Bleacher Report - Articles by Stephan Johnson

Scott Hall Arrested

Stephan Johnson — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:13:20 -0400

As reported earlier Scott Hall tried to attack a comedian after the comedian, Jimmy Graham, made a terrible joke about Owen Hart's death. The video of the altercation has now been put up on youtube. Hall is clearly wasted.

Tomko Wants to Go Back to WWE

Stephan Johnson — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:15:52 -0400

According to the source, former WWE and TNA wrestler Tomko was backstage on a recent FCW show.

Apparently, he's seeking a new WWE deal, but the promotion hasn't shown that much interest in getting him back.

NWA: WSX?

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:57:44 -0400

As we all know, WSX had a very short run on MTV. The show was packed with some rather extreme moments, but was not enough to satisfy the MTV fans. I have good news for the fans of WSX, though. The owners of the Society have been in talks with NWA to start the promotion on their grounds.

Now, it is not confirmed, but if NWA accepts the Society's application, WSX will begin being aired as soon as possible, terminating the Society's contract with MTV. MTV still has the WSX page up, but if it is brought down within the next few weeks, we all know that NWA has accepted WSX for a new regime of extreme for its fan base.

The Boogeyman Returning!

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:43:39 -0400

After tearing his calf and receiving dental surgery for missing teeth, The Boogeyman will return after not having competed for close to eight months. A short video was aired during ECW saying The Boogeyman is coming to get us.

The only thing that I can say about the return of the Boogeyman is I hope he is used in a more useful storyline than the past. He is extremely talented and strong. I just feel that he could be used for more than a "Mythical Nightmare" character to scare little children. If he were used more on a powerhouse basis, rather than "strange" character, he would be a more developed character.

Sandman Pleads Guilty

Stephan Johnson — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:03:13 -0400

James "The Sandman" Fullington was fined $1,000 and had to pay another $200 in court costs and was given a one-year conditional discharge. He pleaded guilty yesterday in a Yonkers, NY court to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest, stemming from a fight that occurred at Captain Lou Albano's birthday party back in July.

Sandman was also facing criminal mischief and assault charges, which were dropped in return for the guilty plea.

WWE No Mask Policy?

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:41:22 -0400

We all know how it happened. Kane lost to Triple H for the World Heavyweight Title, resulting in the loss of his mask forever. Apparently, WWE has issues with masked wrestlers. Rey Mysterio's masked defines him as a Lucho Libra wrestler, but now it seems that he will lose his mask at WWE's next Pay Per View, No Mercy.

The match stipulation for Kane vs. Rey Mysterio at No Mercy has been updated and if Mysterio loses the match, he loses his mask.

I recall Mysterio losing his mask in WCW at a Superbrawl PPV against the Outsiders.

What does Kane have to lose in this match? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! The only thing is, I am not giving up on Rey, considering he has defied the odds in winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He has had several pin falls over people larger than himself, including the likes of Kevin Nash, The Big Show, and the ever-so- monstrous Kane.

I believe that to add insult to injury, Kane should be allowed to be the one to de-mask Mysterio after the match.

A Hint for TNA's Future

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:16:49 -0400

At a TNA taping, just a few weeks ago, Frank Trigg was backstage and saw a guy he recognized from a gym in Southern California that he goes to who has the nickname "Real Estate Steve" because he owns a lot of property in the area.

Trigg had no idea why "Real Estate Steve" was there, but as soon as he saw "Real Estate Steve" talking with Kurt, Trigg thought perhaps Kurt had flown him in to talking about buying a house in Southern California.

Later that day, Trigg saw "Real Estate Steve" walking around backstage in the iMPACT Zone with his face painted.

TNA Impact Spoilers

Stephan Johnson — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:59:48 -0400

Warning: This is a spoiler for next week's iMPACT which will be airing on October 2nd. If you are trying to keep it as a surprise, then I suggest you don't read this article!

These matches are confirmed for next week's iMPACT:

AJ Styles, Jay Lethal, and Christian Cage team up against Team 3D and Booker T.

LAX vs Motor City Machine Guns; The winning team goes to "The Monster Ball" at Bound For Glory.

Sheik Bashir vs Jimmy Rave vs Eric Young for the X-Division Title.

Angelina Love vs ODB.

Plus, We should see live interviews including Mick Foley and Jeff Jarret.

Jeff Hardy Update

Stephan Johnson — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:04:09 -0400

Despite the news that WWE will not be taking any disciplinary action against Jeff Hardy regarding his latest incident, some doubts within the company are still present. Jeff is a big asset for WWE and moves a good percentage of merchandise. He would be much more valuable to the company at this point in time this time if he is allowed to stay.

Some rumours, reported also on some websites state that WWE will not call Hardy’s "third strike" so easily since they know of the potential business TNA could do with him.

The latest incident where as you all know, Jeff was said to be intoxicated in public, is said to be a call for WWE management to act and thus he likely won’t be getting the same star treatment as before.

New Wrestling Promotion

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:23:38 -0400

For some time now, Bishcoff has been in works with Hulk Hogan to start a new wrestling promotion. It looks as if that may actually happen!

According to the source, Eric Bischoff is still negotiating with Hervey Productions and CMT the possibility of leading a new wrestling federation.

The project is rumored to have plans to include a Hulk Hogan vs. Goldberg angle as the central idea plus some new talents that may be brought from West Coast indy promotions.

My Top Five Wrestling Dream Matches

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:29:03 -0400

Here is a list of matches I have dreamed about seeing for some time now. As you will see, at least one of my dream matches may never happen because two of the superstars are deceased.

5: Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit: These three men were/are the best technical wrestlers to step foot inside a WWE or TNA ring. All three of them together would have blown the roof off!

4: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Sharkboy: I just want to see Sharkboy get a mudhole stomped in him for ripping Austin off!

3:The Rock vs. Randy Orton: Randy Orton is the Legend Killer and The Rock is a living legend! Who would you pick, Legend or Legend Killer?

2: Abyss vs. Undertaker: Honestly, TNA is letting Abyss go to waste, so this match would make me happy enough to blow snot bubbles from my nose!

1: Triple H vs. Bret Hart: At one time or another, these men have held the top spot in WWE. I wonder what Triple H will think when McMahon screws him over. Triple H is a powerhouse and Bret is a technician. The winner: Unpredictable!

Top 50 Female Wrestlers

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:06:50 -0400

Top 50 female wrestlers according to Pro Wrestling Illustrated:

1. Awesome Kong
2. Beth Phoenix
3. Gail Kim
4. Mickie James
5. MsChif
6. Sarah Del Ray
7. Roxxi Laveaux
8. Melina
9. Michelle McCool
10. Candice Michelle
11. Mercedes Martinez
12. Victoria
13. Taylor Wilde
14. ODB
15. Daizee Haze
16. Angelina Love
17. Jacqueline
18. April Hunter
19. Natalya
20. Sumie Sakai
21. Allison Danger
22. Traci Brooks
23. Velvet Sky
24. Sarah Stock
25. Moose Knuckles
26. Katie Lea Burchill
27. Cherry
28. Cheerleader Melissa (a.k.a. Raisha Saeed)
29. Maria Kanellis
30. Amber O'Neal
31. Lexie Fyfe
32. Kelly Kelly
33. Cindy Rogers
34. Jillian Hall
35. Malia Hosaka
36. Christie Ricci
37. Becky Bayless
38. Alere Little Feather
39. Layla El
40. Kelly Couture
41. Jaime D (a.k.a. Sirelda)
42. Christy Hemme
43. Milena Roucka
44. Annie Social
45. Lufisto
46. Rhaka Khan
47. Danyah
48. Jennifer Blake
49. Daffney
50. Portia Perez

*note* This list does not include Japanese or Mexican wrestlers.

Kevin Nash to WWE: Huge Update!

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:04:06 -0400

Kevin Nash's profile has been removed from the TNA website. The URL of his profile features the "You are not authorized to view this resource" line, which is what happens when a page is removed from the website.

Reportedly, Nash re-signed with TNA last week. If my sources are correct, you will see Nash in WWE before a month's time! He is reported to play the bodyguard of Shawn Michaels in WWE.

ECW Is a Training Camp

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:47 -0400

Everybody loves watching wrestling! If not, the ratings would not be as high as they are! I have noticed that a lot of the ECW roster that is truly talented are wrestling on either Raw or Smackdown as well. The people that need more work are stranded to just the ECW roster.

More and more, the ones that are ready for the bigger shows either hold the ECW World Title or wrestle on the other shows. Matt Hardy for example was placed in ECW on a probationary basis after resigning his contract with WWE. He was placed on a probationary basis because TNA was in talks with him and Jeff Hardy about making a move to TNA.

Mark Henry is a very dominant superstar, but everyone knows that his weight has been a problem with WWE. It isn't because of his "bigness" but because WWE doesn't want him to push himself too hard. The company had to pay him extra to skip out on the World's Strongest Man competition this year and they don't want him to get hurt.

Most of the new superstars in WWE either start out in ECW, like CM Punk, or go straight to a big show because they have already made a name for themselves elsewhere.

Smackdown Superstar Re-Injured

Stephan Johnson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:48:19 -0400

During last SmackDown's dark main event, the Undertaker apparently re-aggrivated his knee injury.

He was booked to face Big Show in a one-on-one, near the end of the match between Hawkins, Ryder, and Bam Neely attacked him.

After the interference, the Undertaker chased them out of the ring but looked as if he knee was causing him pain. He had to sit on the ring steps for a while and is reported to have been limping up the ramp.

Gail Kim's Departure and Others Possibly Leaving

Stephan Johnson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:29:33 -0400

A source inside TNA told me the following regarding Gail Kim's TNA departure, "Gail felt insulted by what TNA offered her. It was less money than what Kip James is paid and under six figures which is a shame."

Gail could arguably be called the top baby face in TNA. She outdrew every male on the roster in the ratings and that includes the highest paid members of the roster including Sting and Kurt Angle.

I was told that Gail wanted to stay in TNA very much but she just couldn't stay because of what she was offered. She loved her time there and was good friends with most of the roster. No one ever had one bad thing to say about her in the three years she was there.

The rest of the Knockouts roster is very disappointed in the loss of Gail and are upset that they may be low balled on their contracts as well. Some people in the company may have not realized just how valuable Gail was to TNA and WWE should feel very good that they were able to sign her away.

It will be interesting to see where the Knockouts division goes from here but to me she was the queen of that division and with out her I personally don't have much hope that it will stay on the same level as it has been in the last year or so.

Christian Cage's contract is up soon as well as reported by Dave Meltzer in the 9/1 Wrestling Observer. I was told that Cage is not happy with the way he is being booked right now and the overall direction of the company. If he does leave I get the impression that no one would be shocked.

WWE is interested in him but I was told that they still don't see him as a top level star.

The contracts of Team 3D, Awesome Kong, Kevin Nash, and Homicide are up as well. Below is a small update on each of those.

Awesome Kong: I am told that she most likely won't be leaving. She turned down WWE once before and really has no interest in living their hard lifestyle. She loves TNA and gets along with everyone there. Unless WWE offers her a crazy amount of money she is expected to re-sign.

Team 3D: They are expected to re-sign as well. WWE doesn't have much interest in them and they like TNA's light schedule.

Homicide: I have heard different reports on him from different sources. Some have said he may leave while others say he is happy and should re-sign. WWE has no interest in him so it all depends on if he wants to work full time for ROH again or not.

Kevin Nash: There has been some minor talk of possibly having Nash come back into WWE with HBK in a non-wrestling role but it doesn't look to likely at this point. TNA has offered him a new deal I am told but he has yet to sign it. Most expect he will but it's not for sure at this point.

On Sting I am told that he has most likely agreed to a new deal. TNA said they wouldn't put him back on TV until he either signed or agreed to a new deal and he is back on this week so one would assume that he is staying around.

Steve Austin Vs. Vince McMahon II?

Stephan Johnson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:42:40 -0400

Almost a decade ago, a wrestling war was started. In the middle of WCW's "Highest Ratings Ever" period, Stone Cold Steve Austin emerged as a dominant superstar, winning the WWF World Heavyweight Title. Vincent Kennedy McMahon played the part of the unsatisfied boss.

Taking notice of the rising talent's accomplishments, McMahon tried to bring him down by forming an alliance called "The Corporation," which aimed to take out all of the more liked segments on aired television. Stone Cold was the biggest name they targeted.

The Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vincent Kennedy McMahon era then began. It was one of the longest running feuds in WWF history and is still looked back on today. The most memorable moment was Stone Cold Steve Austin driving down in a beer truck and ruining the Rock and McMahon Family's moment in the center ring after the Rock joined the Corporation.

WWE is looking for a big surprise at the 800th episode of Raw, and it seems like that surprise could be the on air return of Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Vince hasn't been on TV for about three months, and with Raw's ratings dropping, they hope to bring up some spice to their show by getting Vince back on TV.

Austin will most likely return at the No Mercy PPV. He will do so to hype up his appearance at Cyber Sunday. Creative team would love to pair up Vince McMahon and Austin once again during this period, which once again could be an indication that Vince will return to your television screens soon.

If what I am told by insiders is right, then the McMahon vs. Austin feud may re-ignite to reproduce ratings that were lost when all of Raw's top superstars got injured.

Former WCW Champion and Former King Of The Ring Signed For Match

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:24:18 -0400

Indy promotion, WrestleReality has signed former four-time WCW Heavyweight Champion, Sid Vicious and former WWE King of the Ring, Big Daddy V to fight each other for their October 25th show "The Dark Night 08."

The same promotion has signed Diamond Dallas Page for a one-night return for their September 27th show "The Diamond and Steel fourth Anniversary." DDP will be participating in a three-on-three match teaming up with "All Money is Legal" (K-Murda and K-Pusha) against S.A.T (Jose & Joel Maximo) and former WWE Superstar Savio Vega.

WWE Talent In Danger of Being Fired

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:14:01 -0400

There is some sort of unofficial "endangered species list" in WWE, a list of superstars who are on the edge of being fired, and most likely will be after they are being jobbed out a bit more. Below are three names who apparantly are on that list.

Paul Burchill

Well, this should not be a surprise anymore.

Chuck Palumbo

Vince loved the biker gimmick Chuck had when he re-entered the WWE, and he was very high on him. However, Vince has lost all interest in Palumbo, and that's why he hasn't been on TV a lot lately. Just about all agents don't like him anymore, but the head of talents, John Laurinaitis, is still high on him. Chuck and John have a bond from working together in WCW.

Paul London

Paul has some things going for him: He's athletic, talented, likable, and bi- lingual (a big plus since WWE wants to go international). However, he has no support from the booking team, and many people say he does not have "the instinct for it".

These are three superstars on the endangered species list, do not be surprised should they be released any time soon.

Mick Foley Or Cactus Jack In TNA?

Stephan Johnson — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:55:34 -0400

During the latest edition of Legends Roundtable on WWE 24/7 featuring Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Tazz, and Jim Ross, they talked about factions in professional wrestling.

Foley brought up how his "Union" faction from back in 1999 (featuring Vince McMahon, Big Show, Test, and Ken Shamrock) didn't work out too well. Foley said he can't use about five different variations of the term "Union" for legal reasons if he ever left WWE, which he found funny.

He also said WWE owns the the rights to "Mankind," but he owns "Cactus Jack"—the persona he portrayed for a number of years before joining WWE. Considering that Foley owns the name, it opens up the opportunity for "Cactus Jack" to appear in TNA if they ever decide to go that route.

What Is Stopping TNA From Becoming Bigger?

Stephan Johnson — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:44:24 -0400

As you may know, Mick Foley has signed with TNA. The only question is "How long will he be there?" When he made his Impact! debut, the crowd erupted with cheers for the living hardcore legend. They were excited to see probably the biggest name to hit the TNA roster since Hulk Hogan.

Over the past several months, I have noticed that more and more ex-WWE superstars are going to the TNA roster. Their latest big names to make an impact on the company have one time or another worked for WWE. Most of those were very recently employed with TNA.

After seeing Mick Foley enter the Impact Zone, I pondered the question "Why would he risk his chance of being taken out of the WWE Hall of Fame for this?" Suddenly it hit me like a ton of rocks. Mick Foley does it because he loves wrestling. Most of the TNA superstars have extremely flexible schedules, considering most of them wrestle in indy promotions for a little extra cash.

As I lay on the couch watching the final moments of Impact, I then questioned "What is stopping TNA from becoming a larger company?" I then thought about the TNA company compared to the WWE. TNA only has one show. WWE has three big shows a week. TNA has far too many superstars to fit on one show without having a battle royal every week.

Although TNA has a few big names within their residence, they haven't got as much pull with Network Television as World Wrestling Entertainment. They are trying to compete with a company that has been around and out-lasted NWA. Although I would have to say, TNA would have to sign a few more big names and take a chance of letting some of the undeveloped talent go.

Allow me to conclude this article by saying that TNA has too many people on its roster and not enough television time to keep a constant payroll. This means that alot of their superstars are unsatisfied with not being paid on a weekly basis because they don't receive enough television time.

Stone Cold a Big Name Because Of Triple H?

Stephan Johnson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:11:33 -0400

The name Stone Cold Steve Austin is well known. There are many people who have felt the wrath of the "Stunner," and will say that it isn't a pretty feeling the next morning.

One of those people is Triple H.

I do, however, find it rather intriguing that Stone Cold would not be anything without the help of Triple H and the Kliq. Still don't know what I am talking about? Let's go way back to 1996 when the Austin Era began without realization of it.

Backstage, Bill Banks was running a AOL chat session. In the early 1990s AOL was in works with WWF and the superstars would do "interviews" with the fans after their matches. This particular night, WWF stars Diesel and Razor Ramon signed with WCW, so the announcement had been made to all of Madison Square Garden that this would be their final appearance on WWF Television.

Earlier in the night, Triple H (then Hunter Hearst Helmsley) defeated Razor Ramon (Hall). In the main event, Shawn Michaels defeated Diesel (Nash) inside a steel cage. It was after the main event that "The Kliq" broke an unwritten cardinal rule in wrestling by going outside of the storylines.

Shawn helped Nash to his feet and the two hugged and posed for fans. A few moments later they were joined by Hall and Hunter. "The Kliq" was giving a curtain call to the fans without management's permission.

The fans loved it—but the reaction backstage was far different. Jim Cornette yelling backstage, obviously irate that no one was stopping them. Vince and Shane McMahon were watching from behind the entrance curtain. Shane wanted to go out and stop it himself but Vince kept a cool head about it.

There had to be repercussions from the incident, but Hall and Nash were gone and Michaels was one of the top stars in the company. So, the punishment was handed out to Triple H, who for the next several months was relegated to losing every match.

The reason I write all this is for one reason—prior to the "Kliq" incident, Triple H was slated to win the upcoming King of the Ring Pay-Per-View tournament, considering a stepping-stone to a top spot in the WWF. However, those plans were scrapped. As a result, Steve Austin was picked instead to win the tournament that June. Austin finally had his opportunity and he certainly made the most of it.

After beating Jake Roberts in the finals, Austin was interviewed by Dok Hendrix on the live Pay-Per-View, an interview that officially marked the birth of "Austin 3:16" in professional wrestling.

"Jake Roberts—you can thump your bible all you want, but Austin 3:16 says I just kicked your ass!"

The "Stone Cold" phenomenon snowballed from there. At SummerSlam two months later in Cleveland, Ohio, Austin was scheduled to face Yokozuna on the pre-show for the Pay-Per-View. Bill Banks was standing out in the audience with Vince Russo watching fans fill the arena and we both noticed many of them brought "Austin 3:16" posters. Russo turned to Bill and said "You see that? He's about to become the biggest thing in this business."

The rest was history…

Bill Banks Talks About The Highest Rated Wrestling Segment

Stephan Johnson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:49:50 -0400

The following is an excerpt from Bill Banks' Myspace blog. For those of you who don't know who Bill Banks is, he is a photographer for TNA. He is a genius who tagged a few segments along to Vince Russo.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE:

One of my proudest moments in the wrestling business was coming up with the idea for the highest-rated cable segment in the history of wrestling—the 1999 "This Is Your Life" with The Rock and Mick Foley.

At the time, The Rock and Foley had combined forces as "The Rock N' Sock Connection" tag team. The dynamic between them was that The Rock was too cool for a slob like Foley, but The Rock still had a soft spot for him. In turn, Foley did everything he could to impress The Rock and get on his good side.

When I was providing ideas to Russo and Ferrara on a weekly basis, one of the things I did was scan the TV Guide, reading up on plot summaries for upcoming movies and television shows.

One day, I came across the lineup for a "This Is Your Life" marathon of the old 1950s show. It gave me the idea to have Foley and Rock have their own. Knowing Russo was a fan of old television shows, I typed out the idea and emailed it to him—Mick would celebrate The Rock's life by reuniting him with his former girlfriend, a grade-school teacher, his coach, and some others.

Russo loved it and decided to go with it. I'll never forget watching it from backstage while it was happening in the ring—not only were the fans loving it, but so was everyone in the back. That is, except for Vince McMahon.

The entire segment went for something like 21 minutes, which McMahon was livid about. Even though we had overtaken WCW in the ratings war, they were still competition and McMahon didn't want to give them an inch. He thought it was too much time to devote to a "talking segment" and told Russo and Ferrara to never let it happen again.

So, after watching my idea unfold in the ring, it was a letdown afterwards to see that McMahon didn't like it. Russo and Ferrara were disappointed with Vince's reaction as well.

The next day was the SmackDown tapings. I got a ride from Dr. Tom Prichard from the hotel to the arena and a few minutes after arriving, I saw Russo come out of McMahon's office. "Go look at the door" he told me.

By that, he meant the production office door where the ratings from the previous night's RAW were posted for everyone to see, broken down by each segment. Next to the "This Is Your Life" segment were the numbers 8.4, and someone had circled it with a pen and wrote "Highest Ever."

I stood there for a few seconds letting it all sink in. When I turned around, Ferrara was behind me smiling—"Ya, nobody wants to watch those talking segments," he joked. I don't think McMahon ever apologized or even congratulated Russo or Ferrara.

I think it was in 2004 that WWE did another version of the "This Is Your Life" segment, this time with The Rock honoring Foley. The ratings were much lower for that one…

TNA: WWE Training Camp Or WWE Retirement Home?

Stephan Johnson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:04:53 -0400

There was a time when WWE Raw wasn't the dominant television show on TV. That was when Ted Turner owned WCW. After Turner decided to sale WCW to WWE, many superstars went missing from the WCW roster; most of whom decided not to wrestle with Vince McMahon's company due to prior experiences.

Until that time, there was a place for people who were fed up with WWE to go. A place where they could talk trash about their previous employer until they would decide to go back. After WCW went defunct, there was no choice. That is until TNA was founded by Jerry Jarrett, the father of Jeff Jarrett.

Jeff Jarrett's career in WWE was a long and strenuous one. He won multiple titles, including the World Heavyweight Championship designed by J-Mar and Reggie Parks. His career abruptly came to an end with WWE. Jarrett had no place to go except for WCW.

Although he signed with the company, his dreams were soon shattered on that holy night when Shane McMahon appeared on the screen of WCW's Titan-Tron saying that the McMahon Family had taken over WCW. He quickly turned to his father for help. Shortly after, Jerry agreed, he drew up the paperwork and began.

For the next year, Jeff Jarrett appeared in Australia, wrestling with the promotion World Wrestling All-Stars.

Very shortly afterward, TNA was started. Jarrett quickly jumped to his father's brand, capturing the covenant NWA World Title on the way. The two companies merged forming NWA:TNA. TNA quickly made a huge impact, signing stars such as Jarrett, AJ Styles, Abyss, Raven, Sting, and even The Sandman.

Odds were defied as the X-division gained recognition, defining everything that TNA stood for. Soon ex-WWE stars began to appear in TNA. Scott Steiner quickly jumped back and forth between the two companies before deciding to settle down in TNA.

The two promotions have constantly passed superstars like hot potatoes. Here lately, I have seen many superstars on the TNA roster picked up from small indy promotions, such as Ring of Honor. The biggest of those names: Samoa Joe.

If you think back, one of the greatest tag teams of all time is now in TNA. That tag team is Team 3-D, also known as the Dudley boys. The Dudleys got their start back in ECW wrestling at bingo halls, to the big times in WWE, to now being a WWE has-been in TNA. The Dudleys are not the only ones that have earned the has-been status in TNA and they probably won't be the last.

Is TNA really a training ground for WWE, or are they just a work camp for the WWE retirees?

Chris Jericho on Top Again

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:56:34 -0400

The night was long and CM Punk had nothing but time. He planned on competing in a six-man championship scramble match. His World Title was on the line. The odds of him winning were one in six. The odds of him losing were five in six. The probability of him losing: 100 percent.

Early in the night, CM Punk was attacked by "The New Evolution" (Orton, Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu) EMTs claimed that CM Punk would not be able to compete. There was a quick replacement made as the match was about to begin. There was a brief pause as the other five competitors waited in the ring. Suddenly, the lights went out and all the crowd heard: "Break the walls down!"

The replacement made for CM Punk was the first WWE Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho. He strutted down to the ring and the match was hard fought until the final 10 seconds of the match when Jericho pinned Kane.

After he made the 1-2-3, he ensured his win by making sure no other competitors were covering their opponents. For the first time in a long time, Jericho is on top of the world. Not because of cheating, but because of opportunity and fast action.

He used his head to get into an opponent, and outsmart them. Now he finally has what he needs to prove to the world that he is the best.

What will come of his career now that he is WWE World Heavyweight Champion again? More than likely a long feud with Shawn Michaels with Kevin Nash coming in as Shawn's bodyguard.

What Is Stopping Samoa Joe from Going to WWE?

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:17:49 -0400

Samoa Joe is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Life at the top of the mountain must be nice. That is, it will be nice until his "hissy fits" won't get him what he wants anymore. Let's take a look back at how Samoa Joe won his title.

Samoa Joe won the World Heavyweight Title from Kurt Angle in a six sides of steel match. He had a few prior chances, but did not gain the title due to management. After two failed attempts to capture the TNA World Heavyweight Title he began negotiations with World Wrestling Entertainment.

Following one month of negotiations, Samoa Joe was offered the World Heavyweight Title by TNA management in order to keep the huge star from jumping ship. He simply smirked and remarked, "It's about time."

What stopped him from leaving? TNA will only offer it to Christian Cage or Kevin Nash in order to keep their contract with TNA. I do believe that WWE has a harder schedule than that of TNA, but the pay for a WWE superstar is very reasonable. I honestly would not even be surprised to see Mick Foley hold the TNA World Title during his stay with TNA.

What could make him change his mind? How about WWE offering a negotiable contract, allowing him to have Indy matches and bookings?

Final WWE Unforgiven Card

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:18:37 -0400

You may remember me making my predictions in another article. Please note, some of those predictions have changed after recent events!

World Heavyweight Championship Scramble
CM Punk (c) Vs Rey Mysterio Vs Kane Vs JBL Vs Batista—I am going out on a limb and saying that Batista is going to think he is winning, only to be pinned in the final seconds by either Mysterio or Punk. All together, CM Punk will retain the World Championship.

WWE Championship Scramble
HHH (c) Vs Jeff Hardy Vs Shelton Benjamin Vs The Brian Kendrick Vs MVP—There is no doubt that HHH is going to retain the title during this match. HHH is the most pushed superstar in WWE, and he isn't ready to let go of what he deserves.

World Tag Team Championship Match
Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase (c) vs. Cryme Tyme—Cryme Tyme will pull off the upset over Rhodes and DiBiase.

Unsanctioned Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho—Shawn Michaels will win. (NOTE TO EVERYONE: Later down the road you will see Kevin Nash in WWE as Michaels bodygaurd over Jericho, who will return the favor using Cade.)

ECW Championship Scramble
Mark Henry (c) Matt Hardy Vs The Miz Vs Chavo Guerrero Vs Finlay—Matt Hardy has been receiving alot of Push from WWE lately. If he does not walk away ECW Champion tonight, he will before too long!

Divas Championship Match
Michelle McCool vs. Maryse—Michelle will retain her title. Maryse will turn into the ultimate heel after this match.

Kevin Nash/Christian Cage Contract Update

Stephan Johnson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:07:33 -0400

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter from Dave Meltzer, by some seen as the source on the Internet for accurate wrestling news, is reporting that chances currently are 50/50 on whether Kevin Nash and Christian Cage will resign with TNA. The major factor in whether they'll resign or not is how much WWE is interested in hiring them.

When it comes down to Kevin Nash, he is giving TNA reps the impression that WWE also wants him back to play the bodyguard of Shawn Michaels, to counteract Cade in Jericho's corner.

Nash also states however that he has very limited capacity when it comes to what he can do in the ring, and the TNA schedule is exactly right for him, giving him enough time to rest up between matches.

Christian Cage didn't leave in the best way when he jumped ship to TNA a few years back, but time heals all wounds and both Cage and WWE consider that water under the bridge. Cage has a feeling that this time he could get more main event exposure on WWE because of the drug testing.

Now wrestlers are thoroughly tested, pure muscle mass doesn't determine whether you're being pushed or not that much.