Weekly News Roundup (9/12 - 9/18)

[Pinkfloyd]

It's the same creative. If they don't have time for it on RAW, then Vince was never going to give them their deserved time.

Ideally they would get a network show as WWE doesn't seem to value good work on TV

The difference being that it is pretty much agreed upon that Smackdown is having depth issues. I hear no such criticisms of Raw and it's honestly not there. Their depth is fine even before the Cruiserweights show up. It's not entirely the same creative on both shows and the dynamics of both shows are not the same so that line of reasoning doesn't work for this just because it's Vince calling the shots on both shows.

 

[GKJ]

Dave Meltzer is going to address an apparent rumor that WWE is attempting to buy TNA. Why on earth would they feel the need to do that?

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Dave Meltzer is going to address an apparent rumor that WWE is attempting to buy TNA. Why on earth would they feel the need to do that?

He touched on it last night. They'd want to buy the video library but that's it. The company would be dead.

 

[GKJ]

He touched on it last night. They'd want to buy the video library but that's it. The company would be dead.

Buy it when its dead, then.

 

[Kimi]

Dave Meltzer is going to address an apparent rumor that WWE is attempting to buy TNA. Why on earth would they feel the need to do that?

He'll probably talk about it on his podcast today or tomorrow.

But it should be obvious why they'd want to own TNA. They want all the IP and the tape Library. Just the same as they did with WCW way back, and all the other promotions they've bought when they were going out of business. They've no interest in actually running TNA as a company or anything.

Sinclair (owners of RoH) have put in a bid, so has the Fight Network. Dunno about anyone else.

 

[Kimi]

Buy it when its dead, then.

But it is dead. Just because it's on TV doesn't mean it's alive.

It doesn't make money and does have anyone funding it anymore. They need someone to give them money, have done for ages now, and no one is stepping up. Even the people who did give them money recently have backed out from it. Saying they're on life support would be very generous.

 

[These Are The Days]

But it is dead. Just because it's on TV doesn't mean it's alive.

It doesn't make money and does have anyone funding it anymore. They need someone to give them money, have done for ages now, and no one is stepping up. Even the people who did give them money recently have backed out from it. Saying they're on life support would be very generous.

Who is even wrestling for them anymore? Lashley, Galloway, the Hardys? Is James Storm even with them anymore? Abyss has to be 40+ years old now. God I don't even want to look. Last time I did I wasn't sure whether or not to feel sadness or say, "Well that's what happens"

Here's a conspiracy... Hogan buys in to TNA to keep it alive.... BROTHER!!

Edit: I heard Billy Corgan bought in too. LOL so hard if that was true. I know he's a diehard sports fans but he has such a nasty reputation for being stubborn and whiny. There's no way he would make it in the wrestling business.

 

[Serac]

Sounds like wwe wants to strike before they become deleted

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Buff "I sucked so bad in my one shot on Raw that I pretty much killed WCW" Bagwell talked about Samoa Joe and CM Punk, and it's pretty much what you'd expect from someone from that generation:

Samoa Joe

“Samoa Joe, to me, I’ve never got that. I know he’s very popular. I know he’s very good in the ring, I think he’s a great wrestler, I like to watch him. But when you’ve got a chance to do a storyline, to the world of wrestling fans, who’s going to be Sting’s tag team partner, and the options are Lex Luger, Marcus Bagwell, and Samoa Joe. I mean, who in the heck is Samoa Joe? And Luger wasn’t fit enough, so I fit the part perfectly…I really don’t know where [TNA] were going with that, except maybe a push for Samoa Joe? Me and Samoa Joe haven’t spoke 10 words together. He was on one independent show with in in Cleveland, and he got mad because I was in the main event and he wasn’t. To me, Samoa Joe is a fat, out of shape guy who looks like he should not be in a wrestling ring, and I’ve not heard or seen anybody ever draw a dollar with him.”

CM Punk

“Here’s how I look at it. If I was a promoter like Vince McMahon or Ted Turner, if I was trying to make money in the wrestling industry, I would judge it by having a person walk through Walmart. If CM Punk walked through Walmart even as popular as he is, he’s not going to get noticed as much as Hulk Hogan walking through Walmart. The reason why I say Walmart, is [because] that is our fanbase.”

“He was able to stay over for a year and not have a fight, and then you go out and take such a big fight and get beat up. I mean, brother, that leaves not a dent, not a scratch, that leaves a scar. I’m not sure that can be fixed. So, it was a bad, bad decision, but whoever his manager is to keep his name getting said without having a fight, weighing a buck fifty; thin as a rail, he doesn’t look like a tough guy, I heard some things but he don’t look it. But to be able to get talked about on a pretty regular basis, bravo [claps]! But when you go out and get beat up real bad, that is really bad. I was rooting for him, because it makes us all look good. We’re all pro wrestlers. But, instead, he goes out there and gets his brain beaten out.”

Jabroni.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Edge interview bits:

How he feels not wrestling and being prepared to retire in 2011

“It’s a relief. It is because I knew how I was feeling and I knew how I’d wake up feeling in the morning and all of those things. So it made it easier and it was a bit of relief.”

“I was already preparing [for retirement]. I really was mentally. I was ready and physically was forcing me to mentally prepare. It was more of a realization, like, okay, mentally, was I tired of travel? Yes, but it was also because physically I was tired of the travel and that lent to the mental tiredness. But it wasn’t like I was like, ‘I’m done. I’m fed up. I can’t stand this anymore.'”

Retiring as champ

“The way I look at it is I had to retire as world champion with my last match at WrestleMania. Oh, that’s horrible. That sucks! What are you talking about? That’s f–king awesome! Yeah, ah, he wanted to win in his last match! What an *******! It’s like, no, I just [can’t wrestle anymore]. What do you want me to do? I’d put somebody over. I’ve got no problem.”

Why he distanced himself from WWE

“Like, ‘if I’m going to show up, at least have me do something’. ‘Nope, you can’t’. ‘Alright, then don’t have me show up because why bother?’ That’s why I’ve kind of really distanced myself even from watching the product too much. It’s like, ‘well, I can’t do it.’ If you want me to come back and cut a promo on all this stuff, it’s like, I can’t really further stuff along too much because there’s no physical payoff. It’s like nobody’s going to get heat from attacking me because they’re not allowed to attack me.”

Saving money

“Well, I was never stupid with my money because I grew up without it. So when I started to make some, I was like, ‘okay, first rule of thumb, I’m not buying it unless I’ve got the money to buy it’, so I have no debt. I own three homes. I drive a Jeep. I’m cool with that. Yeah, I mean, you’ve got to learn from [veteran professional wrestlers who have squandered their money]. If you don’t and you put the blinders on, and don’t learn from that, you’re pretty much a dumbass. I mean, I’ve got a watch and that’s it. I do and I drive a Jeep and I’ve got a pickup truck and I’m okay with that. That’s perfect for me. I don’t need anything more.”

His distancing himself from the company comment is pretty much what and why Daniel should have stayed away. I know they wanted him to do the Cruiserweight thing and the general manager spot on Smackdown, but Bryan hanging around is seeing all these guys perform and he can't. Edge stuck around to help build Christian vs. ADR for a few weeks after his retirement, was there to embrace Christian when he won the World title for the first time and then he disappeared except for a few spots here and there (promo on Christian before his SS11 match vs. Randy and the segment with Seth Rollins and John Cena).


I miss Edge. If he wanted to come back as SD GM I'd be open to that

 

[Virtanen18]

Would be awesome to see the TNA library on the Network.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Sasha Banks, unsurprisingly, botched the finish of the triple-threat on Raw.

Shelton Benjamin is out for six months but Vince and HHH are still highly interested in bringing him in. (I wouldn't be surprised to see a Rumble debut).

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Who is even wrestling for them anymore? Lashley, Galloway, the Hardys? Is James Storm even with them anymore? Abyss has to be 40+ years old now. God I don't even want to look. Last time I did I wasn't sure whether or not to feel sadness or say, "Well that's what happens"

Here's a conspiracy... Hogan buys in to TNA to keep it alive.... BROTHER!!

Edit: I heard Billy Corgan bought in too. LOL so hard if that was true. I know he's a diehard sports fans but he has such a nasty reputation for being stubborn and whiny. There's no way he would make it in the wrestling business.

I could see WWE wanting Lashley bad if they could mend fences

Anyone that is buying TNA has got to change the name, it's a tainted brand.

You put the hardy's on a TNA show it will not draw
You put the hardy's on an indy show it will draw

The name has got to go

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Sasha Banks, unsurprisingly, botched the finish of the triple-threat on Raw.

Shelton Benjamin is out for six months but Vince and HHH are still highly interested in bringing him in. (I wouldn't be surprised to see a Rumble debut).

How exactly did Sasha botch the finish?

 

[M.C.G. 31]

How exactly did Sasha botch the finish?

Her shoulders were down leading to a double pin even though that wasn't supposed to happen. Vince sent a directive to the commentary team not to mention that both their shoulders were down.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Her shoulders were down leading to a double pin even though that wasn't supposed to happen. Vince sent a directive to the commentary team not to mention that both their shoulders were down.

Meh, from what I saw it wasn't really a botch. Shoulders down doesn't automatically call for a pinfall and since Bayley had nothing on Sasha, it's not really a botch. It just looked like it in real time.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Would be awesome to see the TNA library on the Network.

Rather TNA stay its own company away from Vince.

I like what they have been doing lately and their ratings are slowly rising too.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Rather TNA stay its own company away from Vince.

I like what they have been doing lately and their ratings are slowly rising too.

Not really. They're pretty consistent, but they're not rising. TNA is pretty much toast. There's no money, no profit, nothing.

 

[Virtanen18]

Rather TNA stay its own company away from Vince.

I like what they have been doing lately and their ratings are slowly rising too.

I don't watch anymore, but if they put most of TNA stuff on the network, I would watch the heck out of it. They need money bad

 

[Emperoreddy]

Bully Corgin is still trying to buy the majority share of the company according to the NYPost. He also wants the deal down soon so he can announce his new direction for TNA at Bound for Glory.

They aren't revealing numbers though.

The company has a complicated ownership structure that is causing issues.

Dixie, Corgan, Aroloxe, and Canadian Fight Network all have stakes. Billy is currently the president of the company.

Sinclair (ROH) and WWE also have made bids.

Corgan also said his bid is 100% his money and hasn't lined up investors or anything.

Edit: Corgin told the Post there is an agreed upon price.

The thought is that Billy is the only bidder right now that wants to continue TNA. Sinclair and WWE are more interested in the tape library.

 

[These Are The Days]

I could see WWE wanting Lashley bad if they could mend fences

Anyone that is buying TNA has got to change the name, it's a tainted brand.

You put the hardy's on a TNA show it will not draw
You put the hardy's on an indy show it will draw

The name has got to go

I agree about that. But the biggest thing TNA needs is a stable ownership with deep pockets. Assume I'm a billionaire with WAY too much time and too much money on my hands. I'd do the following

1. Buy TNA and tell Dixie and everyone else take my offer and my direction or **** off and that they're lucky anyone wants to inherit their mess

2. Suspend operations for several weeks (possibly months) and continue to pay the wrestlers even though they are not working so I can assemble a group of competent business partners and "wrestling savvy" bookers. Like a panel of Jim Cornette's (happy b-day to him by the way) but not actually Jim himself. I respect the guy but he's a blowhard who thinks he's never been wrong a day in his life.

3. Rebrand TNA into a different name as you said. Personally I would call it something like NAWA North American Wrestling Association to give it a good acronym like "nah-wuh" rather than letters

4. Get Dixie Carter and any and all "old boys club" the hell away from this decaying mess. I looked it up and apparently Billy Corgan owns a minority share. I'd try to get on his good side and try to work with him. But if he's gonna be a dick I'd tell him he can take on the business venture on his own.

-I WOULD NOT work with a jerk of a partner as a minority owner of my company and for the price of this enterprise I'd start my own company

5. Clean house on the roster and buy out any of the cockroaches still on the roster. No offense to guys like who bled for the wrestling business like Abyss but I don't need a 42 year old main eventer.

6. Reset all the championships, rename them, re-brand them and make them all winnable at the first major PPV.

7. Advertise the **** out of it. In specific running a few minute add explaining the new direction of the company (kind of like Vince's launching of the attitude era) starting each week at the time TNA used to debut its shows

8. Recruit capable wrestlers and strike deals with developmental territories

9. Steal EVERYONE'S underpants for personal reasons

10. Run a PG program like WWE does but include the occasional PG-13 moments meaning that once a month you'll get something like a "you're a real piece of *censored* you know that?" remark from someone, a chair shot that leads to some blood. Storyline relationships that include affairs

11. Strike up a TV deal after resuming operations

12. Let it go from there and get my crack staff to book everything for the first several weeks

13. Give back underpants

 

[GKJ]

Corgan with 100% ownership of TNA will either be pretty interesting to watch unfold, an incredible disaster, or both. From an investor standpoint, I could see him not wanting to work with other people, and not many people willing to work with him. It's said that he's in a different place now, but it's not like he hasn't had times where he was borderline unhinged.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Corgan with 100% ownership of TNA will either be pretty interesting to watch unfold, an incredible disaster, or both. From an investor standpoint, I could see him not wanting to work with other people, and not many people willing to work with him. It's said that he's in a different place now, but it's not like he hasn't had times where he was borderline unhinged.

I would be curious how the ownership structure will look if his bid succeeds.

I find it hard to believe Dixie would sell her entire stake. Could see her wanting to remain a minority owner. I'm guessing Aroloxe and Fight Network would like their money and be done with it but IDK.

Edit: I didn't realize Billy has been involved with TNA since 2015 when he came on as a Senior Producer.

 

[These Are The Days]

You gotta cut the head off the snake to kill the body. Dixie is not a bad lady at all but not someone who should be running a major wrestling promotion. Same said for Corgan.

I mean I used to watch TNA all the way back in 2007 and 2008 because me and my buddy couldn't stand how bad WWE had gotten by then and I thought to myself, "Man this isn't a whole lot better" I can only imagine it's condition now

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Putting 100% of your own money into TNA (unless you're WWE) is just stupid. You won't see a return on it or anything like that. At least WWE can include footage for guys like Styles, Sting, Joe, Roode, Young, Storm (if he comes back?), etc. on DVDs and the Network.