Huge News Update: Carlito, Booker T, Hall

The Victoria/ Memorial Day Weekend has just started, and it's already turning out to be a big one for pro wrestling news. Carlito has been released by WWE, Booker T made a surprise appearance at a TNA house show, and Scott Hall has been arrested (once again).

Carlito's Release

The company's official statement reads, "WWE Superstar Carlito (Carlos Colon) has been released from his World Wrestling Entertainment contract as of today May 21, 2010. Carlito’s termination was due to his first violation of the WWE Wellness Program and his subsequent refusal to attend a rehabilitation facility."

And so ends what was often a contentious relationship between Carlito and WWE. Once one of WWE's brightest young stars, Carlito's allegedly poor attitude got him in hot water with management. He recently re-formed the tag team with his brother Primo, after being off TV for several months. One has to wonder what the future holds for Primo too.

Let the TNA speculation begin.

Booker T Returns to TNA

TNA's official website reported the following after a TNA house show in Louisiana Friday night:

"On Friday night at TNA Wrestling's live event tour date in Lake Charles, Louisiana, AJ Styles was unable to appear due to travel issues to face TNA World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam. However, BOOKER T made a huge surprise appearance to face RVD in the main event!"

Will this lead to a full-time return?

I doubt it. Booker T and RVD are good friends, and obviously Booker T and TNA are on good terms (even though there were reports that Booker T's attitude became a growing concern as his run in the company wore on).

Considering the expected cutbacks, I doubt TNA would re-sign the former 5-time, 5-time, 5-time WCW Champion.

Booker T was also not at the recent TNA tapings in Orlando, which included the 4 weeks of "iMPACT!" episodes leading up to June's Slammiversary PPV. Of course, if TNA brings him back soon, they could insert video of his match with RVD or other promos, into the upcoming episodes.

Scott Hall Arrested

In the least surprising news of the weekend, according to the Orlando Sentinel, one-half of the TNA Tag Team Champions, Scott Hall, was arrested on May 14 for disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer.

"The deputy found a bartender standing in the door telling Hall to leave, but Hall was yelling and cursing at the bartender and other patrons there, according to the deputy's account. The deputy also said Hall appeared intoxicated with slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.

When the deputy advised Hall he was being placed in custody for disorderly intoxication, he tried to prepare him for the handcuffs, but Hall refused, the documentation states.

"Scott refused this directive, and instead, thrust out his chest, walking closer to me, stating, 'I ain't going down for this [expletive deleted],' " the report states. "This is [expletive deleted]. You know it's [expletive deleted]."

The report goes on to say that Hall continued to refuse, but the deputy managed to secure his left wrist with a handcuff and then pulled his right arm behind him.

"Due to Scott's inordinate size, 6'05", 295 pounds, I utilized two sets of handcuffs in tandem," the deputy noted in the report.

Hall was then placed in the patrol car.

Hall could not be reached Friday at a phone number listed on his offense report.

The bartender told the deputy that Hall had been "drinking heavily" and "became aggressive inside the bar," the report states. He pushed a customer and argued with the female bartender and called her names, the report says.

The bartender managed to line up a ride home for Hall, but he punched the window of the car that came for him and he pushed two female patrons near the car, according to the report.

Hall was transported to the Seminole jail and was later issued a trespass warning, notifying him never to return to the Hitching Post Bar on County Road 419."

Perhaps most interesting is that the arrest took place before Sacrifice and the recent TNA tapings in Orlando. So either TNA management knew about the arrest and didn't care, they didn't know about it, or perhaps they found out half-way through the tapings.

Interestingly enough, according to the spoilers, Hall is only set to appear in next week's episode of TNA "iMPACT!", taking on Team 3D and Ink Inc. in a non-title triple threat match. He does not wrestle on either the June 3rd or June 10th shows.

Needless to say, TNA should not be surprised that such an incident took place.

If released, at least Hall will have more time to do what he's truly good at (besides drinking): Last Call With Scott Hall.

Share |