John Cena's Sweet Sixteen

Over the last year much has been made of the fact that John Cena's next world title win will tie him with Ric Flair's record of sixteen. Ever since he lost his fifteenth world championship at SummerSlam 2014 we've been hearing rumour through The Dirt Sheets™ that WWE wants to have Cena's next win and the reign it kicks off be big deals. We heard it mentioned on-screen leading up to SummerSlam this year, Cena's first title shot since January's Royal Rumble, with him specifically name-dropping Flair and announcing that he wants to reach that milestone.

This makes sense. With only one man having been as prolific as Cena when it comes to winning world titles it's entirely understandable that WWE would want to focus on that journey as a story. Cena equalling a record tally is a logical, understandable plot for wrestling because it focuses on wins and losses and the importance of titles. It's also something that has never really been done before in wrestling, at least not in the exact circumstance of someone tying Flair.

The thing is that Cena's world title win won't see him equal Flair's actual record. It will see him equal the WWE approved record, the one that discounts a number of 'Naitch's' early NWA world championship victories. For what it's worth Flair is said to privately consider himself something like a twenty-one time world champ. Not that Flair's private feelings or the legitimate number of title reigns he's had actually matters. What matters is that Flair is known as a sixteen time world champion and Cena's next win will see tie this.

The once and future champ.

When it comes (and it will come) Cena's next WWE championship reign needs to be something memorable¹. Running through standard issue title defences against Rollins, Kane and Orton won't cut it if WWE wants to do the story they're going for justice. What is the story they're going (or will be going) for? That in winning sixteen world championships Cena, who is frequently lambasted as a poor wrestler with little understanding of selling and ring psychology, is every bit as good as Ric Flair, who is frequently held up as the greatest professional wrestler ever.

A long title reign will be needed to do this story justice and for a long title reign WWE will need plenty of challengers. Right now there are very few people who could believably defeat Cena on pay-per-view. The number who could defeat him for a world title is even smaller, especially such an importantly numbered title. And if a long Cena title reign is to work in 2015 or beyond then the audience should be able to feel that Cena could lose in any defence, adding to the drama of each match, therefore heightening reactions and making the achievement of each successful retention seem greater.

Had one of Cena's allegedly star-making feuds against Bray Wyatt, Rusev or Kevin Owens gone differently over the last eighteen months things could be different. Had Cena left any one of those feuds without getting a victory then the opponent in question would be perfectly positioned as a title challenger for 'Big Match John' come his next world title reign. They could have been presented as the only man of the last decade Cena had failed to defeat and a favourite in a title match against him. Basically, Cena losing more in these programmes would have made a victory for him at a later point a bigger deal.

Rusev in particular could have been great in this role. Had WWE thought enough about it 'The Bulgarian Brute' could have been built up as Cena's gateway to a sixteenth world title. Had Rusev dropped Cena on three or four straight pay-per-views he would have been established as a juggernaut and a natural contender to the WWE world title. He could have won that from Rollins, either in a singles match (in the right city Rollins could have played the face) or a three-way including someone like Ambrose, Lesnar or Reigns to give people a face to get behind, and gone on to have a few months as a dominant world champion. Cena could have gone on his undercard quest to find himself (the Open Challenge thing could have worked as Cena testing himself instead of as a US title reign) before challenging Rusev to a world title match and beating him. This would have seen Cena finally getting the victory that had eluded him, ending Rusev's undefeated streak, and equalling the sixteen title reigns record in one match.

But, sadly, nobody in WWE seems to think that far ahead.

The good news is that Cena's next world title win is unlikely to roll around until next year.  Roman Reigns seems like the natural choice to take the belt from current champ Seth Rollins, likely at WrestleMania 32 Star in Texas next April. It's unlikely Reigns' inaugural world title run would last less than four months, which would take him through to SummerSlam, a fitting stage for Cena's big win. Next August gives WWE plenty of time to rebuild Rusev, Owens and Wyatt, along with preparing other acts like Cesaro, Stardust and Ryback, giving Cena the stacked roster he needs to make his sixteenth world title reign the success it deserves to be.

***

¹ The irony here is that Flair's final WCW world title reigns were massively underwhelming. The fifteenth world title reign of Ric Flair began on an episode of Nitro and lasted seven days, ending when he was stripped of the belt by Vince Russo. Jeff Jarrett then won the title later on the same show and lost it the following evening to Kevin Nash at a Thunder taping. 'Big Sexy' then handed the title back to Flair on the following Nitro², with Flair going on to lose the title back to Jarrett later on in the show.

Yes, that means Flair's famed sixteenth world title reign began with Kevin Nash handing him the belt and lasted less than two hours. Woooooo!

Key to the (Alleged) Boom

When he was doing initial interviews to hype Global Force Wrestling last April (yeah, fourteen months on and they've still not run a show) Jeff Jarrett talked about how it was a good time to start a wrestling promotion. He predicted another boom period. I was sceptical of that claim. While I don't think it's come to pass on quite the level 'Double J' seemed to be expecting wrestling does seem more popular, more exciting, now than it did fourteen months ago. Or at least wrestling fans have become more feverous with their praise. That's pretty much the same thing, right?

The so-called Wednesday Night Wars are a good example of wrestling being more exciting. ROH is now the lead-in show for TNA's Impact Wrestling on Destination America, in direct competition with WWE's white hot NXT show and the weekly one hour cinematic masterpiece that is Lucha Underground. All of those shows but Impact are great. They have their own distinct tropes and identities and they feel fresh, new and exciting. Impact, despite its numerous flaws and the fact that it's just flat out not good, has a dedicated fan base who will tune in (and, perhaps more importantly, defend it) every week. It's a concentration of shows that illustrates the variety of styles and approaches that can be taken within the pro wrestling format.

Calling it a rise in popularity rather than a definitive boom period also neatly covers the issue of WWE's dominance. The phrase boom period conjures up an image of another wrestling promotion becoming successful enough to challenge WWE's status as top (big) dog. That won't happen. WWE has so much cash flowing in and so many draws and talents at their disposal that they're going to be on top until some sort of major, unpredictable catastrophe befalls them. The company best placed to challenge them, New Japan, are years away from even trying in North America, although they're comfortably smashing WWE to pieces in Japan.

No, a rise in popularity makes it clear we're discussing the status of the wrestling biz as a whole, particularly the non-WWE segment. And this finally brings me around to my point: I think the company that will do best as wrestling gets a little more popular in mainstream culture is the company that makes the best use of female talent.

Give this woman a women's division to head up. Watch the money roll in.

Looking back it's clear that the last few years have seen the status of women's wrestling progress considerably. The prominence of Ivelisse Velez and Sexy Star in Lucha Underground and the entire women's division of NXT has simply helped to highlight the point, because they're TV shows. SHIMMER has been going for ten years now and has, along with Florida-based Shine, helped to create an environment in which all-women companies are a viable option for promoters.

These promotions being in a position to continue running shows illustrates that there's an audience for women's wrestling. So does the reaction that the performances of the wrestlers above get on TV. Just look at the response to the Banks versus Lynch match from Takeover: Unstoppable. WWE and TNA have been letting us down for years with shoddy women's divisions booked as afterthoughts, despite each group having had a solid division at one time or another over the last fifteen years¹. Ring of Honor doesn't even have a women's division at all.

There's a gap in the market for a wrestling TV show that emphasises women's wrestling. NXT has made a lot of headway but so have LU, and it wouldn't be impossible for ROH to look at hiring some more women to go along with Maria, Veda Scott (who never seems to wrestle in ROH despite doing so elsewhere) and ODB. Global Force could theoretically launch with a fantastic women's league if Jarrett wanted to, there's enough available talent to be signed up. You can turn on any wrestling show and see guys killing it great matches. Making women min event attractions would be new and something wrestling fans are ready for. More importantly it would be a way to hook non-fans with something different. That's why I think good quality women's wrestling is going to be of increased importance in wrestling's future, whether there's another boom period coming or not.

***

¹ For TNA it was the Knockouts. In the mid-00s they, along with the X Division, were a reason to watch TNA in the mid-00s. Then the writers decided to revert to the WWE approach of focusing on the world title scene, keeping women and cruiserweights as a side attraction.

A few years earlier WWE had Trish Stratus, Molly Holy, Ivory, Lita, Victoria, Gail Kim and others in a competitive women's division that produced good matches. It's not clear why they decided to scale the division back and reduce it to the filler role it occupied for about a decade. At least the company as a whole remained profitable and had other, enjoyable things going on instead. Which can't be said for TNA.

The Global Announce Team

A few weeks ago Jeff Jarrett announced that his e-fed would be airing New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 9 on pay-per-view in the US and Canada. It was a significant announcement followed up by instructions for people to stay tuned for news. 'Double J' has to promise news instead of providing it because he doesn't have a promotion of his own and is reliant on New Japan making decisions before he can release information. It’s a less than ideal way to run a business.

But a week ago Jarrett struck a deal that will see Jim Ross provide English language play-by-play commentary for the show, something he was able to tell the world himself. It was presented as big news when announced on November 11. And it is.

Slobberknocker! Sauce it! Bah GOD! Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!!

As the voice of WWE when it was at its hottest Ross is a known quantity to many lapsed and casual fans, a market Jarrett is probably interested in attracting. He's also an experienced wrestling commentator, with a solid knowledge of moves, an understanding of how to convey a match's story to an audience, and an unparalleled level of passion¹. He was the best choice to lead an English language broadcast and, considering his promotion's completely hypothetical status at the moment, Jarrett was lucky to get him.

But 'Good Old JR' is not flawless. Even at his late 90s-slash-early 00s peak he was prone to frequent minor mistakes. This usually took the form of confusing names of guys he was less familiar with who kind of but not really looked alike. Hardly the worst thing in the world but it presents an obvious problem for WK9. NJPW's roster is almost entirely new to Ross, and a lot of the guys he's already familiar with will be using different names.

Obviously there's ample time for Ross to familiarise himself with the roster. And being a professional I'm sure he will. While he's in prep mode it may be a good idea for someone to warn him about the flagrant anti-psychology that plagues Young Bucks matches. Better than him finding out on the air.

The other issue with JR is that he does his best work when being needled by an antagonistic colour commentator². His work alongside Paul Heyman in 2001 and Jerry Lawler in the years before (but not really after) that was so good because both Lawler and Heyman knew how to interact with Ross's on-air personality to get the best out of him. They knew to prick his ego every so often and provide him with anti-babyface material to get riled about. Basically, they knew how to be very good heel commentators and Ross knew how to be a very good babyface one.

It's not that JR's commentary will be bad without a good heel colour commentator with him but it’s likely he'll be better with one. Thinking of suggestions for the role is pretty much a waste of time because there's no defined Global Force roster in existence to draw names from. The only realistic suggestion to make is Jarrett. He's been established as a heel within New Japan storylines and would be easy enough to accept in the role for an English language audience. I've never heard him on commentary but Ross could coach him and help him prepare. Plus he's already going to be in Tokyo for the show and it would cut down on costs. I’m sure that’s a factor for an imaginary company like Global Force.

Whether they go for Jarrett or a more left field but probably better choice like Colt Cabana or Chris Hero (I would be astounded if they got CM Punk³) I hope the pairing gets adequate time to prepare. If English language commentary is to become a thing⁴ for NJPW (and less importantly if GFW is to succeed) Wrestle Kingdom 9 needs to be a success in North America. And rightly or wrongly a lot of that is on the shoulders of Jim Ross.

***

¹ I’m particularly looking forward to him shouting “Okada! Okada! Okada!!”

² Ideally with that colour commentator being fed digs by Vince McMahon over a headset, not that that's an option here⁵.

³ Though he'd be ideal, obviously. He knows the product and Ross and has a fair amount of commentary experience. Plus he's a big enough name to generate some US interest in the pay-per-view, New Japan, and GFW. But it won’t happen.

⁴ I hope English language commentary catches on because the lack of it is the biggest barrier for plenty of people (including myself) following New Japan more closely.

⁵ Although if Vince were to ever to get involved with production of a rival promotion's commentary I'm sure it would be solely to take shots at Jim Ross.

Global Wrestling Alliance

It’s been nearly four months since Jeff Jarrett announced the formation of Global Force Wrestling. They’ve still yet to announce their first show or any sort of formal roster. These are the two most key things any wrestling promotion needs. Without wrestlers or a venue it’s hard to argue that what you actually have is a wrestling company. At the moment it’s more accurate to say that ‘Double J’ is running a niche T-shirt company.

While Global Force don’t have a roster or a show announced they have announced a number of partnerships with other wrestling promotions. The most noteworthy of these are Mexico’s AAA and Japan’s New Japan Pro Wrestling. Behind them are the Inoki Genome Federation, Revolution Pro Wrestling, Premier British Wrestling, New Generation Wrestling, and Westside Xtreme Wrestling.

That’s considerable support, especially for a company yet to actually do anything. A partnership with New Japan alone is a big deal. Although it’s worth noting that the European promotions are not big operations and operate on scales more similar to smaller US indies than AAA or New Japan.

The emphasis on partnerships, as opposed to signing talent and promoting shows, has made me think about an approach I think Global Force could take when it finally starts up (if it starts up). In fact it’s the approach I want to see them take. I think GFW could do a lot worse than pattern themselves after the National Wrestling Alliance during its heyday.

This was during the NWA championship's last
bout of relevance. In, of all places, TNA.

Do I need to summarise how the NWA worked? Probably not but I will anyway. It was an organisation comprised of wrestling promoters from around the United States. Each member ran their own promotion, had their own rosters and had their own championships. The NWA had a variety of purposes, many of which were logistical. For our purposes the most interesting thing about the group was the NWA world championship. It was created as the world championship in wrestling, with each promoter’s top singles title taking a back seat to it and being more of a regional accomplishment.

Each member of the NWA had access to the NWA world champ and got to vote on when a champion would lose the championship and to whom (based on the size of their territory, the champ’s home promotion, and so on). This approach meant that seeing the NWA world championship felt like an occasion. That in turn meant better business for all involved.

In 2014 it would be naïve to think that a world champion touring around a variety of promotions would have the same appeal. The world’s moved on and the nature of viewing wrestling has changed, thanks to both cable TV and the internet. But the idea of GFW champions visiting smaller promotions holds a certain appeal. And I’d like to see it happen.

My ideal Global Force setup would be for most shows to be held in the US, with tours every few months to Europe, Japan or Mexico. The tours would be co-promoted by the partner promotions under the Global Force banner, featuring a mixture of talent from all (or most) of the GFW partner promotions. Naturally the partner league promoting the shows locally would provide most of the talent, but with this approach Global Force would routinely be able to offer a roster on, well, a global scale.

What’s this got to do with champions? That should be obvious. Once GFW has been up and running for a year or two a tournament could be held to crown a world champion. They could go on to be one of the key figures on every tour GFW promotes, eventually being joined by tag champs and perhaps junior heavyweight and women’s champions too.

Inaugural Global Force world champ?

This approach would make the focus on partnerships make sense and allow GFW to neatly sidestep the issue of having a roster nailed down. It would be a fluid approach that lends itself to the inevitable comings and goings that are bound to occur. For that matter it wouldn’t adversely affect the current approaches of any Global Force partner. Every federation from New Japan to Andy Quildan’s RPW could operate as normal and just take on extra dates once or twice a year when Jarrett feels frisky.

This approach would also work well for online streaming, both live and on demand. That’s something Jarrett’s not addressed yet but if he intends to make GFW work on the scale he claims it’s something he’ll have to look into. People will need to be able to access shows online. Not necessarily live, but within a few days of them taking place.

I can’t think of any other way Global Force Wrestling could function while getting the footage it needs and taking into account its various limitations. If Jarrett doesn’t do it this way I’ll be disappointed.

Total Non-Stop Extreme Action Championship Wrestling

Remember back in late 2000 and early 2001 when ECW had a loyal fanbase but couldn’t get a television deal for love nor money? That’s basically like TNA now.

This isn’t to say that Total Nonstop Action is as popular or as influence as the Extreme outfit was. It isn’t. Even at the end of its life ECW was doing things that would influence the wrestling business at large and had access to numerous wrestlers who would go on to greater significance in other promotions. If TNA were to shut down tomorrow some of their roster would move on to work in other places and probably achieve more than they have under their current employer but there’s nothing being done by TNA that’s going to influence any other wrestling promotion.

Yet I still make the comparison between ECW and TNA. Because the situations are similar. TNA’s contract with Spike TV expires in October. A new deal has yet to be announced, which means it’s not been struck because if it had been Dixie and co would be crowing about it. The situation’s very ECW. Without a new TV deal TNA isn’t going to survive, because once a wrestling promotion has made the leap into producing regular television shows and become reliant on the level of notoriety and revenue that brings it’s very difficult to reformat.

This will be particularly true for TNA, who have never really been anything other than a promotion built around the idea of weekly broadcasts. Even when they started out with their weekly pay-per-views in 2002 this was the case, they were just making themselves available via a (slightly) different medium. If ECW, a company that had for a significant amount of time existed running monthly shows at a single venue, couldn’t overcome the lack of TV exposure and the inability to pay debts that that entailed TNA doesn’t stand a chance.

This is not exciting wrestling programming in 2014.

TNA has, bafflingly, a small but incredibly passionate and loyal fanbase. But that still won’t be enough to save them. Unless said fanbase organises some sort of Kickstarter project to keep TNA funded. But that’s unlikely and would require an obscene amount of money to work. To be honest I think most of TNA’s loyalists are smart enough to know that TNA simply isn’t worth that amount of bother. Maybe they could find a new home, but at this point that’s looking pretty unlikely too thanks to their humdrum viewing figures and uninspired creative direction.

There’s a very real possibility that Spike have, for whatever reason, decided to go with Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling as their new provider of wrestling programming. I imagine there’s some sort of contractual stipulation in place that allows a new deal being announced before a current one is expired. The closer we get to October the likelier I think it is that GFW are set to replace Impact. Ideally with a show called Feelin’ the Force.

This brings up the question of why Spike would want an untested group like Global Force over an established entity like TNA. The argument for TNA is that it can be relied upon to attract a regular viewing figure to the channel every week, and that it’s had success in the past which could, in theory, be regained at some point in the future with enough work. The argument for Global Force is that it’s something new, which means it can be presented as fresh and exciting without being tied to the preconceptions that come with TNA. Company founder Jeff Jarrett has a business history with Spike and, perhaps most importantly, could argue that he has plans and ideas that will attract fresh eyes to wrestling on Spike TV, something that TNA has failed to do in their years of struggle to present themselves as a worthwhile number two promotion.

Spike probably wants to keep wrestling on the channel. It’s relatively cheap to produce and will always get viewers. I suspect they’ll go with GFW. TNA have demonstrated that they only know how to tread water. With GFW there’s a chance of change for the better. And who doesn’t want that?

Global Boom

You’ve probably noticed that Jeff Jarrett has a new wrestling promotion under construction. It will be called Global Force Wrestling and it’s being created for a number of reasons. First and foremost it’s because Jeff no longer holds a position with TNA, the company he founded with his father (Jerry) in 2002. Despite selling control of the company to the Carter family’s Panda Energy Jeff kept a position with the group for a number of years, including the years after he stopped being a TV presence. That changed a few months ago when he announced he was leaving. It seems fair to assume, given his new venture, that Jarrett was tired of being a bit part player in a company he’d intended to be North America’s number two wrestling league. Jeff Jarrett wanted to be the boss again.

Secondly, he feels that another wrestling boom period is imminent. While promoting his new league he’s said that now is the best time to start up a wrestling company because it’s due to shift back into the mainstream. He seems tuned in enough to realise that WWE is going to be the focal point of such a boom (should it materialise) but understands that being a new group while people are just getting interested in wrestling again (or for the first time) will help him build a fan base. A new promotion will feel fresh and new and be more capable of providing jump-in, introductory points than even WWE. There will be a certain dynamism that companies that have existed for more than a few years (basically the entire crop of meaningful indy feds) won’t be able to create.

It’s actually timing that may have doomed TNA from the very start. Wrestling’s last major period of significance started in the mid-nineties and ran through to 2001. It was characterised by the innovative ECW, the Monday Night Wars between the WWF and WCW, and the WWF’s Attitude Era. It was never going to last forever and in hindsight it was always going to wind down after either WCW or the WWF folded. The natural conclusion, basically, was always going to be an invasion of the WWF by WCW talent (or, in some alternate universe somewhere, an invasion of WCW by WWF talent).

Even if that storyline had been expertly handled and booked with no expense spared it was never going to stretch much beyond the early months of 2002. That it was so badly presented only helped to drive less enthusiastic viewers away sooner than would otherwise have been the case. By March 2002, a year after the closure of WCW, the WWF was the only game in town and it was not providing storylines anywhere near as compelling as it had two years before.

Setting up a wrestling company just a year after a hot streak had finished and while the market leader (which dictates how wrestling is perceived in general) was being particularly uninspiring was not the greatest move. But it’s the one the Jarretts made. And in fairness although it was ill-fated it did make sense. They couldn’t sit around waiting for the WWF (soon to become WWE) to get hot again. If they wanted to start a promotion they needed to do it then because there were still significant names floating around from the boom period that had only just ended, plus newcomers wanting a break that McMahon Corp weren’t going to provide.

This time it appears that Jarrett’s timing is better. While I’m not as confident as he is that wrestling’s about to explode into mainstream pop culture again, it is at least a positive sign that WWE’s doing better than when he started TNA. It creates an environment in which wrestling is taken as more acceptable. There’s also the fact that the viewing habits of fans have changed over the years. The internet has made it easier to watch wrestling from all over the world, and old footage too. People’s tastes have become more sophisticated and they understand the business better (whether the people in the business want to admit that or not). It’s easier to present a product that’s less storyline driven and more about athletic ability than it would have been ten years ago because fans at large have become more accepting of the variety of styles that make up professional wrestling.

And it seems as though that’s the approach ‘Double J’ is planning to take. We’ve heard that he’s “created a database” (a pretentious way of saying he’s got a list of names and numbers) with over five hundred entries on it. Obviously you’re not going to have five hundred main event calibre performers on any list. But equally you’re going to have a list that long and have no main event calibre names. Looking beyond the specifics of who Jarrett has and hasn’t signed we can say confidently that he will have some worthwhile talent available to him.

He’s also linked himself to a production company in California. That’s a good move in itself for the obvious reason that he’ll need to produce some sort of show to air and sell. Going with a company in California is a particularly good move. That’s the US’s entertainment mecca, making hobnobbing with other companies that could cross promote far easier than it would be if they were based in, oh, I don’t know, Baltimore, Maryland (cough, ROH, cough!). It also means that they’ll be promoting in an area that has all the technical equipment and venues (of all sizes) they could need. It also sets them up nicely to promote shows at next year’s WrestleMania weekend without going outside of what will I imagine will still be their comfort zone, although that’s more a happy coincidence than planning.

At first glance the idea of Global Force Wrestling has a lot of potential. That Jarrett appears to have worked out deals with talent from around the globe (presumably the name is intended as a literal reflection of his promotion’s scope as opposed to being an all too common bit of hollow wrestling wording) will allow him to present a variety of styles that will provide something for everyone watching. Theoretically it will help viewers discover new styles they enjoy too. As WWE only promotes the sports entertainment style (although in fairness it should be pointed out that this is far more flexible than many make out and does change with the times), DG USA and ROH don’t venture much outside their own comfort zones, and TNA are a complete shambles with no definitive style to speak of, that gives him something unique to offer anyone watching.

I think it’s safe to assume he’ll get some working arrangements sorted out with other promotions too. Jarrett was the man credited with getting TNA deals with AAA and Wrestle-1. As soon as whatever contracts are in place with TNA expire it’s entirely possible Jarrett will be able to swoop in and negotiate something for GFW in their place. In fact TNA itself is on shaky legs: should they go under Jarrett would have access to a wide selection of reasonably well-known names to feature on his shows.

Not everything about GFW inspires confidence. While Jarrett has been involved in wrestling for his entire adult life he’s not exactly got a string of successes to his name. I’ve already mentioned TNA, which is the closest thing we’ve got to a track record for Jarrett as an owner-operator-booker, is not in a good way. While the absence of former WWE, WCW and TNA stars will be a blessing for the most part it also means Jarrett will have to work that bit harder to get people interested. Modern fans may see quality wrestling as a reason to watch in and of itself but a significant name doesn’t hurt. And it may sound like nitpicking but the name Global Force Wrestling doesn’t roll off the tongue no matter how well it may reflect Jarrett’s international desires.

But the biggest problem I can see is that there’s not a particularly compelling advertising campaign attached to the group. Look back and see how it started: pictures of Karen Jarrett and the question of whether you missed her. She, at first glance, was the star of the group. While that no longer appears to be the case it’s still strange that they went with her in the first place. Yes, she’s an attractive woman who’d been an on-screen presence in TNA but if you’re trying to build interest in a wrestling company wouldn’t it be a good idea to start out by announcing you’ve got a significant wrestler on board? Perhaps the trouble there is that they didn’t and don’t have such a name interested and Karen Jarrett was their second best option (in such a scenario Jeff would be the top choice, although he doesn’t look as good lying around a beach) for presenting a big name from the business that could draw people in.

Social media (Twitter, basically) is likely to play an important part of GFW. If Jarrett’s going to be using a fraction of his purportedly five hundred strong roster (database, call it what you will) my assumption is that he’s going to be looking at social media response just as much, if not more than, the reactions of live crowds. So far I’ve seen nothing that makes me think he has anybody particularly ‘net savvy working for him in this department. The entire campaign has been based around posting pictures of the Jarrett and sometimes Karen posing with various wrestlers, everyone from Carlito to Jay Lethal to Gregory Helms to Bad Influence. Nobody interesting that they’ve shown pictures of (Nash and Bret Hart are about the only proven draws) is going to sign a contract, and the Lethals and Bad Influences of the world, as good as they may be, are not the stuff from which a dynamic new wrestling product can be fashioned.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 37

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 37 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

I know the Royal Rumble’s tonight but we discussed that in last Sunday’s episode. There’s only so much that can be said about it in a podcast before it happens.

Talk to the hand, TNA!

As a change from all the Rumble hype Michael and I turn our attention to TNA and the various news and rumours surrounding the company and its staff. Such as Jeff Jarrett leaving and allegedly talking about forming another new company. He’s got the experience to pull that off but I don’t think there are enough guys out there that he could sign to exclusive contracts for it to be a real possibility. He could probably do something on the level of EVOLVE or Ring of Honor, but I get the feeling ‘Double J’ would like to be affiliated with something on a grander scale.

Then there’s the signing of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, the American Wolves. They’re not guys who are going to turn things around for TNA but they could help improve the tag division and perhaps the X Division too. Ultimately they talented fresh names. That, along with a strong creative vision, is what TNA needs the most.

The final subject discussed is a wonderful conspiracy theory that, in fact, tie in to the Royal Rumble. But it’s so ridiculous that I don’t think it falls under the umbrella of serious Rumble talk. Have Kane and Daniel Bryan been in cahoots since they stopped teaming? That’s the question, apparently…

Hail Sabin

Tonight Chris Sabin will make his first (televised) defence of the TNA world championship. Bully Ray is the challenger, getting his contractually obligated rematch after losing the title to Sabin on last month's X Division themed episode of Impact Wrestling (where wrestling and slogans matter). The rematch will be fought inside a steel cage so as to stop Bully's Aces and Eights gang interfering. Finally, if Bully loses he will (allegedly) never get another shot at the title.

Let's point out the obvious logic flaw first of all. The cage stip will not nullify A&E. Cast your minds back to Lockdown in March. In the main event of that show Bully Ray defeated Jeff Hardy for the TNA title with help from the Aces. The steel didn't stop them then so why should we believe it will stop them now?

The other big problem this match has is that everyone expects Bully Ray to win. That was the case the moment the rematch was announced and adding the no more title shots stipulation has only added to that.

There’s good reason to expect ‘Calfzilla’ to win. The Bully v Sabin feud has very clearly been a time killer from the very beginning. It's the drawback of the Bound For Glory series. Western wrestling fans expect world titles defended roughly once a month. With the BFG series running from June to September and involving TNA's most credible challengers it makes booking world title programmes hard: the champ can’t defend against someone in the series because that negates the purpose of the series, so he has to kill time with mid-card talent.

TNA's answer, as we've seen with Sabin and last year with Austin Aries, has been to allow the X Division champion to vacate their title and step into the main event. But this is not a solution because anyone familiar with the way wrestling works can see that they're not going to become a headline mainstay unless they have the required qualities. 'A Double' did. Chris Sabin does not.

This is not to belittle Sabin. He's a talented wrestler, he's just not cut from the main event cloth. He looks, wrestles and carries himself like a mid-carder. He can’t cut a half-decent promo, let alone a promo befitting a world title feud. He looks like he belongs in the X scene. He does not look like he should be at the top of the card.

 

Chris Sabin: lacking in main event aura

 

I'd feel this way no matter how his reign had come about but I will say that TNA didn't do Sabin any favours when laying out his victory last month. After selling for ten minutes Sabin got hold of the rubber hammer Aces member Mr Anderson had introduced to proceedings, clobbered his foe with it and then fluked a rollup.

The rollup was inoffensive enough. Considering the size difference in the match it was a logical move for the match to finish on. But coupled with the hammer blow and selling it made Sabin look weak. He should have entered a spirited, gutsy performance in which he peppered Bully with high flying moves and just survived all of his big moves.

Using the hammer, even in a turning the tables scenario, was the move of a heel and only served to underline that Sabin could not win a fair fight. If the hammer had to come into play (and there's an argument for its use because TNA need to keep Bully looking strong for his presumed Bound For Glory title match) it should have been an Aces member smashing Bully by accident and then Sabin following up with a move or a rollup to score the win.

The poor presentation has continued since Destination X. Sabin has been presented as a fluke champion and played second fiddle to the endless crushing boredom that is the Aces and Eights v TNA-slash-Main Event Mafia feud. Reducing a first time champion to the role of bit part player in a feud involving several big names does him no favours. It doesn't do the title any good either.

Some people have suggested that Sabin has been given the title reign as a reward for his years of loyalty and dedication. I couldn't hope that's not the case more. World titles shouldn't be handed out based on terms of service. They should be awarded based on how credible a wrestler will be in the role of champion. If TNA want to award Sabin's loyalty and hard work great, they should. But it shouldn't come in the form of a reign with what is supposed to be their most prestigious prize. Give him a cash bonus or a lengthy run with the X Division belt. Don't present him as the number one man in the promotion unless you're willing and able to fully get behind him in the role.

Adding to the frustration is that TNA had alternatives. They could have had Jeff Jarrett return to work the summer feud with Bully. The storyline there is obvious: ‘Double J’ has returned from exile to save the company he built from Aces and Eights.

They could have done something interesting with James Storm and Bully. Storm’s the only former world champ under the age of forty not to be involved in the BFG series, his omission coming because of his tag title reign alongside Gunner. He has the status within TNA to be involved in a world title feud. He and Bully could have had some great matches and Gunner could have been used for some interesting tag team matches and evening odds. There would have been a natural Gunner and Storm v Team 3D match to book as well.

There were plenty of things TNA could have done that would have been just as good, if not better, than slinging the belt on Sabin for a few weeks. In the long run I think the title reign is going to do Sabin more harm than good. He's unlikely to ever have a second reign, and if he does happen across one it will in all likelihood come about under circumstances similar to his first. Once he loses the title back to Bully and the feud wraps up Sabin is destined to slip back down the card.

That's only going to degrade the world championship because it will have been worn by a mid-carder. Meanwhile Sabin himself will look like he was out of his league and has been sent packing to his rightful spot. TNA really needs to get a grasp on the star building process before they bungle a main event push for everyone on the roster.

#August1warning: We Were Warned

If you're a loyal TNA fan you may be aware of their latest attempt to grab new viewers. I'm taking of course about their #August1warning videos. They're a series of videos that first appeared last week on the promotion's YouTube accounts.

The videos show a shadowy figure and are of deliberately poor quality, although they’re made in such a way that even the deliberately poor production is a letdown. The figure appears to be bald and is either a man or the most unfortunately masculine woman I've ever come across. Speaking via a voice modulator he has addressed his impending Impact Wrestling appearance (on August 1^st, obvs) and assured us he's a name known to TNA fans.

The videos have succeeded in getting people talking. Whether they'll get people tuning in remains to be seen. I have my doubts but I'd love to be wrong.

Even this moderate success is blunted by TNA's standard issue inefficiency. The videos have had less than a week to take effect. Had they started earlier they could have been seen by more people, which obviously would have increased the chances of higher viewing figures. As it is they've not even been seen on TV.

I understand TNA wanting to present them as real but that shouldn't be done at the cost of potential success. They could have been played on TV with an announcement that management don’t endorse the content, which is what’s happened on YouTube. Even the old “the airwaves were hijacked” routine would have been better than making them online exclusives.

The identity of the silhouette is a genuine mystery, partly because there are no big names unaffiliated with a wrestling company who could realistically be expected to join TNA. The "favourite" seems to be ‘Scrap Iron’ Adam Pearce, in large part because he's bald like the mystery man. Apparently it's occurred to very few people that a voice actor could be providing the voice for the video, and an actor could have been hired (in kayfabe terms) to portray the figure.

You may recall Pearce appeared as a Gut Check contestant a while back. While he failed to get a contract he was written out in such a way as to make a return possible. For various reasons I hope it's not him behind the vids. For one thing he's not a big enough name to qualify as a non-disappointment in the role come the reveal. For another while he's a solid wrestler and a decent enough promo he doesn't possess those undefinable star qualities that make me think he could turn into a reliable headline star. He has a generic, mid-card look and at 35 it's unlikely that he's yet to peak. I wouldn't be averse to TNA bringing him in. I just don't think he's right for this particular route to the roster.

 

TNA's next star?

 

Another name suggested is Low Ki, although he used the name Senshi during his 2011 run in TNA. And WWE fans will know him as Kaval. Personally I feel he's a bigger name than Pearce but he's still not well known enough to justify such a (by TNA standards) much hyped (re)introduction. He could be of great benefit to the X Division but that's a moot point because TNA don't seem to care about that at the moment.

Sticking with bald wrestlers it could be Sonjay Dutt. Alright so he was on Impact last week, but that's not the sort of thing to stop TNA. He's not under contract and nobody's expecting him to be on tonight's show, that's about all the motivation they'd need to put Dutt in this role.

Anyone who thinks it could be Batista is kidding themselves. He's beginning to make headway with his acting career. He wouldn't jeopardise that by flying to a 3,000 seat arena once a fortnight to feud with Bubba Ray Dudley. It's just a completely unrealistic suggestion. If and when he returns to rasslin' it'll be with WWE.

The former MVP is yet another longshot. When he left WWE he negotiated a deal that would allow him to use the MVP name anywhere except TNA. That's reason enough to make me think it’s not going to be him. There are other reasons available too. He's talked publicly about having left WWE on good terms, which indicates that he's got a mid-card spot waiting for him should he want it. Also discussed publicly is his non-wrestling project with a US TV network. Right now the guy doesn't need wrestling. He's achieved his dream of wrestling in Japan and if he wants to return to the business in a meaningful role it will be with WWE.

John Morrison is in pretty much the same position. He seems satisfied working indies, taking minor acting roles and doing a bit of standup comedy. I expect to see him back in WWE at some point, not joining TNA. And on a side note the standup should help to improve Morrison's stilted promo style. That's the one area that's consistently let him down over the years and if he can fix it he could get the WWE success many feel he's entitled to.

A more credible name than the former WWE performers is Tito Ortiz. A former UFC stalwart, Ortiz has recently come out of retirement to sign with Bellator. That's the same Bellator that has contracts with TNA performers King Mo and Rampage Jackson.

Ortiz is one of the bigger names I've mentioned here and strikes me as a very real possibility. He's got the name value and crossover potential TNA seem hell bent on attaining at the moment and could, theoretically, have been in training for a wrestling career for a while now.

Bringing in Ortiz would be a dreadful move. I've noted before that Mo and Rampage are good tools for TNA to tap into the MMA market for new fans. Two MMA guys in a wrestling promotion is ample. It allows for them to do an inter-promotional feud with one another. In an ideal world that would consist of a trio of matches: a straight MMA match (going first to ensure that whoever wins can lose the second match to necessitate a third), a straight wrestling match, and then a gimmick wrestling match.

A third MMA competitor wouldn’t make that scenario impossible but would detract from its unique appeal. It would also take some of the shine away from Mo and Rampage, neither of whom have done anything significant yet. Three MMA guys in one wrestling promotion risks harming the promotion's image. That’s not something TNA should be risking at the best of times.

Of course none of this means TNA aren't bringing Ortiz in. It would be a mistake but at least he has sufficient cache to meet the hype. I'm of the opinion it's either going to be him or Pearce. They strike me as names TNA would want to use, Ortiz because the company seems keen to try to take wrestling in the MMA direction and Pearce because he’s a competent wrestler whose lack of mainstream exposure would ensure at least six months’ worth of fresh matches.

It could be anyone. It could be Jeff Jarrett returning to take back the company he created from ineffective champions and rogue biker gangs. It could be Perry Saturn searching for Moppy. It could be Sean Morley looking for that world title win that eluded him during his porn star days. It could be Monty Brown making the return to wrestling that precisely no one has been crying out for. It could be Briley Pierce looking to outshine his brother. It could be Percy Watson looking to show WWE what they missed out on. It could be the Iron Sheikh looking to humble someone. It could be Shelton Benjamin. It could be Hardcore Holly. It could be Bob Backlund. It could be Viscera. It could be Mideon. It could be Kevin Nash. It could, in the sort of twist found exclusively in wrestling, be Shane McMahon.

There's no way of knowing who’s behind the videos until they’re revealed. Thankfully we’ll be put out of our misery tonight.

Down and Out in Orlando, Florida

Nearly thirty years ago Hulk Hogan body slammed and leg dropped The Iron Sheikh in Madison Square Garden to capture his first WWF world title. He was champion for the next four years, spearheading the promotion's expansion from regional territory to national powerhouse. By the early 90s he'd gone part time and was eying a career in Hollywood. That didn't pan out and so 'The Hulkster' returned to wrestling full time.
 
He did not head back to the WWF however. Thanks to the famous steroid scandal that hit the Fed in ‘94 (and also because of the offer of a fat paycheque) Hogan wound up in WCW. He defeated Ric Flair for the Big Gold Belt in his debut match on July 17^th 1994 and remained with the company until it was sold by AOL Time Warner in March 2001.
 
Hulk's final appearance for World Championship Wrestling came at Bash at the Beach 2000. He won the company's world title from Jeff Jarrett in a whacky worked shoot (or possibly legitimate shoot, nobody seems entirely sure) that was more angle than match, prompted by disagreements between Hogan (who had a creative control clause in his contract) and head writer Vince Russo, and never appeared for the league again.
 
At the time many felt that Hogan’s career as a headline attraction in wrestling could be over. A return to the WWF seemed likely. A run in the main less so.
 
Hulk proved everyone wrong. He inked a contract with the WWF in early 2002 and made his first appearance for the company in over eight years at February's No Way Out pay-per-view. While the nWo reunion he was a part of on the show was ultimately underwhelming and disappointing it set 'The Hulkster' back on track to the top.
 
He was in the most anticipated match of WrestleMania X8, facing The Rock. Despite losing that match he was booked to headline Backlash the next month. Not only did he headline that show but he toppled Triple H to become a six time WWF champion. His reign didn't last long (the belt changed hands again at May's Judgment Day) but that didn't matter: Hogan had risen back to the top of the card in record time, despite his age and physical limitations.
 
By WrestleMania XIX Hogan was feuding with Vince McMahon and once again got himself a prime slot on the bill. He and the chairman clashed in a wild and memorable street fight that featured the surprise return of Roddy Piper and went on a respectable second from last.

One more WWE run, brother?!

 
The law of diminishing returns finally began to catch up with 'The Hulkster' shortly after that. Fan reactions decreased, his physical state worsened and he had a variety of fallings out with WWE management. 2005 saw him inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and main event SummerSlam against Shawn Michaels, arguably the final meaningful aspects of his WWE career (at least for now).
 
Hogan's most recent WWE appearance was the 15^th anniversary edition of RAW, held on December 10^th 2007. Things went quiet on the Hogan front until October 2009 when it was revealed he, along with former WCW chieftain Eric Bischoff, were to join TNA. And that, readers, was the first sign that Hogan had finally accepted that he was not the huge draw he had been in the 80s.
 
It was widely believed at the time of the announcement that 'The Immortal One' was only returning to TNA (he had briefly been linked to the group during one of his sojourns away from WWE in 2003 but had never appeared in an arena for them) because of the very expensive divorce he was going through. Hogan had teased a trip to TNA before, but only when negotiating with WWE. Having exhausted his options in New York the former NWA affiliate was his best bet for making quick cash.
 
Hogan and Bischoff made their IMPACT debuts on January 4^th 2010. Almost three years later the pair have done exactly nothing to make TNA a more important part of the wrestling landscape than it was prior to October 2009. They have created no new stars, signed nobody to attract new fans, failed to increase ratings, and storyline quality remains the same. They have contributed nothing of value.
 
At 59 years of age and with a knackered back a return to the ring for a full match seems unlikely. Even with the shortcuts offered by a street fight or similar gimmick it seems a long shot. The occasional hobble-in to give bad guys a pasting seems to be the guy's limit for as long as he remains with TNA.
 
And how long will that be exactly? Hogan's contract came up for renewal late last year or earlier this year. That he's still with the group makes it clear he re-signed. Knowing Hogan's knack for self-preservation and bargaining prowess it seems unlikely that he didn't at least enquire with WWE about a potential return.
 
I think that sooner or later Hogan will be back in WWE. The TNA paycheque may be nice but sooner or later Vince McMahon is bound to find a use for 'The Hulkster' again. When that happens he'll easily outbid Dixie Carter. Perhaps the bigger question is whether Hulk will wrestle for WWE again. It may seem unlikely now but for the right price I suspect his back issues may disappear. Don’t count out one final ‘Mania appearance.

Aces High

The Aces and Eights faction has been appearing on TNA programming for a couple of months now but the group’s roster still remains a mystery. While it’s known that Luke Gallows, D’Lo Brown, Wes Brisco, Mike Knox and Chris Masters have all appeared as members of the group under masks it is not known whether they will be revealed as actual members of the gang when the inevitable unmasking comes. Who will have their faces shown as A&E members has been as much of a talking point as what the gang’s motives are.

The fact that so many of the men confirmed to have been on run-in duty for the group are former WWE performers could be indicative. Perhaps the group will be comprised exclusively of former WWE wrestlers who feel they should have been offered jobs by TNA. Perhaps they will be presented as men desperate for work, who have hit rock bottom and see joining the Aces and Eights as their only viable option.

Perhaps it’s simply a coincidence that TNA have used so many former WWE wrestlers so far. Or perhaps it has been a deliberate attempt to lead so-called smart fans down the wrong path.

Personally I think that when the group’s members do start getting revealed we will be seeing a number of ex-WWE guys in the ranks. All the men listed above (with the exception of road agent D’Lo Brown) would work well as part of a large heel faction where their duties mostly consist of running interference or work multi-man outings. I could see any of them being revealed as members.

It’s possible Matt Morgan will be revealed as an Aces and Eights man. A few months ago it looked as though ‘The Blueprint’ was leaving TNA and heading back to WWE. His surprise appearances at last weekend’s TNA house shows indicate he has opted to ink a new deal to stay in the IMPACT Zone.

The likeliest reason for Morgan’s return, after being very outspoken about wanting to jump to WWE, is that his former employer aren’t hiring talent recently affiliated with TNA right now (due to an ongoing legal battle between the groups). Being unable to make the move he wanted will have restricted his options.

It’s too early in the Morgan storyline to determine exactly what’s going on but membership of A&E is an option. Of course it’s equally possible he’ll be a pro TNA babyface that works hard to protect the company against the gang.

 

Who's under these masks, eh?

 

There are other former WWE stars that could pop up in the group too. DH Smith and Cliff ‘Domino’ Compton spring immediately to mind. TNA’s previous form of loading up on former employees of Vince McMahon is what makes me think we’re going to see the ranks swelled by sports entertainers.

The question of leadership is another interesting point. For a while it was rumoured Sting would be revealed as the A&E mastermind. Thankfully that is looking increasingly unlikely. Not only has ‘The Stinger’ been attacked by the group himself but it wouldn’t have been sense for him to be part of the group. What would he have been gaining from it?

In my mind there are four potential leaders. The first, and probably most unlikely, is Mr Anderson. ‘The Asshole’ has been given nothing of interest to do for almost a year and is currently at a loose end after his token inclusion in the Bound for Glory series predictably ended in failure. Maybe he formed the Aces and Eights faction in order to help him take out the competition and regain the TNA world title.

Bully Ray is another potential leader. What I like about ‘Calfzilla’s’ chances of being revealed as the group’s leader is that he’s recently been teasing a face turn. If he were to be announced as the leader of the heel unit that’s been plaguing TNA for months it would make any fans who had cheered and supported him feel foolish, something the Bully character would revel in reminding them of in promos.

The man most people think will be the group’s head is Jeff Jarrett. He has been absent from TNA since late last year, overseeing the company’s Indian Ring Ka King endeavour and various other projects. ‘The King of the Mountain’s’ return would freshen up the headline picture somewhat and provide the group with a good mouthpiece and credible centrepiece, but it wouldn’t exactly be a surprising move.

The other option I can see is Eric Bischoff. ‘Easy E’ has been absent from TNA screens since April and while I’m sure most other fans would agree with me in saying that there’s no need for him to hurry back I can imagine he and the rest of the promotion’s creative department are keen for him to resume TV duties. He would be slightly more surprising than Jarrett in the role, but he would just be doing the same thing he always does: acting as a heel spokesperson. If that’s what the group are getting then at the very least somebody new should be given a crack at the role.

I hope that whoever is revealed as the group’s leader is a surprise and there’s a logical plan in place to build on it. The worst thing TNA could do after working so hard to get the unit over would be to provide an inadequate leader, roster and goal for the group. It needs to be something more than a big name wrestler returning to become champion and “take over” the company.

Of course, the biggest mystery regarding the group is why they’ve chosen Aces and Eights as their name. This being TNA we may never get an answer to that.

Hall of TNA

Last week's live IMPACT was a chance for TNA to do something different, a chance to set themselves apart from their chief competitors and encourage a new batch of fans to their programming.
 
That show should have been all about establishing TNA as a revolutionary, dynamic promotion that is home to wrestlers who are the future of the business. There were no fresh ideas on display. There was no shock angle, no must-see match, and no sensational new format that other wrestling (and sports entertainment) companies would be desperate to copy. It was what we see on IMPACT every week, topped off by an announcement so ridiculous I originally believed it to be a joke or a misunderstanding when I originally read it.
 
That announcement was made by Dixie Carter. Standing in the centre of the ring she proudly declared that TNA will soon have its own Hall of Fame.
 
The immediate question is, of course, why?
 
My immediate answer is "to copy WWE." That's been TNA's standard operating procedure for so long that I can't remember a time when it wasn't the case. The key difference is that WWE is a company that was founded in the 60s and has had literally dozens of performers pass through who could be said to have a Hall of Fame career.

WWE are the market leaders and have the money, reputation and global fanbase to make a Hall of Fame a success. Dozens of the biggest names in wrestling have worked for them over the decades and their purchase of videotape libraries of many of their strongest competitors (WCW, ECW, the AWA, etc.) has helped them to establish themselves as the spiritual home of wrestling. TNA cannot make that same boast.

TNA currently has just three stars recognisable enough to join a Hall of Fame under contract. That’s nowhere enough if they want to be taken seriously. The only currently active competitor  who could be said to have had a Hall of Fame career is Sting. I admit he would make a fine addition to a fledging Hall of Fame but despite the good work he’s done in TNA and the help he has given them over the years he will always be remembered for his time in WCW, no matter where he works.

Sting made his name in WCW but is still TNA's best choice for inaugural inductee to their doomed Hall of Fame

Jeff Jarrett and Hulk Hogan are the other two names. Both would make credible inductees, but neither is an ideal candidate. ‘The Hulkster’ will always be the man that helped Vince McMahon expand the WWF in the 1980s and for changing the business with his stint as a heel in the nWo. Jarrett meanwhile will always seem like a mid-carder who fluked his way to the top on the strength of backstage friendships (and being the booker).

TNA has a great roster of talented men and women. I’m sure a lot of them will end up looking back on tremendous Hall of Fame careers. Guys like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Rob Van Dam and Bobby Roode will all be good enough one day but that day is currently a long way off.

My advice to TNA would be to drop this idea. They would be better served spending the extensive amounts of time and planning that will have to go into a Hall of Fame in order to make it a success on hiring new talent and getting over their existing roster instead.