foremost.

You can't say enough about the Michaels-Jericho feud and hopefully they can find a way to keep this program going over the next few months while Michaels is out with injury. It may not be worth dragging out the feud if it doesn't lead to a match until WrestleMania 25, but I can't imagine Raw without this feud.

Regardless, WWE now has two ways to go with the recent slew of injuries on Raw and Smackdown. They can fall into the past pattern of going with a crazy stunt involving Vince McMahon to keep viewers tuned in or give some younger talent a chance to push for more TV time. WWE hasn't been disciplined in the past, but with the creation of C.M. Punk as a legitimate national TV star, there is hope with the right push and presentation behind another Punk on the roster.

Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET

For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.