The Squared Circle (All things Pro Wrestling)

[Metallo]

I was at Wrestlezone.com and they posted an interesting observation.

Every champion in WWE is a heel right now. Even the final ECW champ was a heel. I really haven't even thought about it.

When was the last time this happened?

 

[BlackLantern]

its probably due to TNA mishandling the whole situation...she'll probably head back to Japan...sad

 

[Metallo]

TNA should have let him leave just like he keeps claiming he wants to. Dixie needs to put her foot down. If it were me I'd put a rubber boot on and put foot up his @$$. Bubba's about as tough as a wet bag of $h*! anyway.

I hope the locker room makes it hell for him in TNA...especially if Kong's claims of harassment are true. She shouldn't have hit him but I can't blame her. Sometimes you gotta just do the morally right thing.

 

[Nightwing 52]

That's true, every champion right now is heel...Thus I hope his means Jericho retains at WM, has a lengthy reign up until Summerslam and then Morrison is the one to take the title off him in his own hometown.

Of course, this would leave Edge in no man's land. Which is why I think he could get drafted to RAW. Although, after WM SD is going to be lacking face power with the likes of Taker and Rey being possibly gone. Big Dave might also be gone as well. So maybe Edge might stay...

 

[El_Citrus]

Agreed that she'll likely head back to Japan, but I would bring her into WWE if she wanted. She would bring a great deal of attention (and talent) to the women's division.

 

[BlackLantern]

I would pay significant money to watch her destroy most of the Divas roster

 

[Nightwing 52]

Kong vs. Phoenix. Book it.

 

[Dr. Evil]

I would pay significant money to watch her destroy most of the Divas roster

Big Dave will stop her from doing that.

 

[BlackLantern]

she will take out Dave as well....I want to see her power bomb almost everyone...Kelly Kelly gets to go first

they could have Beth and Kong try and outdo each other in beating on the divas

 

[Metallo]

The sick part of Vince that likes freaks of nature probably would bring her in and give her a big dominating debut. I'd love to see her and Gail Kim go at it again in WWE but if they made her wrestle the WWE style (probably) that may severely limit how badass she can be.

The only other person that I could buy going toe to toe with her is Beth Phoenix. That might be interesting. It would show a different side of Phoenix as the underdog. But they may not mesh well in the ring. Regardless Vince would make Kong job out to Beth in the end.

After a short time she would be misused...kinda like Vader. Despite being beat up when he came into WWF I think Vader could have been handled better.

 

[The Sage]

Awesome Kong - the first big loss in the Hogan/Bischoff era. And why? Because of BS...

 

[The Sage]

Counterfeit Pennies: TNA vs. The Road to WrestleMania
By Chris Biscuiti - March 1, 2010 | Email the author

One week from today, on March 8th, the so-called “Monday Night Wars” will resume on a more permanent basis. Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter have certainly picked an interesting time to try and grab a share of the Monday wrestling audience, as we find ourselves right smack in the middle of WWE’s Road to WrestleMania.

The question is this: Will TNA’s programming change as such a crucial time for Vince McMahon and Company create some unwelcome detours between now and the Granddaddy of them all?

The likeliest of answers is this: No Chance In Hell.

This is not a knock on TNA. In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the things that the Hogan and Bischoff have brought into the mix. They have hit at least one home run by elevating The Pope into a true star in the making, and I have a feeling that he will continue to shine as a TNA standout, something he could not do in WWE as Elijah Burke. I have also enjoyed the Styles-Flair partnership seemingly much more than most, and I actually do think guys like Mr. Anderson, Kurt Angle, Desmond Wolfe and Abyss are actually doing pretty well for themselves right now as they become acclimated with the new TNA power structure.

With all that said, TNA is not without its issues, most notably being the inconsistent booking and stalled character development of a few prominent TNA stalwarts, including Samoa Joe, Daniels, Beer Money, and I don’t know, the ENTIRE X Division. These folks have especially gotten the short end of the stick thus far, and I still don’t understand how that can possibly happen in what is supposed to be a revitalized product. I understand the concept of mixing and matching some ex-WWE veterans with the old TNA guys, but if Bischoff and Hogan spent as much time on the people I just mentioned as they do with Hall/XPac vs. Nash/Young, Bischoff vs. Abyss/Foley/Jarrett, and Nasty Boys vs. Team 3D, then perhaps they would be able to hold steady in the ratings.

Speaking of which, TNA has really dropped the ball in terms of creating real buzz and buildup to certain matches and PPV events, something WWE has actually improved upon tremendously in recent weeks. And this just might be the most glaring difference between the two factions.

While WWE just came out with one of the most impressive pre-produced promotional packages of all-time to hype the Undertaker-Michaels rematch, TNA has failed miserably in hyping up the X Division leading up to, you know, Destination X. Without looking it up, if you can tell me when Destination X is, you deserve a Gold Medal made from the same stuff that was given to the Olympic champs in Vancouver.

Undertaker-Michaels Promo for WrestleMania XXVI

The answer, of course, is March 21st, less than three weeks away. Could have fooled me.

Needless to say, WWE seems to be peaking at the right time, and who knows, maybe TNA’s impending switch to Monday Nights is the reason why they’ve upped their game over the past few weeks. The WrestleMania XXVI card is now stacked with some potentially great matches/stories, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, NXT is already fresher and more TV-worthy than the last remnants of ECW.

Of course, WWE isn’t a perfect product by any means, and TNA is right to try and push as hard as they can to get to that next level where a real competition can resume.

However, instead of calling next week a rekindling of the “Monday Night Wars”, I will be a little more realistic and simply say that this is merely David’s first pebble being slung towards Goliath.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the song used in The Undertaker-Shawn Michaels promo referenced above is Running Up That Hill by Placebo? It’s a perfect song for this storyline, and definitely worth listening to or picking up on iTunes.

That’s all from me this week…CB

http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/2010/03/01/counterfeit-pennies-tna-vs-the-road-to-wrestlemania/

 

[The Sage]

Counterfeit Pennies: TNA vs. The Road to WrestleMania
By Chris Biscuiti - March 1, 2010 | Email the author

One week from today, on March 8th, the so-called “Monday Night Wars” will resume on a more permanent basis. Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter have certainly picked an interesting time to try and grab a share of the Monday wrestling audience, as we find ourselves right smack in the middle of WWE’s Road to WrestleMania.

The question is this: Will TNA’s programming change as such a crucial time for Vince McMahon and Company create some unwelcome detours between now and the Granddaddy of them all?

The likeliest of answers is this: No Chance In Hell.

This is not a knock on TNA. In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the things that the Hogan and Bischoff have brought into the mix. They have hit at least one home run by elevating The Pope into a true star in the making, and I have a feeling that he will continue to shine as a TNA standout, something he could not do in WWE as Elijah Burke. I have also enjoyed the Styles-Flair partnership seemingly much more than most, and I actually do think guys like Mr. Anderson, Kurt Angle, Desmond Wolfe and Abyss are actually doing pretty well for themselves right now as they become acclimated with the new TNA power structure.

With all that said, TNA is not without its issues, most notably being the inconsistent booking and stalled character development of a few prominent TNA stalwarts, including Samoa Joe, Daniels, Beer Money, and I don’t know, the ENTIRE X Division. These folks have especially gotten the short end of the stick thus far, and I still don’t understand how that can possibly happen in what is supposed to be a revitalized product. I understand the concept of mixing and matching some ex-WWE veterans with the old TNA guys, but if Bischoff and Hogan spent as much time on the people I just mentioned as they do with Hall/XPac vs. Nash/Young, Bischoff vs. Abyss/Foley/Jarrett, and Nasty Boys vs. Team 3D, then perhaps they would be able to hold steady in the ratings.

Speaking of which, TNA has really dropped the ball in terms of creating real buzz and buildup to certain matches and PPV events, something WWE has actually improved upon tremendously in recent weeks. And this just might be the most glaring difference between the two factions.

While WWE just came out with one of the most impressive pre-produced promotional packages of all-time to hype the Undertaker-Michaels rematch, TNA has failed miserably in hyping up the X Division leading up to, you know, Destination X. Without looking it up, if you can tell me when Destination X is, you deserve a Gold Medal made from the same stuff that was given to the Olympic champs in Vancouver.

Undertaker-Michaels Promo for WrestleMania XXVI

The answer, of course, is March 21st, less than three weeks away. Could have fooled me.

Needless to say, WWE seems to be peaking at the right time, and who knows, maybe TNA’s impending switch to Monday Nights is the reason why they’ve upped their game over the past few weeks. The WrestleMania XXVI card is now stacked with some potentially great matches/stories, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, NXT is already fresher and more TV-worthy than the last remnants of ECW.

Of course, WWE isn’t a perfect product by any means, and TNA is right to try and push as hard as they can to get to that next level where a real competition can resume.

However, instead of calling next week a rekindling of the “Monday Night Wars”, I will be a little more realistic and simply say that this is merely David’s first pebble being slung towards Goliath.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the song used in The Undertaker-Shawn Michaels promo referenced above is Running Up That Hill by Placebo? It’s a perfect song for this storyline, and definitely worth listening to or picking up on iTunes.

That’s all from me this week…CB

http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/2010/03/01/counterfeit-pennies-tna-vs-the-road-to-wrestlemania/

 

[Superark]

Awesome Kong - the first big loss in the Hogan/Bischoff era. And why? Because of BS...

Yup. It's absolutely ridiculous that TNA let Kong go and Bubba is still there. Though Kong was being very unprofessional lately, TNA still should've handled things better.

Well hopefully this means Kong ends up in WWE and destroys the Divas

 

[The Sage]

Hulk Hogan talked to the Rivertfront Times in the St. Louis area over the weekend to promote Lockdown tickets on-sale and talk about his in-ring wrestling return for TNA on March 8.

-- Hogan said his body is broken down, but he's getting back in the ring because the fans cheered for him to return. The writing was on the wall in November and December when Hogan went on his media blitz promoting TNA, saying he wouldn't wrestle again "unless the fans cheered loud enough." It led to an angle on last week's Impact with the formula of Hogan bleeding, creating sympathy, and a crazed Ric Flair to set up the big tag match on March 8.

"Oh, I can't, brother (Hogan said about not being able to wrestle). I was in Australia recently and did four dates wrestling Ric Flair. The first day I ran into Ric with a shoulder tackle and knocked him down. He popped up and came right back at me. I didn't have my footing right. I was turned in when he hit me and my right hip popped out of its socket. The pain shot like a piece of electricity to my head and right behind my ear. I felt like my head exploded. I fell and dumbed it up against the rope until I could pop my hip back in. That was my first day back."

Hogan continued: "I really didn't want to wrestle, but I got into a situation with TNA when the fans are chanting 'Hogan! Hogan!' It's hard to say no. I painted myself in a corner. Now I'm fighting a tag-team match March 8 with Abyss against Ric Flair and A.J. Styles. I did that to myself, but I really shouldn't be wrestling anymore."

-- Hogan talked more about his financial need to get back into the wrestling business: "I was in a situation where I was kind of lost and I happened to walk by a ring in a gym. I reached out and touched it, and I got goosebumps. I knew I had a problem, kind of like being an addict. I said, 'Oh boy.' It's like driving a fast car or being on a date with a beautiful woman. So, that was part of it. The other was necessity. After the last couple years, financially, I needed to do something. I was devastated financially."

-- Hogan took a shot at "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson, equating Johnson's high-profile family movies with Disney to the low-budget films Hogan put out in the 1990s.

"I thought about moving out to L.A. and doing the movie thing cause I have seventeen movies under my belt -- mostly low-budget kid movies, kind of like what The Rock is doing now," Hogan said. "My agent said they could put me in supporting roles. I'd never be a Gene Hackman or anything, but there is work for me. But I just wasn't into it. I needed to to work and thought why not get back to what I love, wrestling?"

Caldwell's Analysis: If you need a good laugh, here's Hulk Hogan justifying his in-ring return. "I painted myself into a corner, brother, what was I supposed to do?" Unbelievable. In the same interview, Hogan recommended Mark McGwire should just tell the truth and not half-truths about his steroid use in the 1990s. The same could be said for Hogan booking TNA to get himself over in the 2010s.

If only he would have been upfront from the beginning and said TNA was his promotional vehicle to justify getting back in the ring despite having a broken down body instead of offering the usual half-truths that he was "here for the boys" to elevate the entire roster and not be about himself, then at least his agenda would have been clear from the beginning. Classic Hogan.

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_39450.shtml

 

[Heretic]

TNA's loss of Kong is a landmark moment. This is where it has become blatantly clear that they will follow Hogan into the abyss. Kong is, possibly, over the long haul, the highest rated star in TNA history...and they chose Bubba The Love Sponge over her.

ATTENTION WWE:
Run an injury angle with Beth Pheonix. Bring Kong in at Mania...have her unify the belts...and absolutely destroy the Divas roster until a Beth return at Summerslam. That feud can be MONEY.

 

[Metallo]

Keep in mind Kong ASKED for her release before and there have been some pay issues. This may go beyond Bubba but I think he's part of the problem.

If they did fire her I think its BS but its not real clear whats going on right now.

Do you really think Vince would job HIS wrestlers to a TNA star? Even Divas? I'd love to see it but the chances are slim and in the long run he'd misuse her. They've gone farther and farther away from featuring good diva workers in WWE so I doubt they'd make an exception for Kong. Maybe at first but WWE's not the kind of company for a female with her talent.

You'd never see McCool get beat up long term by Kong. She'd end up embarrassing her and calling her fat in some stupid angle and Kong deserves better than to be made fodder for McTaker.

They've got some good potential feuds NOW that they don't seem interested in doing. They don't even use Beth as well as they could be right now and the two female champions (ugh) aren't even close to the best Divas in the company.

 

[Metallo]

Hogans excuse for getting back in the ring is just absurd. The fans didn't cheer THAT loud. He's admitting his end of the match is going to be ***** by saying he shouldn't even be in the ring. Flair can carry him to a degree but watching Hogan punch out AJ is going to be silly.

I PRAY it leads to a turn by Abyss or (more likely) Hogan and it stops this stupid red and yellow power ring Abyss angle. They may as well have him coming out to "I Wanna Be a Hulkamaniac"

 

[Superark]

Keep in mind Kong ASKED for her release before and there have been some pay issues. This may go beyond Bubba but I think he's part of the problem.

If they did fire her I think its BS but its not real clear whats going on right now.

^This!

IMO, TNA did not handle the Kong/Bubba situation very well, but Kong was very unprofessional lately. Regardless of whether Bubba deserved the beating he got for his Hati remarks, you cannot just go around and attacking people because of a tasteless remark they made about something that's not about you. Plus she refused to go on the TNA UK tour.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Kong is not going to the WWE.....she's not Batista's type.

 

[Hunter Rider]

What is Hogan waffling on about? wasn't that tag match announced BEFORE the taping took place?

As for Kong, she isn't a great worker but she has improved and could work well in a 6-8 month WWE run if booked as a beast.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Hogan is showing signs of dementia, I think.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Kong is not going to the WWE.....she's not Batista's type.

 

[Metallo]

What is Hogan waffling on about? wasn't that tag match announced BEFORE the taping took place?

As for Kong, she isn't a great worker but she has improved and could work well in a 6-8 month WWE run if booked as a beast.

I'd love it but the chances of that happening are as slim as McCools 12 year old boy body.

Someone toss this broad something to put in her mouth besides the Deadman's death valley jerky stick.

 

[Superark]

What is Hogan waffling on about? wasn't that tag match announced BEFORE the taping took place?

As for Kong, she isn't a great worker but she has improved and could work well in a 6-8 month WWE run if booked as a beast.

Hogan the character I enjoy, but Hogan the person can drive me nuts sometimes.

Kong is actually a great worker. Her Japanese stuff is really good. She's also been wrestling with a back injury for a long time now. She would work great in WWE if booked right.