Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Iovanna

TNA Is Screwing A.J. Styles

Jason Iovanna — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:20:11 -0500

I haven't written an article for sometime now but after looking at yesterday's results from TNA's Final Resolution PPV, I had to get this out there: The insanity needs to stop. Probably one of the hardest, if not the hardest worker in the business, A.J. Styles, deserves more than anyone on that roster to be champion.

In my opinion, the TNA World Title currently means nothing. It is on the shoulders of a man that works a part time schedule, and does not defend that title much at all. A.J. has been in TNA from Day 1, and granted even though being a former NWA Heavyweight Champion, he still has not gained the currently recognized national title.

How would you feel if you, like A.J. said, works a full time schedule for TNA and other organizations, you never see your family, and leave your wife to be practically a single mother, and never see any rewards contributed your way? That promo he did on Sting I guarantee had some real emotion and feelings behind it. This is another instance of a Dixie Carter screw up.

If I were A.J., I would take my services elsewhere. With Impact still not where it should be as a prime-time show, people just aren't buying Sting as being the face of TNA. TNA needs A.J. Styles as champion in the upcoming year or risk really facing some drastic economic decisions. Many contracts are coming to a close soon and if I were A.J. I would seriously consider WWE as a possible employment opportunity.

In the case of Samoa Joe, it was only him talking to WWE what landed him the title. It shouldn't have to get to that point. He could have some unreal matches with Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and Evan Bourne. I really can't see how people can see it in any other way.

The Golden Boy of TNA needs his time in the limelight, and the way TNA has treated him the past two years, I wouldn't dare put up with it any longer.

Dixie Carter: The Downfall of TNA and Showing the Jarretts Who's Boss

Jason Iovanna — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:46:40 -0400

Recently on lordsofpain.net, the following was posted:

TNA had the first opportunity to sign Vladimir Kozlov. Jerry Jarrett stated in a recent interview that Dixie Carter didn't want to bring him in, as she didn't want to invest in a wrestler who couldn't produce immediately. As previously reported Kozlov is in line for a huge push and is expected to become a major player in WWE by the end of the year.

For those who don't know what has been going on in TNA, this is typical. You have Dixie Carter, a trust fund baby, making decisions on bringing in young talent when she has been in the wrestling business for as long as a cup of coffee.

Again, this is why TNA makes no money, can't afford their rising talent, and can only produce shows on a sound stage. They are leaving decisions like this in the hands of people who do not know wrestling.

Instead, all she does is praise Kurt Angle and everything he does for the company. Bringing in top WWE talent has does nothing for TNA Impact ratings. Yet, a huge prospect that soon will be a huge WWE star has slipped through their fingers. Instead, they signed Mick Foley....brilliant.

For those of you who don't Vladimir Kozlov, he is a multi-talented athlete who has excelled in every sport he has played: Greco-Roman wrestling, rugby, American football, sambo, Judo, and kickboxing. Moreover, he has been praised by WWE officials as a tremendous worker who has put in countless hours to make himself a better wrestler. He has the look, the power, and the drive of a great up and coming wrestler.

Dixie should stay in the background and simply control financials. What are the Jarretts doing letting her do this? I was in the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA for Lockdown 2008 where she was talking to someone right in front of me where I was sitting. I should have told her to keep her mouth shut then and just sign the checks.

Dixie, no one wants to see Kurt Angle, Booker T, and stupid gimmicks. For the sake of TNA, let the people who know what they are doing (if there are any) run the talent.

Is Kurt Angle on Crack?

Jason Iovanna — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:26:58 -0400

In a recent interview, Kurt Angle has stated:

"We have the best wrestlers in the world, WWE can’t compare. But how do we use them to our advantage? By simply wrestling, because that’s what they’re good at."

I think the steroids and painkillers have gone to the head of the so-called Olympic Gold Medalist. WWE can't compare? Are you retarded? Divas aside, WWE has the best talent in the world. Sure TNA has matches with people tossing each other around everywhere, but the technical and solid wrestlers are in the WWE. Randy Orton, John Morrison, Triple H, Chris Jericho just to name a few. Not to mention the developmental talent. Where is TNA's developmental talent? Oh ya they don't exist. They are pulled out of the dumpster of what is left of the NWA territories.

Kurt undoubtedly has an axe to grind with the WWE. Every time I read some article where he has nothing but dumb things to say, I can expect a pun against the WWE. Get over it Kurt! Move on! Kurt Angle has officially joined the likes of my ex-girlfriends in high school and ex-fiance, where every move he makes and every word he speaks is a shot in the direction of Stamford, CT.

I mean, Vince let him go when he wanted to. If I were Vince I would have told him to stop being a Sally and get back in the ring. If Kurt was so concerned about his injuries and touring schedule he should not have re-signed with the WWE at the time for 10 years. Vince was undoubtedly a nice guy and Kurt has done nothing but throw unjustified rocks.

Why isn't anyone listening to you Kurt? The gimmick matches in TNA are bad and TNA should just get back to the basics as you say. They don't listen to you because they don't know wrestling! Jarrett and Russo running the company....horrible. Why do you stay there if they don't listen!?

To sum it up: Kurt shut your mouth. You are just as bad as Steiner. By consistently mentioning the WWE you are confirming my point that TNA is just a second rate company. If you go toe to toe with Vince, you will get knocked on your ass.

Smart Business Means Not Paying for Developmental Talent

Jason Iovanna — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:22:47 -0400

WWE no doubt treats their wrestlers as assets. However, when you have assets sitting around and with nothing for the creative team to give them, they become more of a liability because they are sitting there getting paid to do nothing.

Rather than making the company money and appreciating in value, they are an expense and leach off the shareholder's equity in the company. What does the WWE do with them? They wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Contrary to popular belief, this is smart on WWE's part. WWE is not the venue to give people tryouts, which is why they have Florida Championship Wrestling. Smaller venues, smaller crowds, and more breathing room for people making mistakes. It also gives the creative team a chance look at the talent and see if they can make good storylines and market their personalities and athleticism.

The downside to this is that even though this is a less expensive route to see what wrestlers can make the company the most money, IT STILL COSTS MONEY!

Where is the other talent coming from? The answer is TNA. I mean the proof is there. Look at the TNA talent now made famous: CM Punk, MVP, Kendrick, Mickie James. The list goes on. Even though they had their short stint in OVW or FCW, WWE saw their potential while in TNA.

Now the jumps are happening: Gail Kim, Ron Killings, Chris Harris (even though it was an extremely short stint). On top of that, rumors (which have proved mostly true in the past) are that Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, and Christian Cage are back on WWE's radar. They weren't sure of Love and Sky's athletic skills and they weren't sure of Cage's main event potential. Therefore, at TNA's expense, WWE has had their questions answered.

No matter how deep someone's loyalty runs with a company, if WWE outbids TNA by hundreds of thousands of dollars, the fact is: MONEY TALKS.

WWE is letting talent, at no cost to them, go to another company to garner national attention and become popular. If they succeed and when that time comes, they will offer them not only more money, but opportunities to gain more fame and national celebrity attention in front of large audiences and venues like Wrestlemania.

The fact of the matter, no matter what anyone thinks, besides rare instances like Sting, if you want to be successful and famous in this industry, WWE is the place to be.

Soon, unless TNA starts getting competitive with salaries and opportunities in the company, more and more jumps will start to happen. Again, like my previous arguments, I want there to be choices and I want there to be a TNA. But being a business student, I know what can make and break a company, and the cracks in the TNA foundation are already starting to show.

Walter "Killer" Kowalski Funeral Honors Great Fighter, Teacher, Community Leader

Jason Iovanna — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:25:41 -0400

Growing up in Malden, Massachusetts, about six miles from Boston, I always wanted a famous hometown hero to call my own. Granted, there were some famous people from the surrounding towns and cities, but the bragging rights were never the same.

Finally, I had a hometown hero thanks to a man named Walter "Killer" Kowalski.

Kowalski was a Canadian-born wrestler, but chose my hometown of Malden to train some of the greatest wrestlers the business has to offer. Names like Chyna, Big John Studd, Albert, Triple H, Perry Saturn, Kronus (The Eliminators), Frankie Kazarian, and Kenny Dykstra.

Some people may not agree, but I believe Kowalski really put Malden on the map in the wrestling business and helped it garner some national attention.

Kowalski was ceremoniously remembered at St. Joseph's Church in Malden, where I was confirmed and baptized. When I discovered his service would be going on there, I made my time available to go to remember him.

The service was packed with people—his family, his trainees, and everyone else that highly respected one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The mood was sullen, yet filled with a positive atmosphere. Everyone knew they were not there only to grieve, but to remember the best he brought to people's lives and the wrestling business.

I expected to see some famous faces there, but being in the back and leaving right after I was not able to see anyone.

There was the feeling that not only had the business lost a great man, but the community as well. The readings from people were tremendous and no doubt reminded me what this business is truly about.

Filled with memories about his time as a wrestler and telling everyone how he respected and loved the business so much that he made it his life was truly emotional and inspiring.

I was not fortunate enough to go to the cemetery and lay him to rest, but that is for family and people closer to him.

Kowalski is a legend in this business and was also a great man who improved and loved the community in which he trained. I am proud to say that he chose my town to pass down his knowledge of wrestling and pass the torch to future greats.

Vince McMahon the New Bill Gates?

Jason Iovanna — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:22:18 -0400

Maybe I am being redundant in writing this article and maybe everyone has heard this all before. However, I don't think anyone has quite made this analogy.

If you think about entertainment and technology, they both have similar histories. Both have gone through booms and busts, both have brought pleasure to their consumers' lives, and both have been led by men who took someone's idea and formed (some may argue stole) it as their own.

Enter Xerox—the company that invented the graphic user interface (GUI) operating system, today known as Windows and Apple OS and the mouse. Their management didn't like the concept, didn't know how to market it, and thought it was a fruitless idea.

Now enter Steve Jobs and Bill Gates—two men hell-bent on getting to the loot first. Steve Jobs and his crew were given all the information of Xerox's discoveries for free. That's right. They took the money and ran.

However, unbeknownst to Steve, Bill got their first. He took what was given to Steve Jobs and made it better and easier to use. Today Apple is successful, but not nearly as successful as Microsoft (and I believe this company still owns a portion of Apple).

Analogy: Xerox=ECW, Steve Jobs=Eric Bischoff, and Vince McMahon=new Bill Gates.

It's not an exact analogy, but close enough. Enter ECW. Different, edgy, and the most controversial wrestling company in the history of sports entertainment. Tables, ladders, chairs, barb wire, blood, ultraviolent, sex—it's the recipe for entertaining the 18-34 year old demographic.

ECW undoubtedly shook up the industry, but what it was lacking was direction and management skills.

Enter WWF and WCW. After losing to the WCW for 84-straight weeks in the ratings, Vince McMahon came up with the attitude era and, in Bill Gates fashion, worked a deal with Paul Heyman for talent exchange, used his talent, and ran with it.

Eric Bischoff was late to the show. His nWo storylines and cruiserweights grew old, and he attempted at the last minute to sign some ECW talent and create a hardcore division. Both Steve Jobs and Bischoff were too blind and arrogant to see that their futures would fall to competition.

But is was too late. Vince beat him to the punch. All the attitude era was was ECW-style television under the direction of the genius that is Vince.

In the end, it was ECW that really killed WCW, which no doubt put a smile on Heyman's face and a tear in his eye. I would even go so far as to say that WWF would not exist today without ECW. No, I would bet the bank on it.

Feud of the Year: Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels

Jason Iovanna — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:48:36 -0400

Arguably the two greatest wrestlers of all time that embody the professional wrestler everyone strives to be, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, delivered the greatest feud of the year, and maybe the greatest ever. Both have it all: charisma, leadership, athleticism, dedication, and they eat, sleep, and breathe the industry. Also, both have led two of the most influential factions of all time: Flair with the Four Horsemen and Michaels with D-Generation X. The stage was set: Wrestlemania 24, the greatest wrestling event the business has to offer, at a huge venue: The Orange Bowl.

The events leading up to this match were intricately planned and done perfectly. At the mercy of a maniacal chairman, Vince McMahon, we saw Ric Flair transform from a legend and timeless athlete to someone very vulnerable and literally fighting for his life.

For many of us who live for professional wrestling, professional wrestling is the life of Ric Flair. A certain part of us faded when we saw Shawn Michaels retire the Nature Boy. As Greg Gagne stated, "I can't imagine a wrestling business without Ric Flair...it's like a world without sunlight."

And I agree. If it was going to be anyone who Ric Flair would have his final match with, it would be Shawn Michaels. Other great opponents, like Sting, Steamboat, and even Dusty Rhodes, just couldn't give Ric the respectable match he deserves to go out on.

I remember, I think it was one or two weeks before Wrestlemania, that Flair and Michaels had their final confrontation leading up to the pay-per-view. Michaels was still unsure about carrying the burden of possibly retiring him, and Ric Flair delivered one of the best motivational speeches of all time to coax Michaels into accepting the challenge.

He pulled out all stops, whipping out the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (which was a complete shock to me), getting in Michaels' face, and even slapping him.

Flair wanted Michaels so bad he could taste it. Michaels finally gave in, accepted the challenge, and took it to the Nature Boy in the greatest match of the night. That night gave me goosebumps, to see the two greatest wrestlers ever fight for their respect and careers.

Ric Flair has always said, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." Well, it has already been proven that Michaels fits the role, and Ric Flair knew it too. Thank you Ric and Shawn for delivering and representing what it means to be a wrestler today.

No Hall of Fame is Worthy Without Shane Douglas

Jason Iovanna — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:50:12 -0400

Like him or not, Shane Douglas was and is a huge staple in professional wrestling. From his early days in ECW to his final days in TNA, Shane Douglas has entertained me and other hardcore wrestling fans throughout the world in ways that are hard to put into words.

He may not have been the greatest wrestler, but Shane was a man who could work the microphone like no other wrestler in history. He could get a crowd so amped up that the place would have the paint melting from the walls.

Not only could he get the crowd behind him and ready to riot for him, he could use his same mic skills to get the crowd against him. I have never seen anyone able to be as effective in that aspect as Shane Douglas. People loved him for his honesty and the maniacal way he presented himself in the ring.

The first time I was exposed to Shane was in late 1994 when ECW first started getting on their own feet. I did not see when he threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but when I first heard him speak and up until the last time I saw him on television, his speeches would give me goosebumps.

His interviews and speeches not only got my heart racing, they left me wanting more. After I saw that clip when he threw down the belt, I was in awe of him because that to me, at that age, was the ballsiest thing I had ever seen anyone do. From that point on, Shane made it his duty to be the most controversial wrestler in the business.

From throwing Pitbull No. 1 to the mat when he had his crown on from a broken neck, to calling out some of the biggest names in wrestling history, Shane made no bones that he had his opinions, and you were going to hear them whether you liked it or not.

He may hate me for saying it, but Shane got me just as hyped up during an interview as Ric Flair did. In my opinion, in terms of mic skills, Shane was in the same league as Flair, which is probably the reason why they never got along.

Here and now I am taking a stand that I want Shane Douglas in the WWE Hall of Fame. If not for his wrestling, then for his ability as a talker and founding father of ECW, the latter which he had a huge hand in building. If WWE wants credibility to their hall of fame, Shane Douglas is one of the many who had not had a WWE career run that definitely deserve a spot.

Is Awesome Kong Too Awesome?

Jason Iovanna — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:39:13 -0400

Women's wrestling is a more predominant force in today's wrestling companies than ever before. Rather than having only a very select few female wrestlers and just one woman wrestler carrying the belt for years, like the WWF did with the Fabulous Moolah, women's divisions are now very competitive.

For the most part, the women are on a pretty even keel and the competition is pretty much fair. Even Victoria and Beth Phoenix (marketed as both beauty and brawn) in the WWE, who many fans consider the most talented athletically, are still proven to be beatable.

With their impressive physiques as women, they are not overly dominant and are susceptible to the faster paced female wrestlers like Mickie James, Nattie Neidhart, and now Gail Kim.

However, in TNA, in my opinion, the female division is a little ahead of WWE's. Most of the women are more athletic and came up in the wrestling scene, while more of the WWE's women are models or aspiring actresses turned wrestlers.

In a league of her own is TNA's Awesome Kong. Most likely the most dominant woman in professional wrestling ever, Kong's size is intimidating, and her raw power and moves are comparable to any dominating male wrestler.

Kong, in my opinion, is on the same level as Chyna once was in the WWF. However, I feel that TNA is doing something wrong here by making her too dominant. Every other wrestler pales in size and power compared to Kong.

Even though Chyna was dominant, the WWF did a good job by making her more of a "bodyguard" than a wrestler. After all, she was only a one-time women's champion and could have won it countless times.

Kong rarely sells when taking hits, and every one of her matches is pretty much a squash. Other than ODB, there is no competition for Kong in TNA. Any other woman who is the Knockouts Champion (and by the way, bad name for the women's division because almost all the women are anything but knockouts) will seem undeserving of that title compared to Kong.

If I had never heard of TNA before, I wouldn't understand why Kong isn't champion because every other woman looks like an ant compared to her. Kong is an amazing female wrestler, and I think putting her in that tag team turmoil match was good because it looked as though TNA was throwing more competition her way.

In closing, Kong is good for TNA and TNA is good for Kong. However, with the departure of Gail Kim and possibly other "Knockouts" in the future, TNA should look to sign more female wrestlers in her league.

What's in a Name?

Jason Iovanna — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:30:28 -0400

Names are just one of the many factors that can make or break superstars in wrestling. Names like "The Rock","Stone Cold Steve Austin", and "Hulk Hogan" have become household names that anyone, including non-wrestling fans, have grown to know and become familiar with. However, ask someone who Dwayne Johnson (before he started using his real name), Steve Williams, or Terry Bollea is, and most likely they will look at you like you have five heads. It is for this reason that Vince McMahon loves to use character names and not birth names for the wrestlers he employs. He wants those names to be only synonymous with the WWE, and not with the wrestlers themselves. Also, anytime those names are used, royalty payments find their way into his pocket.

However, I am asking wrestling fans to look at this from another angle. If I were Vince McMahon, which I most surely am not claiming to be, I would probably keep the names of at least the superstars who I lured from other promotions. Stars like Colt Cabana (now Scotty Goldman), Ron "The Truth" Killings (now R-Truth), and Matt Sydal (now Evan Bourne), should be allowed to use the names which have made them famous. This is not only beneficial for the wrestler, but also beneficial for the company if you ask me. Fans of these wrestlers will now tune in to catch a glimpse of the stars they watched grow. Stars like CM Punk and Samoa Joe are prime examples. WWE and TNA have easily reaped the benefits of utilizing these superstars because an audience came with them (they don't cheer their names and get the biggest pops for nothing).

These names that WWE is coming up with are really cheesy. To try and change the names of already established wrestlers is just awkward, takes too much getting used to and causes confusion. Not only is it weird now calling them by their new names, but it is also reduces the bragging rights the company gets. I would say "Hey, I got Colt Cabana!" or "Remember seeing the crazy moves of Matt Sydal? He's working for me now! Come watch!" I could see if people they groomed in Florida Championship Wrestling received a name change because they haven't really established a run yet. However, if I were a fan of Ring of Honor or TNA, I would think "Wait, they changed his name!? What else are they going to change about him?" The risk here is WWE losing a whole new audience and by doing this are thinking with their pockets instead of their minds. WWE needs to keeping the names of wrestlers away from their corporate umbrella if they hope to expand to an even wider audience than they have currently.

Why Scott Steiner is a Disgrace to Professional Wrestling

Jason Iovanna — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:03:13 -0400

In sports, you always have controversial athletes—Ty Cobb for baseball, Dennis Rodman for basketball, etc. However, at least most controversial athletes have talent and bring forth an aspect to their sport that no other respective athlete can.

Every now and then, there are athletes, rather jamokes, that seem to talk nonsense and don't even have any skills or reasons to back up what they are saying and doing. Most people wonder, Why are they here? Or, They are still wrestling?!

One of these jamokes (I can't use some other words because I may get kicked off the site) is none other than Big Poppa Pump, Scott Steiner. Not only is he known for being a roid-raged freak and the biggest whiner in professional wrestling, he has absolutely no wrestling skill whatsoever.

Outside of wrestling he has received much attention. He hit a transportation employee with his truck on a highway, and even attacked an EMT working for the fire department on an episode of Nitro.

To this day, he denies his steroid abuse, and has even had the audacity to say that no one in professional wrestling likes Ric Flair except for Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Those statements have proved to me that Steiner is nothing but a washed up joke who can only make his way in a second rate company.

He was cut from the WWE because he has no wrestling skill, has a terrible and jealous attitude, and has a knack for getting injured.

Now—and this is pretty funny—TNA is trying to carry on his ridiculous, Billy Graham rip-off character through none other than Petey Williams. I mean, why on earth would someone ever choose Scott Steiner as a mentor?

I guess I would choose him if I wanted mouse-size testicles and a receding hairline at the age of 45. Whenever he opens his mouth, I know something stupid and frivolous will come out of it.

Now I know I will hear rebuttals stating how Triple H and others have also taken steroids and have not had the best reputation outside the ring. However, in my opinion, that doesn't even matter because they treat the sport of professional wrestling with respect, learned from their vices, and changed their ways.

Scott Steiner, instead, still loves to brag how he broke Wilt Chamberlain's record of sleeping with more than 10,000 women. He is still one of the people who think the nWo should have been carried out forever in WCW and that Hogan and Bischoff ran the company well, which they didn't.

What I am trying to get to here is that Scott Steiner is one of those disgraces to the sport who somehow still gets his opinions out there on websites and shoot interviews. If any promotion wants any credibility or respect, having Scott Steiner work for them will get them nowhere.

You can't even understand what he says, and what you can understand just sounds like some dumb out-of-work jock bragging about his high school football days.

The bottom line here is that Steiner brings nothing to this sport, and I think he is in the right company now, where he will go down with the sinking ship. Actually, if TNA were smart, which they aren't, he would be joining his brother in the unemployment line waiting to buy stamps and cheese.

Total Negligent Ass-backwards Wrestling

Jason Iovanna — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:00:43 -0400

I attempted to watch TNA Impact! this Friday afternoon, making solid use of my DVR in the process. Thank God I did because even though I am huge fan of professional wrestling and watch it whenever I can, the show as usual was atrocious.

Why on earth would you ever have a main event match involving superstars like A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle, most definitely in the top 5 of the company, fighting over an Olympic gold medal.

I know the Olympics are simultaneously a ratings draw, but they are fighting for something not even of worth to the TNA roster! I mean, what an ungodly waste of airtime.

Other than that match I fast-forwarded through the entire show pretty much.

You have stupid characters like Roode and Storm (Beer Money Inc., definitely a lame brain Russo idea); Abdul Bashir (formerly Daivari in the WWE) bashing America, like that already hasn't been done a million times before; and Consequences Creed who is just a rip-off of Apollo Creed from Rocky.

I mean, who is in charge of creating these characters? Then you have Hoyt and Rave, and I just don't want to get into that mess.

Every star they have, they don't use properly. Instead of having a great potential world heavyweight championship feud of Samoa Joe and A.J. styles, they put Joe in a storyline with Grandpa Booker T.

They have tainted the likes of Christopher Daniels, Jay Lethal, Sabin and Shelley, and the list goes on and on. These are TNA originals who should be making the draws!!! Not rejects from the WWE.

I mean at this point, I am just frustrated beyond belief. Christian Cage is now again put on the back burner and there is no doubt in my mind that he will make the jump back to Stamford soon. I could go on and on about this but I will spare you.

Now it looks like I favor the WWE, heavily but not true. I will be writing more about other promotions more worthy of TV airtime than TNA. I promise entries will be more meaningful in the future.