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7.20.2006

Thursday's Thoughts

As if TNA didn't already have enough former WCW Champions under contract, the story has exploded that they are once again pursuing Goldberg. Apparently, what TNA wants is a Goldberg / Samoa Joe program.

The only way I'd get behind this, is if it's a short program that Joe dominates. Yes, I know - there are people out there who hate the Joe-marks. Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass. Joe is the best thing going. If TNA doesn't get cold feet and doesn't pull the chair out from under him, he could be the flag bearer for the company.

Well, if there is one thing better in TNA right now - it's the triad of Johnny Divine, Alex Shelly and Kevin Nash. I think Divine is starting to find his comfort level in this group, while Shelly and Nash are comedic gold. Dan-e-o said it best, "comedy always works".

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a big Edge mark. Way back in '98 when he debuted for the WWF, I wrote an article for Slam! Wrestling stating that Edge would be a top level star and multiple time World Champion. That being said, I wasn't really diggin' his comments at Wednesday's presser at The Score. Edge, Ric Flair and others took a number of shots at TSN, the former home of RAW in Canada.

Edge said, "The great thing is that Raw is finally going to be treated with the respect that it deserves. We're not going to be pre-empted. So if you turn on your TV to see me and Ric Flair in a TLC match, it won't be pre-empted for a bunch of guys in a curling rink with primal screams yelling 'Hurry hard!' The only primal screams you may get is if I have another live sex show with Lita. I'll see if I can do something about that."

The problem with that statement is that A) they will get preempted on The Score (just not as much because TSN has much more live inventory) and B) Curling draws better ratings than Raw --- so if you were running the network, which would you broadcast?

Gotta love DX ripping on Miz on Monday night. Geez, some of the vets in the Raw locker room must have been disgusted with that kid. Imagine Mick Foley watching Miz and saying, you couldn't remember 5 numberS?? Geez.

Contrary to reports on the internet, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts has NOT signed a deal with TNA. Roberts, in my opinion, is one of the top minds in the industry - but as we all know, he has problems that extend far beyond any ring.

Speaking of which, I'll be publishing a review of the Roberts DVD very shortly....

Hulk Hogan will be on Raw this coming Monday. Maybe he's lookin to pop a rating after the disappointing numbers for Saturday Night's Main Event? No, he'll just be hyping his Orton match at Summerslam.

Personally, I'm pissed they're breaking up the Spirit Squad. All this crap I hear about the WWE seeing singles talent in Doane ... blah blah blah. Let me remind you, Doane is NINETEEN YEARS OLD. Is he anymore seasoned now than he was when he broke in six months ago? C'mon. Shawn Michaels was a Rocker for years before getting a singles break. Same with Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Edge, Christian, hell even guys like Taz, Scott Hall, and Jerry Lynn. Are you telling me Kenny or anyone else in SS is better than any of those guys at this point? Hell no. The cheerleaders still have legs, but so often is the case, the writers have become lazy. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to see the Spririt Squad EXPLODE like the Mega Powers at Summerslam. Yawn.

Gregory Helms keeps talking about he is the longest reigning cruiserweight champ in WWE history. Anyone care to mention that he's been out of action for more than half that time? Anyone care to tell Greg that Vince probably forget they had a cruiserweight champion?

In case you care, Batista's opponent at the Bash will be Mr. Kennedy. Talk about scrambling for an opponent. Sounds like Kennedy's losses will continue to mount following his shocking loss to Matt Hardy.

We had a great discussion in the Mark Henry post this week about the appeal of Dave Batista. Honestly, I still don't get how straight, hetero men sit there and talk about how they're all into him cuz of his muscles. I couldn't care less how puffed up he is. If you can't work, you can't work.

This Sunday I'll be attending an indy show in Cambridge. The top of the card features one of my local favs, Geza Kaulman Jr. versus Steve Corino. Speaking of Corino, his interview with Tha O Show will be happening shortly.

Tha O Show continues to grow. Our daily visitors are climbing through the roof! More of you should post comments, not just lurk! We love getting your feedback - positive or negative.

Big things are on the horizon for Tha O Show. By the end of the summer, this place should be very different indeed.


12 comments: on "Thursday's Thoughts"

Anonymous said...

*breathes in deeply and exhales*

I'm going to start from the top of the article so I don't lose myself in the rant.

Goldberg in TNA. Aside from the "I'd break his neck" comment towards Joe, Goldberg is more media creation than Hulk Hogan. I mean, how many times did he wrestle Glacier in WCW during that undefeated streak? If in the horrible event that TNA did sign Goldberg and start a Joe/gOLDberg angle, the best thing would be for TNA to put Joe over (and that's not just me being a Joe-mark) and send him packing.

As far as what Goldberg's going rate would be, it would probably be in the range of Sting's bankroll. There's a lot of better talent that you can get for 1yr/$5 million..Chris Jericho, Mark Copani (if someone could convince him to wrestle again), and quite possibly Kurt Angle, RVD, and Sabu if their respective troubles lead to firings.

Worse case scenario. Goldberg signs, beats Joe several times, and gets a title reign. If that happens, my happy ass is going to Orlando and choking out Goldberg myself.

This Shelly/Devine/Nash X-Division angle going on is the best thing going on in TNA right now. I say "right now" because then end of Victory Road was crap. Just seeing Nash trying to study Lucha Libre and Puroseau is just fucking hilarious. Wait, wait. What's that? I already hear the announcement of the "Kevin Nash Syndrome" striking again. Guess his X-Division run is already over.

What's this about RAW not getting pre-empted anymore now that they've left TSN in the dust? They'll still get pre-empted on The Score (I assume they will since I live in Texas), and guess what? They'll get pre-empted whenever USA has some big event on their channel, like say, the Westminster Dog Show. How can he say that RAW is going to be treated with the respect that it deserves when it gets pre-empted by a fucking dog show? A dog show for Christ sakes! Smackdown already has to contend with sports pre-emptions in the New England region. Maybe Edge should ask the Smackdown roster what it's like before he opens his trap again.

DX ribbing the Miz was gold. Especially since he's crap to being with. He couldn't make the grade with Tough Enough...so he get's stuck with the Smackdown version of Todd Grisham's job. Being a complete tool.

Yes, Jake Roberts is one of the greatest minds in the business and has his share of problems outside the ring, but so do a lot of the talent that compete in some fashion. It's not like TNA or any other company would go out on a limb if they hired him and three months later he's in rehab. That rule pretty much applies to everyone who's name isn't Scott Hall.

Breaking up the SS...I meant the Spirit Squad. Could I give two shits? Not really. But if and when WWE creative goes through with this (which will probably be after the next RAW), they'll all be sent back to OVW for "repackaging" then let go because Creative couldn't find anything for them. As for Doane, he's got skills, but like you said, he just broke into the business six months ago. Doane can't afford to fuck up anywhere along the line as it may affect Mickie James' run as well (i've heard reports that the two are dating). Besides, it's only the current tag team "champs". When was the last time WWE had decent tag team wrestling?

Gregory Helms' run as Cruiserweight champ is about as memorable as Trish Stratus' run(s) as women's champ, Hogan's 1st run as WCW champ under the nWo, Spirit Squad's run as tag champs, Goldberg's "undefeated" streak, and the night WCW Thunder made it's debut. He should really find a new gimmick or go back to being the Hurricane.

Batista vs Mr. Kennedy. Over before the match hits the 10 minute mark if not sooner. As good as Kennedy is, why him? Why not throw someone like David Finaly against him? Sure Batista would win cause he's the face, but it would be a better quality match cause Finaly would have to carry Batista.

As for how "puffed" up he is...has anyone else noticed how small he was during his stay in OVW as Leviathan? I think maybe Barry Bonds found his way over to where OVW taped and gave Deacon Batista some HGH before a Giants/Reds game.

Chalk up Mark Henry as another victim to the "Kevin Nash Syndrome". The guy is a walking injury. Why Vince keeps bringing him back, i'll never know. Then again, the Warrior got how many runs in the WWE?

Finally. I'll end up ordering the Bash because I have nothing better to spend my money on and also to see what this "Punjabi Prison Match" is exactly. From what i've heard, it's supposed to be just like the "Cage of Death" match from CZW...except the cage doesn't look like it was constructed in 15 minutes with parts from the local hardware store.

Now if you don't mind, I need to reload my gun cause I just ran out of bullets from doing this shoot.

Anonymous said...

Joe this, Joe that, Joe's awesome. Blah, blah, blah. Joe's music, cream your pants, blah blah blah. I get it. Samoa Joe is liked by the IWC. I guarantee you, once he wins that NWA Title, the IWC will turn on him like they turned on Benoit after his Mania victory.

What's wrong with Batista's workrate? He's a decent, watchable wrestler, which is more than I can say for about half the guy on the SD roster itself.

Anonymous said...

First let me put on my whole joe mark of the year mask cuase its all thruth a clinic with joe and golberg in my opinoin serve as nail in the coffin for goldbergs over rated over hyped career your gonna havwe non stop joes gonna kill you chants during every match 150% joe running circles around bill and it will probally abd with bill being an ass and not selling joes finishers proof if you need on joe being one of the top pro in any market thursday TNA rhyno squashes some outta shape bob all to fans yelling rhyno gore ahhhhh we love him ahhhhh war machine ahhhhh the in comes joe you 90% of the crowd yelling joe gonna kill you talk about record breaking turns i didnt see naything like since bret hart vs austin

Big Daddy Donnie said...

I'm afraid of matches where Joe takes on vets. Remember how delicate he was with Thunder Liger? He doesn't throw around older dudes the same way he does the X-division masochists. Maybe that's the way to be - but then again he IS Joe!

Big Daddy Donnie said...

I'm afraid of matches where Joe takes on vets. Remember how delicate he was with Thunder Liger? He doesn't throw around older dudes the same way he does the X-division masochists. Maybe that's the way to be - but then again he IS Joe!

Anonymous said...

Now some question why I dislike Samoa Joe, and I feel I am justified in this answer.

As I see it, wrestling is a performance art. Don't lie to yourself - if you wanna watch wrestling, go to a high school wrestling meet. Go to an college meet. That's wrestling. Our wrestling, this pro wrestling is a work.

The first thing I learned when I was being trained was make it APPEAR to hurt without it ACTUALLY hurting.

Case in point; if Umaga legitimately kicked someone in the back of their head, say, the non-exsistent Johnny Parisi, the boys in the back would be all over him. But the IWC's Golden Boy, Samoa Joe does it and everyone's like YAY JOE! Wrestling takes enough toll on the body as it is, there's no need for some guy to be legitimately hurting other workers cuz it's his gimmick.

It's a dumb idea. Maybe if Joe starts doing his Island Dance again, I may change my mind. In closing, Goldberg ended Bret Hart's career with a stiff mule kick to the back of his neck. The IWC and wrestling fans in general hate Goldberg for this. Had it been Samoa Joe who caused the exact same injury with the exact same outcome, you Joe lovers would've called it "passing the torch".

Anonymous said...

Well let me tell you I'm not one of those guys who thinks Joe's the second coming or anything. But I can tell you doesn't work any stiffer than Taz or Hardcore Holly, though I never considered Chris Jericho a stiff wrestler. And on top of that he's a damn fine wrestler and should be given props for that. Just think god TNA signed him before WWE could or else he'd be a tubby wrestling rodeo clown with some sort of DDT as his finisher.

Big Daddy Donnie said...

Jericho doesn't work stiff...
Anyone who came out of the Dungeon knows how to work...

Big Daddy Donnie said...

No.
He chops stiff, that's all

Anonymous said...

Hm. Ill probably go with Holly. His moves arent that stiff, but he could rupture a blood vessal with those chops.

Anonymous said...

lol don't be dissing the sparkplug like that! To be honest Im suprised he managed to get over with a former move called the HOLLYCAUST.

Anonymous said...

Stiffest workers presently...

Steve Regal
David Finaly
Chris Benoit
Mick Foley (if he's working with Funk)
Terry Funk (if he's working with Foley)
Jushin "Thunder" Liger
the Great Muta
Kurt Angle

I found some very good Benoit vs Regal matches by searching WWW.com. Here's the dates you need to look for...

October 1, 2005 Benoit vs Regal for the U.S. Title
May 13, 2006 Benoit vs Regal (very stiff match)