The Steve Austin Show

For a long time after retiring from in-ring activity 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin struggled to find a new calling. He hung around in WWE for a few years in a variety of authority figure roles but it never felt quite right. As a wrestler one of his defining characteristics had been his anti-authority bent. Seeing him laying down the law felt odd. On top of that it was clear that Austin missed actually wrestling. He was fun in these roles but they were never truly Steve Austin.

Eventually he left those roles behind in favour of chasing acting work in Hollywood. The high point of that endeavour was his appearances as lead goon Paine in The Expendables. When it became clear that acting wasn't going to pan out for him as it did The Rock (or even Hulk Hogan), Austin took a sidestep into hosting. Specifically he headed up WWE's initial, pre-Network, revival of Tough Enough and Country Music Television's Redneck Island. When those were received well he launched a podcast and got himself another TV show, Broken Skull Challenge¹.

Austin looking massively unimpressed there. Great stuff.

A combination of Austin being a likeable host and having a mostly sensible, respectable view on the wrestling business made his podcast a success. That in turn lead to WWE offering Austin a slot on the Network to interview Vince McMahon on 1 December 2014. No official ratings are available for the Network but it's hard to imagine this didn't do well: it was Vince's first appearance on a podcast answering questions from someone he'd had a close working relationship with for a number of years. It clearly did well enough to make someone in WWE decide that it should be a frequent thing as Austin has since returned to interview Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, and Edge and Christian.

It's possible that reading that list one name stands out over the others. Paige is not the first person who springs to mind when you think of potential interviewees for 'The Rattlesnake'. The common belief is that she was an emergency replacement for Hulk Hogan, who had been revealed as a bit of a racist a week or so earlier. If we assume that Hogan was the initially scheduled guest² we end up with a list of top level talent who would have worked with Austin during his run as an active wrestler (with all but Heyman being around him at his peak).

With an impressive pedigree established for Austin's Network shows it will be interesting to see who else gets lined up as a guest. There are a number of names I'd like to see, with Eric Bischoff being at the top of the list. They have an interesting history together. An injured Austin was released from his WCW contract by a cost-cutting Bischoff and he went on, via some angry anti-WCW promos in ECW, to be the biggest star in wrestling. When Bischoff rocked up in WWE years later he would end up working closely with Austin. Any heat between them will have long since been resolved but it still be interesting to see the pair discuss Austin's WCW firing and their later working relationship.

Both Mick Foley and The Rock would also be good guests. They worked with Austin at his hottest. Foley was his first feud after winning the WWF championship at WrestleMania XIV and would go on to work as a transitional champion getting the strap from Austin to Triple H in summer 1999. These periods of work, along with the fact that Foley has known Austin since the early nineties, give Foley an insight into Austin's journey to the top and his behaviour while he was there that few others could have. It's unlikely Ausitn would bring up his difficult behaviour once he was established as a top star on his own show but Foley could allude to it. Even if he didn't they're two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era who respect one another's work and it would be nice to see them reminiscing about their time on top.

This is podcast material right here.

The appeal with The Rock is slightly different. Both he and Austin have mentioned over the years that they didn't get on when they first met but they went on to have the defining rivalry of wrestling's hottest period. If their secret handshake-heavy appearances in recent years (see WrestleMania XXX) are anything to go by they're very good pals now. As with Foley a large part of the appeal is seeing the pair chatting about their work together, although it feels like there's more chance of Austin acknowledging his early dislike of 'The Great One' than of his '99 paranoia.

The Undertaker was also around Austin at the same time as Foley and Rock but as he's had a WWE career that's lasted for well over two decades it's safe to assume that, rather than his late nineties dealing with Austin, would be the focus. Austin's mentioned on previous shows, as well as his regular podcast, that he was unhappy that The Streak ended. Seeing him discuss that topic with 'The Phenom' could fill a substantial amount of time by itself, especially if they looked back on The Streak as a whole. Even leaving The Streak aside 'Taker's worked with such a wide variety of WWE names and had so many bizarre periods of his career (who doesn't want to see Austin discuss Ministry of Darkness era 'Taker or 'Big Evil' era 'Taker?) that he'd be a natural choice for guest. Though somehow I don't think we'll see this happen until 'The Dead Man' is ready to call it a day on his career. WWE are, rightfully, protective of the character's mystique and appearing on a podcast would be damaging to that.

As the breakout star of the last year or so Seth Rollins would be a cool interview. Even though he's only been on the main roster for less than three years 'The Future' has accomplished a lot. He participated in a revival of trios matches (which I'm convinced would prompt Austin to drop a Freebirds reference), had a cracking singles feud with Dean Ambrose in which they headlined a PPV over John Cena, and he won the WWE championship in a WrestleMania main event. He'll be on top of WWE for years to come and I'd like to see Austin passing on some pointers with that in mind.

Talk, Owens, talk.

A breakout star of lesser status right now is Kevin Owens. I think he'd be a good addition to the show's line-up because he's such a fan of Austin. He's spoken before about happening to run into Austin at an airport when he was first starting out as a wrestler, where Austin told him to never stop running his mouth. Anyone who's seen Owens wrestle knows that's advice he took on board and it's likely advice that ultimately helped him to get signed by WWE. Seeing the pair discuss that aspect of KO's act would be fun, as would Austin delving into Owens' other career influences and his status as one of WWE's hottest heels, and one of the few to have motives beyond being bad because they're bad. I'd also like to see Austin speak to someone who's been in NXT since it became the "hot brand" it currently is, and Owens fits the bill perfectly.

Perhaps a slightly odd choice would be Cesaro. Not because he doesn't have anything interesting to say (he does) but because he's not the big name that everyone else on this list is. Austin is an outspoken fan of 'The King of Swing' so it's easy to imagine him wanting to have him on the show to give him a platform to promote himself. On top of that Cesaro's had an interesting journey to WWE, winning a green card lottery and all, and always comes across as an affable, humble lad in interviews.

Finally, there's John Cena. He's one of only a handful of men to have ever been positioned as the centrepiece of WWE. Austin is one of the others. He's one of the few people who can understand the pressure of Cena's spot. He's a fan of Cena's work too, which seems to be the case for a lot of WWE veterans. I'd like to see him discuss Cena's ring work with Cena to see if his claims are genuine and, if they are, what it is he specifically enjoys. Plus the subject of the springboard Stunner could be fun.

***

¹ This sounds less painful than it is. Though, to be clear, it is still a very painful show for those who appear on it.

² For the record I think it's a real shame Hogan is now unlikely to ever appear on Austin's Network show. It would have been fascinating to see Austin and Hogan discuss Hogan's WCW politicking (which Austin believes held him down there), Austin's ECW parodies of Hogan, and which of them is the bigger, more important name in WWE history.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 50

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 50 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

Thought the first episode of That Wrestling Podcast after WrestleMania XXX would be all about the big show and the following night’s RAW? Think again.

For this episode we take a trip down memory lane. No, not WrestleMania XXIX. Or XXVIII. No WrestleMania at all. In fact the topic isn’t even WWE related. No, in this episode we discuss World Championship Wrestling.

This didn't help.

Specifically we talk about what caused WCW to spiral out of control and ultimately go out of business. Everything from the booking to the huge guaranteed contracts to the overreliance on the New World Order angle is discussed. And, naturally, the fact that it ended up being owned by a company that didn’t want anything to do with the wrestling business.

This is a topic I’ve wanted to write about before. It’s one I’m sure I’ll cover one day but not anytime soon. There’s so much to cover that it needs to be done right. This podcast episode will have to suffice for now.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 2

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 2 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

That Wrestling Podcast isn't afraid to tackle the difficult questions. To illustrate that we ask one of wrestling's biggest... and it's only episode 2! Will TNA be around in five years? If they are what will they be doing and who'll be working there?

We have some ideas.

Eleven Years of the World Heavyweight Championship

Today marks eleven years since the World Heavyweight championship was introduced to WWE. It was very much a creation of its time. The company was sticking (fairly) rigidly to its duel roster initiative with the WWE championship having been defended on both shows by whoever held it (names as varied as The Rock, Undertaker and Hulk Hogan). When Brock Lesnar defeated The Rock at SummerSlam that changed.

In what was a fairly surprising development at the time we got a storyline in which Lesnar signed an "exclusive" deal with SmackDown (general managed by Stephanie McMahon, fact fans!). That left RAW without a world championship, leading GM Eric Bischoff (now of, snigger, TNA fame) to dig out the World Heavyweight championship belt made famous by WCW. It had been unified with the WWE championship at the end of the previous year but that was downplayed. Presumably WWE didn't want to confuse an already fairly convoluted chain of events.

There was no tournament to crown a new champion. There wasn't a match of any sort, in fact. Triple H was awarded the title by Bisch, which naturally prompted some always popular turnbuckle posing from the new champ.

To be fair there was a logical storyline reason for 'The Cerebral Assassin' being awarded the strap. He had beaten The Undertaker in a number one contenders match on the previous week's show. The idea was that as Lesnar had signed a SmackDown-only contract and made himself unavailable to defences on the red brand he had essentially forfeited his claim to being recognised as the champion. As Triple H and proven himself worthy of a title match he essentially got the new title via forfeit. It wasn't the standard WWE storyline and that helped it stand out. It also gave the newly created world crown a much needed feeling of legitimacy.

It's important to note that the title was stated to be starting a new lineage. It just happened to be represented by an established, and pretty iconic, design. It was explicitly not a continuation of the WCW championship line under a new name, which meant it had no links to that promotion and no more links to the NWA championship and the Hackenschmidt and Gotch world title(s) than did the WWE championship.

 

I'm an Edge fan. This is as good an opportunity as any to post a picture of him

 

That changed over the years. Nowadays you will often hear JBL hammering away on commentary about how the WHC's history can be traced back for over a century. It's broadly true because it spun off from the WWE championship which in turn span off from the NWA championship. But that the WWE title's links to the past are never mentioned (beyond its own impressive fifty year history) is peculiar. It strikes me that WWE wishes to acknowledge a lengthy heritage in the WHC while at the same time not denigrating their top title by linking it to any other. The WWE championship is too important for the promotion to routinely acknowledge it span off from another belt, especially another belt that is these days held by the likes of Rob Conway. The World title, on the other hand, gains credibility, in theory, with these links to the past.

The whole thing's an exercise in pointlessly but that's WWE. It's par for the course.

The passage of time has also seen the World Heavyweight championship's importance dwindle. In its first few years it was presented and perceived by most as having more or less equal standing to the older strap. At certain points it could even be said it was the company's leading title. While JBL was enjoying a ten month reign as WWE champion the WHC was being held by Triple H. No matter what your feelings on these two performers it's tough to argue that 'The Game' was not a more credible figurehead than John Bradshaw Layfield.

At some point the title settled into the number two position. It's difficult to say exactly when this happened. It could be argued that the last reign John Cena, the top man in the company, had was the last time the title was equal to the WWE title. That Cena hasn't bothered with it since, focusing instead on the more historic belt, has portrayed it as second best, something Cena sees as beneath him. It could be argued that Edge's final reign in 2011 marked the end of the title's glory days as he'd been the headliner most associated with the prize. The Punk v Hardy or Christian v Orton feuds could be pointed to as incredible feuds for the title that signify its last moment of true significance. It could have been Triple H's merging of the rosters in 2011 that was the WHC's last hurrah.

Whenever it was the moment has been and gone and the title is now considered the second tier "workhorse" title. Basically it's taken the spot traditionally held by the Intercontinental title. No one but the title's most ardent supporter would argue that it's still true world championship. It's certainly a championship with a rich history in its own right. It's been held by greats like The Undertaker, Edge, Batista and Triple H and super workers like Christian, Del Rio and Ziggler. It's a championship that can be respected, whether it's second best or not.

In Fairness to Russo

Vince Russo had his strengths as a writer.

This is not something you’ll hear many people say. Or see them write. The general opinion on Vince Russo is that he takes credit for things he has no business taking credit for, has an unhealthy obsession with swerve turns and worked shoots, and that he was a talentless hack who produced nothing of value without Vince McMahon around to filter the good from the bad. Oh, and that he killed WCW.

There’s probably some truth to all of those points. He has claimed in interviews that he suggested certain lines or mannerisms to big stars such as ‘Stone Cold’ and The Rock, which have been refuted elsewhere by other people. In a collaborative field such as professional wrestling there’s always bound to be some dispute with regard to who created what but I’m generally inclined to side against Russo on this point.

He was around the roster but I can’t imagine him coming up with all the things he claims he did during the late nineties. Rock, Austin and others were talented enough to work out their own material. And still do, noticeably without the input of Russo.

His obsession with swerve turns and worked shoots is again something I shan’t try to argue against. Russo does seem to love both things. The evidence is there for all to see. His defence is that employing these tricks allowed him to better emulate “edgy” shows like Jerry Springer and Beavis and Butthead, which were popular shows during the Attitude Era and have been cited as sources of inspiration by Vinnie Ru.

I can see what he was trying to accomplish with this approach, although he came close to going overboard in the WWF and went completely off the rails when he was heading up WCW. There though it wasn’t Russo’s sole decision to employ worked shoot angles: a good portion of his time as head creative force in WCW saw him working alongside Eric Bischoff. You only need to look at the current TNA product, which Bischoff has been helping to produce for a number of years and has recently been put in charge of, to see that he’s just as enamoured of the approach as is Russo.

The thing about Russo being filtered by McMahon is probably valid too. When Russo moved to WCW he had nobody working above him as far as creative was concerned. He had to take into account the creative control clauses of certain performers and the desires of parent company chiefs but otherwise was free to produce what he wished. That it was mostly insane nonsense (though strangely compelling insane nonsense over a decade later) shows that Russo probably did need McMahon around to decide what would work and what wouldn’t.

I think it’s completely ridiculous to claim Russo killed WCW. He certainly didn’t help matters but the promotion was in trouble long before he joined and was going to be axed whether he was around or not. Turner bosses didn’t want to own a company that couldn’t pay for itself. Nor did they want a wrestling programme on their television schedules. That’s a fact and a larger contributing factor to WCW’s downfall than Russo’s booking. The ratings had been tumbling long before Russo was brought in, because the WWF had a more dynamic, interesting product.

For the record, the creative control clauses didn’t help WCW either. They hampered whoever was in charge and were a contributing factor to the WCW TV product gradually falling apart once the WWF took the lead. Everyone had been happy to go with the vision of whoever was in charge when WCW was on top. Once they were in second place everyone had a different view on how to get back into first, which prevented a coherent vision formed and presented.

 

Vince Russo: one of the most divisive figures to ever work in pro wrestling

 

What Russo did well was ensure that everyone on the roster had something going on. Whether it was a memorable gimmick or noteworthy feud, it was rare for any member of the roster to be doing nothing under Russo. In the WWF at least. His lack of success in WCW meant he wasn’t around long enough to pay attention to lower card performers there.

I don’t know what Russo booked in the WWF but I can hazard a guess. To my mind it seems reasonably safe to assume that Vince McMahon would have been more heavily involved with the headline scene and star creating process. Those were the most important areas for the promotion to concentrate on and McMahon, as the boss, would likely have made sure he was the one primarily concentrating on them. I imagine Russo would have had input and come up with broad storylines but it would have been McMahon’s area.

I suspect Russo concentrated more on the middle and lower portions of the card. I’ve never read or seen an interview in which he hints that this is the case, but that’s to be expected. Why would he admit to being the man who booked Taka Michinoku, Val Venis and Steve Blackman when he can say he was the genius planning out the drama between Austin, Rock and Triple H, pulling them aside to feed them cool lines as he went? With nobody able to prove him wrong Russo is in a perfect position to embellish the truth.

The booking similarities between the WWF mid-card and the Russo-in-WCW experience in general lends this theory credence. The WWF mid-card featured a lot less forward planning and consistency than the headliners and rising stars did and is where most of the Attitude Era’s plethora of swerve turns took place. It was a less polished, more anarchic feel than the top of the card, similar to what Russo would later be unquestionably responsible for in WCW.

But, as I said, his strength was always having something for people to do. Everyone in the WWF, from Crash Holly to D’Lo Brown, from Mideon to Tiger Ali Singh, was distinguishable from their peers in a meaningful manner. Did it all work? Of course not. We got Naked Mideon, Lo Down, and the unresolved implied castration of Val Venis by Kai En Tai. But we also got Crash Holly’s belief that he was a superheavyweight, the Headbangers’ reign as “mystical” tag team titles and a variety of wrestlers appearing under the Blue Blazer mask as though they were all one person. It was hit and miss, but at least there was something happening.

Compare that to the modern WWE product. I’m not going to trash what WWE are giving us now because in truth the company has been steadily improving over the last two years following half a decade or so of infuriating drifting. Things are getting better thanks to an engaging main event crew and a renewed focus on creating new stars.

But the fact remains that once you get down to the mid-carders there’s not much going on there. Wade Barrett’s a good example. We’re told every week as he walks to the ring that he’s a former bare knuckle boxer from England. The only things about him that can be said to reference this gimmick (and true or not it is a gimmick) is his Bullhammer finisher and the taunt he does when he climbs into the ring. In practice there’s not really anything to separate Barrett from the various other mid-card villains running around the place.

The WWE writing team could learn from the Russo approach. The promotion will always succeed or fail based mostly on the strength of its main event line-up. But it doesn’t hurt to give career mid-carders something to do as it creates a livelier, more varied and compelling show. And, more to the point, the mid-card is the home of every future headline star the company has. Wrestlers don’t just turn up ready to win world titles and main event pay-per-views.

I’m not going to advocate Russo being rehired to write for RAW or being posted to NXT. He is not someone who should have any direct contact with any current WWE creative team member. But exposing writers to his approach by showing them videos could give them a better understanding of writing for a full cast, rather than just a select four or five.

Ask Dixie... Sort Of

Early last week TNA President Dixie Carter announced that she would be answering questions on Twitter. It was nothing particularly unusual. It’s something she’s done many times before. But this time was different. This time it was spurred to combat the rumours of TNA’s uncertain which had sprung up as a result of wrestlers being released and paid late. The Twitter Q&A was intended to be a way for Dixie to assure fans that TNA has a bright and prosperous future ahead of it and that it’s still very much a company worth supporting.

In typical TNA fashion things went wrong. The Ask Dixie hashtag fans were encouraged to use was flooded with questions, both genuine and not. Matters were made worse when Dixie didn’t answer anything, even the ones that were clearly real. An announcement was made later that she would get around to answering them but no timescale was given.

It’s left TNA looking amateurish. Again. So I thought I’d step in. I’ve wanted to do a Twitter Q&A of my own for a while but, well, I’m not sure I’d get enough responses. This seems like a good alternative.

Compiling questions wasn’t easy. #AskDixie has deteriorated into a seemingly endless stream of jokes at TNA’s, Hulk Hogan’s, and Dixie’s expense. I’ve trawled through and found some genuine questions. They’re reproduced here complete with poor grammar and spelling mistakes, along with the listed name of the asker (Twitter address in brackets). No permission has been sought or given from the original posters or anyone else.

So let’s begin!

Rob_WWEchamp (@WWE_ApexFella)

#AskDixie Why have Gutcheck if you've released several Gutcheck contestants in the past?

I don’t think there’s any reason for TNA to continue with Gut Check either. The segment has not seen ratings increase or produced any new stars for the promotion. The closest it came was Joey Ryan, and he famously didn’t win Gut Check. He was given an alternate storyline route on to the roster that could have seen him become a star for the company. A combination of his own shortcomings and TNA not having a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve with the master of the moustache ride meant that he fizzled out quickly.

For almost its entire run Gut Check has existed to fill air time. That’s not the approach TNA should be taking with their weekly show. I imagine they’ve stuck with it through a combination of habit and having no idea of what to replace it with.

The question specifically makes reference to Gut Check’s future with regard to previous contestants having been released. I don’t think the releases are reason enough to cancel Gut Check: the format could conceivably still produce a bankable star. But I don’t think it will and that’s the reason it should be cancelled.

Shawn Alexander Cage (@Legend_SAC)

#AskDixie When is Alex Shelley coming back as a heel to battle it out against Chris Sabin?

Alex Shelley returning to TNA is a long shot.

Since leaving the company last year Shelley has returned to New Japan where he’s formed a team called Time Splitters with Kushida. They had a six month reign as junior heavyweight tag champs and won the company’s second Super Junior tag tournament. As a singles wrestler Shelley has also had his first shot at the promotion’s junior heavyweight strap, held by Prince Devitt, arguably New Japan’s top junior star. These accomplishments actually mean something in Japan.

 

Alex Shelley's doing fine without TNA

 

In the States Shelley can work for any number of small indies and also fronts a rock band, so he’s not short of work. If he were going to sign up with a US outfit at this point both WWE and ROH look like better options for Shelley, for financial security and booking freedom respectively.

If Shelley were to return to TNA I think it would be to team with Sabin as the Motor City Machine Guns rather than challenge him for the title. Shelley v Sabin does not feel like a world title programme or match TNA would promote. It’s also not something that would benefit Sabin. If he’s to succeed in the champion role he needs to be booked against established names and defeat them convincingly. Shelley would return with the mid-card aura he left with, so all Sabin would be doing in beating him would be defeating a mid-carder, albeit one he teamed with several years ago. Hardly an accomplishment for a world champion

This brings me to…

W. Parks (@W__D__P) 

#AskDixie Why is Chris Sabin booked as world champion? You do know you have some of the greatest wrestlers in Angle, AA, AJ, Bobby, etc...

I agree with the sentiment here. Sabin does not come across as a convincing world champion. His victory was presented as a fluke and he’s already been overshadowed by both Bully Ray and the Main Event Mafia. At a time when TNA’s public perception is that of a company on its last legs they should be keeping the world title on guys who are proven to do well in the role (such as Styles, Roode, and Aries) or be doing a better job of building new guys up. That means not presenting title wins as flukes or chucking their top prize, completely out of the blue, on someone who’s been a mid-carder for years.

As far as the “greatest wrestlers in the world” line goes: Sabin is a good enough wrestler to be the TNA world champion. He just doesn’t look or talk the part. There’s more to being a world champ than in-ring skills.

Rave (@RaveHound)

#AskDixie Why is ODB restricted to refereeing and not wrestling? Certainly the division needs everyone now since people are getting fired...

ODB being the Knockouts official is a holdover from TNA’s attempt to rejig the division last year. Taryn Terrell was promoted to active wrestler when a feud and spot were found for her and I imagine the same will happen to ODB. I don’t think TNA will stick to having a dedicated ref for female matches when they’re making cuts. ODB is of more value as a wrestler.

Rave (@RaveHound)

#AskDixie Why do the Knockouts need a separate authority figure? Can't one person oversee the entire roster?

They don’t need a separate authority figure. But TNA does need an excuse to have Brooke Hogan on TV because she’s still “married” to Bully Ray. She’s locked into storylines for a while. I expect she’ll remain the Knockouts GM until she leaves the company or swerve turns and reunites with Bully, whichever comes first. When she vacates the role it’ll probably be dropped.

Sam Coolsome (@CoolsomeXD)

Could Lex Luthor slam Yokozuna? #AskDixie

I don’t think so but Dixie would say yes. She’s a massive Lex mark.

Glenn V Iseghem (@GlennVIseghem)

@TNADixie Will you sign Sting for another Year ? #AskDixie

This is a question I’m interested in too. Sting’s contract usually expires in the latter months of the year, which brings about the now traditional rumours of him jumping to WWE (which usually includes a mention of the Dream Match™ he could have with The Undertaker). Rumour-wise, this year will be no different because ‘The Stinger’ only ever commits to one year with TNA at a time.

I’ve written before that I think TNA should cut their losses and let Sting move on or retire. He doesn’t attract the ratings they need and is past his prime physically. He’s also a massive drain on their budgets, which are well known to be getting looked at right now (although it’s possible that Spike covers, completely or partially, Sting’s wages, which makes this point less of a concern).

There’s no reason to keep the guy around. But they will if they can. TNA has always been keen to have Sting around as a former employee of one of The Big Two. It makes them feel like they’re in WCW’s league.

 

I don't think he's going anywhere

 

Turbo (@JTurbo_420)

I can't stand #JosephPark & can't understand why #TNA is still goin w it. It's the worst gimmick in wrestling. A joke. #AskDixie @TNADixie

Joseph Park has proven to be a popular character and given the man who plays him, Chris Parks, something fresh to do. It also makes use of his impressive verbal skills, something the Abyss character wasn’t good for. Overall, Joseph Park has more to offer TNA in his comedy role than Abyss does in any role he could conceivably be brought back in.

As for the worst gimmick in wrestling: no. It’s not even the worst gimmick in TNA. Taz gets that award.

JMS (@OGTslay1974)

#AskDixie @njpw1972 now works with both @ringofhonor and @nwawrestling isn't this a mistake for@IMPACTWRESTLING 4 allowing this to happen

Strange phrasing aside, this is a good point. TNA should have been trying harder to establish working relationships with other promotions. They actually had an agreement with NJPW years ago but it just sort of fell apart.

Having a Japanese federation to send wrestlers to would be great for TNA. It would help their wrestlers to improve and grant them access to foreign workers. Those workers may not have name value to the majority of US wrestling fans (on whom TNA rely for TV ratings and pay-per-view buys) but that’s the case with any wrestler that gets brought in. If they were treated as important stars they’d be perceived as such. Using foreign talent is something that WWE doesn’t do. That alone makes it a good idea for TNA as it helps them to create their on product.

They could try getting something together with New Japan again. Failing that they could try NOAH or All Japan, both of which are having a hard time of things by all accounts. I’m sure they’d welcome access to TNA wrestlers, and TNA’s roster would gain an instant and much-needed boost. Working with any Japanese promotion could help them get a TV deal in the country, which would bring in some much needed cash.

Striking up working relationships with indies closer to home would be good too. It’s what should have been done instead of using OVW as the developmental system. TNA isn’t big enough to warrant a dedicated satellite federation, it’s another example of the company feeling it has to ape WWE in order to succeed. OVW a drain on resources that could be put to better use elsewhere. Allowing well respected independent promotions access to TNA’s bigger stars in exchange for regularly booking guys in need of improvement (basically the wrestlers currently posted to OVW) would be better for all involved.

Thomas Montgomery (@thomas_d_m)

#AskDixie Can we have no more Taz and keep Jeremy Borash on commentary?

How about no more of either and bringing back Don West?

Two J’s and 1 F (@jimmyyadig)

King Mo and Rampage Jackson, you signed them to TNA for what but you release Matt Morgan #AskDixie

Again, look past the strange phrasing and you’ll see that Two J’s and 1 F brings up a good point. For good measure he also tosses in a second completely unrelated one. Matt Morgan’s release and the hiring of King Mo and Rampage Jackson are completely separate issues with no bearing on one another.

King Mo and Rampage Jackson could work out well for TNA in my opinion. People against their signings will point out that they’re not trained wrestlers and that the money paid to them could instead have been used on the likes of the Young Bucks and-or retaining the services of people who’ve been released over the last month. Good points that are I don’t want to argue against, but I think they’re just outweighed by the potential for crossover.

If the wrestling matches of Mo and Rampage are promoted correctly they could attract a portion of the MMA audience both are known to. If Bellator, an MMA organisation that also has a show on Spike, advertised these wrestling matches on Impact then that would obviously help as well. Trying to attract a fresh audience to increase their viewing figures is what TNA should be doing, and one way of going about it is dipping into the MMA fan pool (because the sports are similar). King and Mo and Rampage Jackson stand a better chance of attracting new fans than the Young Bucks.

As for Matt Morgan…

Ed Kidney (@edk86)

@TNADixie any comment on @BPmattmorgan leaving TNA? He was great for you guys and patient but never got rewarded #AskDixie

His most recent run as the bodyguard of Joey Ryan didn’t make the best use of him but Matt Morgan had received plenty of chances to get over as a headliner in TNA before being released from his contract on July 9^th. He never quite managed to do it. Which is a shame because if they’d given him a sustained push Morgan could’ve been great for TNA.

The release will allow him to head back to a mid-card spot in WWE or try his luck in Japan. Either is preferable to doing nothing in TNA.

Travis Hayes (@wrasslinfan2009)

@TNADixie any chance of you rebuilding the KO division? as there's only 6 girls there. #AskDixie

Throw a random question mark into the middle of a sentence and the finish with a full stop! Rock ‘n’ roll! Apologies if you’re reading this, Travis. It’s a good question.

TNA should have never stopped making the Knockouts a priority. But they did, around the time that Hogan and Bischoff came in. As Travis points out, their female roster is depleted at the moment. They could bring in new wrestlers from SHIMMER and SHINE but introducing them to the roster and turning them into recognisable faces would take time. If TNA decided on a batch of four or five new Knockouts now they could probably have the division looking pretty good within four months. Sadly the slashed budgets make a Knockouts revival unlikely any time soon.

Stacy Tyler (@bleedthefreak)

#AskDixie also push x division more and maybe bring jarrett back find a balance of old school tna with new ideas you can do it Dixie

You can do it, Dixie! That’s the spirit, Stacy. Never give up.

The X Division is about the only thing TNA has ever done that WWE doesn’t have a direct equivalent of. They had their cruiserweight division for a few years, but that was mainly there to give Rey Mysterio a surrounding in which he could shine. Once he was promoted up the card it quickly fell apart. Having a thriving X Division would allow TNA to present matches that WWE doesn’t. The XD can allow TNA to present themselves as a genuine alternative to WWE.

A Jarrett return isn’t something I’m desperate to see but it could freshen TNA up a little. He’s been gone for so long that he could come back as either a face or a heel. There are a handful of new matches waiting for him and even the tried and tested bouts with the likes of Joe, Angle and Styles would be things we’ve not seen in years. I’m surprised ‘Double J’s’ not been brought back to tangle with Aces and Eights. As a company founder he’s the natural choice to face off with them. There’s still time though…

Dylan Vickers (@dylan_217)

Is @August1Warning Low Ki. Sure sounds and looks like him. #AskDixie 

He’s done some voiceover work over the years so it’s not impossible that he’s been used to provide the voice here. That’s the sort of swerve Eric Bischoff loves. More likely though is that the speech has been put through a modulator to disguise who its owner is.

Who’s behind the videos? It could be Low Ki. It could be Jeff Jarrett. It could be anyone really. There are no obvious big names available right now. Everyone that’s not Ki or Jarrett that could create a stir is working elsewhere. So basically I think it’s going to be an underwhelming reveal. As usual.

Pro Wrestling Addicts (@prowrestlingsit)

@TNADixie are you a Jim Cornette girl #AsklDixie 

I think she’s more of an Eric Bischoff girl.

Blacktus Jack (Blacktus Jack)

Do you think a Cyber Sunday-esque PPV would be a good idea for TNA? Or would it end up like #AskDixie?

#AskDixie hasn’t been a complete failure for TNA. At least people are talking about them!

I think this could be a great idea. If promoted heavily as a night that would allow fans to “take control of TNA” it could net an above average viewing figure. Matches or options would need to be announced in advance for it to work and fans would need to be convinced that it would be a meaningful and memorable show but there’s nothing to stop TNA there.

Of course, it would need to be a live broadcast too (because everyone would expect it to be done via Twitter these days) and TNA has stopped those (Impact is now broadcast on a minimum delay of two hours). It’s worth noting that WWE stopped doing Cyber Sunday and Taboo Tuesday (the same interactive gimmick… but on a Tuesday!) after only a couple of years and never really attracted a massive audience, so perhaps it wouldn’t be as good an idea as I think.

The key is advertising really, as opposed to promoting a gimmick. Any episode of Impact could be loaded with big matches and be a success if promoted heavily enough. As TNA has trouble doing that I think the interactive idea would probably fail.

David Rooney (@TheRoonMeister)

Are you satisfied your company has made zero progress in a stale industry since bischoff and hogan joined? #AskDixie

The answer that Dixie would give to this would obviously be no. How could she be satisfied with TNA’s lack of progress?

Dixie has probably convinced herself that Hogan and Bischoff are still the best option she has. She likely has advisors and family members that say the same thing, and obviously the men themselves would tell her they know exactly how to sort TNA out.

Both men trade on past glories. Bischoff signed big names to big contracts when he was running WCW and had a hand in creating two phenomenally successful properties: the nWo and Goldberg. Hogan was the biggest star of the WWF for seven years, which made him the first of the industry. While his star has dimmed considerably over the years he is still a household name. That’s attractive to a promotion in TNA’s position.

In truth it’s obvious that neither has a clue how to make TNA successful. If they did they’d have done so by now. They’re there for paycheques. In Hogan’s case he’s also there to stay relevant.

Alexandre Lopez (@AlexandLopez)

#Ask Dixie @TNADixie @ShotimeEY Can we please give all titles to Eric Young and bring back @TheLethalJay

Yeaaaaaaaaah… this is here for the Jay Lethal part of the question. I don’t think I need to talk about why putting “all” of TNA’s titles on EY would be a bad move.

 

World championship material? I think not

 

Jay Lethal is under contract to Ring of Honor. He couldn’t return to TNA even if he wanted to. His spot in that company is better than the one he had in TNA, so I doubt he’s desperate to return. Money-wise he’s probably about as secure in either promotion. He’s not the sort of wrestler who gets paid megabucks. Lethal would be a boon to a reconfigured X Division but it’s not going to happen anytime soon. If TNA survives long enough maybe he’ll be back there one day.

Hunter Todd (@floowombat)

#AskDixie @TNADixie is there a chance that you would try to bring @FightSteenFight to Impact Wrestling. #killsteenkill

It’s the same deal here as with Jay Lethal: Kevin Steen is under contract to ROH. Personally I think Steen has the right mix of charisma, look and wrestling ability to be a star in TNA. That they’ve had the chance to bring him in before and never have makes me think the good people of TNA management disagree with me. His weight is almost certainly the issue. Steen himself has said that’s what he’d need to fix if he wanted to get a WWE contract. It will be that that’s holding him back from a TNA spot too.

That and TNA’s finances. It’s entirely possible ‘Mr Wrestling’ can earn more where he is than he would in TNA. And he may prefer the freedom.

Steen doesn’t need a move to TNA though. He’s fine in ROH and PWG.

Dillon Wilson (@DillonWilson13)

@TNADixie After Y'all Get Rid of those Thugs @TheAcesand8s Are Y'all Planning on Invading @ringofhonor . If So That Would Be Epic #AskDixie

A cross promotional storyline with ROH could work. Both companies have weekly TV shows and are based in the United States. Logistically it’s a sound idea. The time TNA stars Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, among others, spent working for ROH could create some interesting scenarios in a TNA v Ring of Honor programme. Kurt Angle would probably mesh very nicely with the ROH roster too. In theory it’s a fine idea.

In practice it simply wouldn’t work. Both ROH and TNA are struggling to redefine themselves right now. ROH has culled its internet pay-per-views and TNA has cut its number of big shows from twelve to four. Both are public signs of downsizing, which is never a good sign for a wrestling company being in a position to work with outsiders.

On top of that it just seems unfeasible. The companies have very different approaches in presentation. ROH focuses on the sport of pro wrestling while TNA is happy knocking off WWE’s sports entertainment vibe and mixing in hefty dollops of reality TV. The matches we could see would be great, but the two companies wouldn’t mesh.

It’s not going to happen.

Mr Rab (@iTzRaBx)

#AskDixie why is Hogan still the GM?

Because he’s under contract and they’re desperate to keep him on TV, brother!

Clint Bracey (@CJB01_CHIKARA)

@TNADixie #AskDixie Why didn't you do shit with @JoeyRyanOnline? He was the next big star but I guess Hogan was jealous of the Stache

Joey Ryan got a good introduction thanks to his Gut Check-inspired feud with TNA personnel. It lasted three months and culminated with a contract-bestowing win for the moustachioed one at Bound For Glory 2012. The match was basic and a win over Snow didn’t exactly get him off to the best start but TNA did the best with what they had.

Sadly it all fell apart for Ryan after he got a contract. He slipped down the card and wound up forming a partnership with Matt Morgan that went absolutely nowhere. It’s true they didn’t make the best use of him but they didn’t have a reason to. Had fans been clamouring to see Ryan after his initial programme ran its course TNA would have used him. Ryan’s lack of exposure was for a reason.

I can’t say whether or not they were right to release him. He could have been a solid mid-card act under the right conditions but if they needed to save money he was an obvious candidate to go. As far as being the next big star goes that was never the case.

I cannot comment on Hogan’s feelings towards Ryan’s facial hair.

Cèzar Punker (@PunksBarrage)

who is biggest talent in tna ? #AskDixie 

Dixie wouldn’t touch this question. If she acknowledged it she’d say that the entire roster is talented. But I’m not Dixie and it’s a decent question.

This is something I touched on when I wrote about AJ Styles not being TNA’s leading man. There’s no obvious “right” answer. It’s a subjective question. If you think of the biggest talent in terms of name value then Hulk Hogan is the man I’d point to. As I mentioned earlier he’s still a household name and the face of the industry to an entire generation.

If you think in terms of wrestling ability alone then there are lots of people on the roster who could be the biggest talent. Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Austin Aries, Kurt Angle, Chris Sabin, Chris Daniels, and Samoa Joe are all good enough to be considered the promotion’s best wrestler. But in-ring ability alone doesn’t make a star. Nor does TNA’s central criteria for roster additions: past employment in WWE. If it did then the answer would be a choice between Jeff Hardy, Bully Ray and Mr Anderson.

There is no one name that stands out when looking at the TNA roster. That the company has done such an appalling job of building up its own batch of stars (and it’s had more than enough to pick from despite the plethora of former WWE talent hired over the years) is the reason for that. In WWE the biggest talent is John Cena. He has no equivalent in TNA.

Rob Butler (@robbutler1984)

#AskDixie why was heyman not brought into the company when the big announcement was made. He could have made tna great.

I’m not sure which big announcement Rob is referring to. There have been a lot over the years and they’ve never really delivered on the hype.

I think this probably refers to the period in 2009 when it looked as though Heyman was going to be working in TNA. Although the subject of him working there has come up several times over the years it’s then that the two parties seemed the closest. Heyman wanted complete autonomy with regards to creative content. He wanted to be the guy the buck stopped with and he wanted to have input into all other areas, such as marketing, television deals, and expansion. I believe he also wanted to have TNA leave the Impact Zone and go on the road although I may be wrong there.

During the same period people at TNA were also talking with Hogan and Bischoff. It was those two who wound up getting the TNA gig, at which point Heyman pulled out because he had no interest in working with them. Presumably he believed that if they were involved he would not have had the creative freedom and lack of interference that he sought. If so he was probably right.

Think Heyman’s requirements sound unreasonable? I don’t think they do. Having worked in WCW and WWE, and having run his own promotion, Heyman would understood that what TNA needed (and, in fact, still needs) was one clear person in charge. That WWE has always had one man (Vince) in charge has to be one of the reasons the promotion has been so successful. It’s one man’s vision carried out as he wants. Heyman sought the same arrangement in TNA because he realised that a wrestling company cannot be booked or managed by a committee.

Could Heyman in TNA have worked out, then or at any other point? It’s impossible to say for sure but I think he’d have been in with a good chance of making it work. Free of the constraints of trying to manage everything, as had been the case in ECW, Heyman would have been able to focus more on the creative direction. As ECW closed down because of a combination of poor financial management and a failure to secure a new television deal, rather than bland or uninteresting creative content, I think the setup would have worked. Heyman would have had his say in the promotion’s financial decisions but there would have been a team to manage the minutia for him.

He could have made TNA great.

The Beginning of the End?

On Wednesday 3^rd July TNA announced the release of five wrestlers. They were, in no particular order, Joey Ryan, Crimson, Taeler Hendrix, Christian York and Madison Rayne. Hendrix and Ryan have indicated that they either requested releases or allowed their contracts to expire without seeking new deals.

There have also been some interesting rumours circulating. First, that the WWE Hall of Fame building is going to be built at or near Universal Studios in Orlando. Second, that Sting is interested in a move to WWE, like really interested and he seriously means it this time so don't you doubt him thank you so very much.

 

For the purposes of this post I'm not interested in the prospect of Sting joining WWE. I'm more interested in what the rumour, if true, indicates about TNA's current financial affairs. Obviously it's not a positive sign. 'The Stinger' has been the only major name of yesteryear who has continually backed TNA and attempted to use his (diminishing) star power to help them compete with WWE. It hasn't worked but it's the thought that counts.

If Sting is considering a move there will likely be several factors at play. Age is one. Now in his mid-fifties Sting must realise he's going to have to finish his career soon. He, like every other major wrestling name, would almost certainly love to do so in WWE, where he'd also benefit creatively by having a roster full of fresh opponents.

It also hints at TNA not being able to afford him and encouraging him to make the jump. The reason Crimson and company (there's a kids' TV show waiting to happen) have been let go is apparently part of a drive to streamline the roster and save cash. That in turn is said to be linked to the extra costs TNA's been racking up since they started taping Impact from different locations and putting on more house shows.

Paying Sting to work only a handful of an increasing number of events wouldn't make sense. TNA has clearly been in a position where they need to save money for some time. Encouraging Sting to move on would be an efficient way of doing just that.

The five confirmed releases (Sting leaving is still a rumour remember) further illustrates that TNA is in trouble. Most companies when planning an expanded schedule would seek more talent in order to not overwork their existing roster. Releasing those guys and girls isn't a good move. They may not be draws (Christian York) or even especially wonderful wrestlers (Crimson) but they fill out the roster and perform a clear function as mid-carders and-or enhancers for bigger names (or at least they would have done if they’d been on TV).

The ones who should have been released are Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, who perform no clear function on-screen and have demonstrated during their three and a half years with the league that they don't have any idea how to make it successful, either creatively or financially. I'm as bored of writing that as you are of reading it. They've dodged a bullet again.

This is, of course, terribly bad news for those who have been released. They've lost regular sources of income. In Joey Ryan's case, and to a lesser extent Christian York's, regular televisual exposure has been lost too. That's important to wrestlers who rely on secondary indy bookings to keep their incomes healthy.

 

Why did they release this guy...?

On the plus side Crimson seems like the sort of guy who might get picked up for NXT. Ryan could wind up there too, but ROH and assorted indies seem like a safer bet for him. York will probably return to whatever he did for money before TNA plucked him from wrestling obscurity. Taeler Hendrix will similarly saunter back to the women's indy leagues. And Madison Rayne is engaged with a baby on the way. Her release is a bit of a low blow, but it's understandable to an extent coming as it does from a company that's strapped for cash.

Meanwhile the news that WWE's Hall of Fame might be built at Universal Studios, TNA's home since June 2004, is very interesting. If true it could mean that WWE has indirectly killed TNA by forcing them to spend more money than they can afford on touring Impact around the country. It could either be a big coincidence or an incredibly calculated move to finally put an end to TNA. Conspiracy theorists will favour the latter but why would WWE go to such elaborate bother if their goal was the obliteration of TNA? It would be far more straightforward to offer wrestlers large sums of money whenever they became available.

The alleged Hall of Fame construction site would be much like Vince's territory invasions of the eighties. Only this time a little more literal.

Any feelings that TNA's about to immediately go under can be quelled, for now, by the re-signing of Taz. If TNA was about to go under then securing the services of a spectacularly average colour commentator would not be top of their list of priorities. That they’ve just re-signed him indicates they feel they’ve got a future beyond the next few weeks. The company's in very real trouble, but they're not on their last legs yet.

Laganavision

Dave Lagana is a bit of an anomaly in wrestling. He's a wrestling fan that managed to get a job as part of WWE's creative department. That's not something that happens too often and it's safe to say that it happened in Lagana's case thanks to a combination of having Writer of Friends (you may have heard of it) on his CV. His timing probably helped too. He started with WWE in 2002. Since then WWE has become strongly opposed to the idea of hiring anyone, no matter what relevant experience they may have, who is a wrestling fan. They want TV experience, not opinionated fans.

Lagana had a fair run with WWE, lasting six years before getting released from his contract (or is that term only applied to the talent?) in 2008. During his time in WWE he worked as a writer on SmackDown, headed up the writing of ECW and was taken under the metaphorical wing of Paul Heyman. As far as wrestling CVs go those aren't bad things to be able to say. Having written Friends doesn't hurt either.

After his release Lagana wound up in ROH. His role there was undefined. During his not wholly unsuccessful attempts to turn himself into a media personality throughout the summer of 2011 Lagana was deliberately vague on the subject of what he actually did for Ring of Honor. He admitted he had the chance to make suggestions regarding the company's creative direction but that it was mostly left up to Carey Silkin, Adam Pearce and, later, Jim Cornette. It seems safe to assume he was more involved with the production side of things rather than scripting. That's what his known employment track record would make him a good fit for.

Lagana wound up getting moved on from ROH in the closing months of 2011. The company went into a creative tailspin shortly afterwards. In fairness I think that was more to do with the presence of Jim Cornette than the lack of Dave Lagana. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

Lagana quickly found himself snapped up by TNA (he was a former WWE employee remember) and started working on the company's Indian spin-off Ring Ka King. Despite being a massively successful and warmly received project the channel that aired Ring Ka King decided to pass on a second series. Perhaps they've got something against successful TV shows? Whatever the reason it didn't matter: RKK had provided Lagana with a chance to prove to TNA management that he could put together entertaining wrestling television. When it became apparent Ring Ka King series two wasn't materialising Lagana was moved over to work on Impact Wrestling.

Lagana's addition to the Impact writing team coincided with the initial push of Austin Aries. With Bobby Roode and James Storm recently established as headliners it seemed like the perfect time for a new writer to come in and take TNA in a bold new creative direction.

It didn't happen. Instead the promising new era faltered just before it was established. 'A Double' performed a senseless heel turn out of nowhere and dropped the title to Jeff Hardy then formed a tag team with former rival Bobby Roode. Meanwhile Hardy enjoyed a lengthy run before dropping the championship to Bully Ray.

I have nothing against Ray or Hardy but their ascension to the top felt like regression. Both men made their names elsewhere while Roode, Storm and Aries could be presented as TNA creations.

As Lagana is not acknowledged as the head of TNA creative it's hard to pin this on him. Bruce Prichard's the man in charge of the scripts and so it's him we should blame for the decidedly uninspiring product TNA puts out. If anything I think we should be encouraged that Lagana's still around and a part of the process. Last year's Impact quality boom coinciding with Lagana joining the team could be a coincidence, but it'd be a big one. It strikes me as more likely that he had a little more say last summer and that it ceased when ratings didn't immediately improve. If that's the case it's unfair. Ratings take time to go up, especially with the amount of choice viewers today have.

Lagana has a proven track record in wrestling. He’s learnt from probably the two most highly regarded bookers ever (Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman). He worked on SmackDown during what is generally considered one of the blue brand’s brightest periods. Ring Ka King was a solid show too, and that is generally credited as the work of Lagana and Jeff Jarrett alone.

 

Don't do what this sign says

 

TNA is clearly not as successful as it could or should be right now. They attract just over one million viewers a week, which is pretty poor considering their time slot and the size of the wrestling fan base in North America. The trouble appears to be that the promotion is happy to settle for the number two spot.

Having old boys like Prichard, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Al Snow, and D’Lo Brown backstage is not going to change anything. They’re all interested in booking the same tired product TNA’s been putting out for years now, a strange mix of Attitude Era shock tactics and attempts to emulate the current WWE approach. The bad ratings and disinterest in pay-per-views (TNA are lucky if they pull a five figure viewing number) proves that this is not the way TNA should be going.

The company would be best served getting rid of everyone currently involved in the creative process with the exception of Lagana. I think he deserves a crack at steering TNA for a while. Bring in some fresh blood to flesh out the rest of the creative department. Do something WWE would never do and bring in wrestling fans.

There are plenty of fans out there who have an idea of what they’d like to see from TNA. An online application process could turn up some good ideas and new talent. Under Lagana fans could learn how to format a show, interact with wrestlers, and experiment with the tried and tested wrestling TV formula.

Over the last several years TNA has missed out on signing talent like Tyler Black, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, and El Generico. They’ve proven incapable of holding on to established names like Rob Van Dam. I’m convinced this is largely because they’re presenting such a boring product: wrestlers simply don’t want to be associated with it and would rather take their chances in NXT.

A retooled creative division helmed by Lagana would provide TNA with a chance to go in a new direction. The company should not be satisfied with a number two spot. It should be figuring out a unique presentation and striving to be the best at that.