Live coverage of May 14 2012 WWE Monday Night RAW results & play by play will begin tonight shortly after 9 PM/EST broadcast. Triple H is scheduled to return tonight and address the incident with Brock Lesnar from two weeks back. Will Paul Heyman confront Hunter live on RAW? More matches for WWE Over the Limit will be announced and more. Come back at 9 for the live blog!
If you missed TNA Impact Wrestling Sacrifice 2012 you missed one of the better pay per view events in TNA history. Bobby Roode and Rob Van Dam topped off a fast paced show with one of the most exciting matches of the year.
I tend to be more critical of TNA Wrestling on a week to basis than I’d like to be. Unfortunately they just have a great knack of making moves in and out of the ring that makes you scratch your head. At the same time I think it is important to give the company props when deserved and in my mind they deserve all of the props they can get for an outstanding Sacrifice event on Sunday night.
Bobby Roode retained the TNA Impact Wrestling world heavyweight championship defeating former champion Rob Van Dam in a ladder match. As far as TNA pay per view main-events, I’d rank this as one of the top main-events in company history. Now purists (or if fans with the last name Cornette) will probably hate this match due to the excessive high risk bumps you get from a ladder match. But if you like crazy, action-packed, crazy bumping ladder matches than this is right in your wheelhouse.
The finish of this one was weird to say the least. I have seen a few reports that have called it a botched finish, yet I am not so sure it didn’t go exactly as planned. Roode was climbing the ladder when RVD tied to jump towards him to stop the climb. Van Dam landed with his knee or ankle twisted and tangled between the rungs. It looked sick! Both guys tried once again to climb the ladder. Roode kicked RVD off the ladder, grabbed the title, and retained.
I am becoming a bigger Bobby Roode fan by the week. I’ll admit that I didn’t get it and was critical of the push and title run early on. However, I can admit that I was dead wrong on this one. The guy has worked his butt off putting on very good-great matches every time he has had the spot on pay per view. The kid is a workhorse and has done more to put an emphasis on championship matches than anyone has in a long time. His promos and presence are just as good and I think TNA has a great thing going with Roode in the championship spot.
The other highlight of the night for me was the Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles match. This one reminded me a lot of those early Randy Orton vs. Christian matches where both were babyfaces. Angle got the win here with a heel hook in a great match if you are into those babyface vs. babyface matches (which I am). Even better, the post match set up a feud with Kazarian and Christopher Daniels vs. Angle and Styles in what has potential to be the feud or match series of the year. Kazarian and Daniels beat down Styles after the match and Angle made the save. All of the sudden I have a big reason to start tuning in on Thursday nights.
The fail of the show and believe me there is one big fail on every TNA show goes to my least favorite pushed wrestler in Ken Anderson. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy in a fairly average match which was not nearly as exciting Jeff’s recent matches in TNA. Referee Earl Hebner botched the finish here and counted to three after Hardy kicked out. That is a big fail but the huge fail came when Anderson threw a temper tantrum following the match…in which he just won! Yes, it was a screwed up finish but nobody had to know that at home. Instead, Anderson looks like an idiot getting mad after he just defeated Jeff Hardy because the 5,000 people watching didn’t see his last few spots. This was bush league to me and probably looked very odd to the casual fan who couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on.
Overall the show was pretty damned good with two great main-events. It should be noted that whether it is coincidence or not that believe it or not, Dixie Carter nor Eric Bischoff were reportedly at the show. So TNA has its best show in ages with Dixie and Eric reportedly out of the building. I’d say that is a little more than just coincidence.
Full TNA Impact Wrestling Sacrifice 2012 results & winners…
Kazarian and Christopher Daniels defeated Magnus & Samoa Joe to win the tag team championship
Gail Kim defeated Brooke Tessmacher to retain the Knockouts championship
Devon defeated Robbie E & Robbie T to retain the TV title Mr. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy Crimson defeated Eric Young Bully Ray defeated Austin Aries
Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles
Bobby Roode defeated Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match to retain the world heavyweight championship
In my last column here on the Camel Clutch Blog, I asked the question, “Does the illusion matter anymore in pro wrestling?” By “illusion” I meant making an effort to make what you’re doing look like it’s real. I got a lot of feedback to that column, and the overwhelming consensus was, “Heck yes it matters!”
So, put that in your back pocket for a moment. I’m going to come back to it in just a bit in this column.
But first, let me tell you about another exchange I recently had with an indie pro wrestler. It was about the concept of the “Three Way Dance” or “Triple Threat” match. The wrestler I was talking with had read my book Fixing the Indies, where, among other things, I heavily criticize gimmick matches like the Three Way Dance. This worker took issue with my stance on the match, particularly to the fact that I refer to the Three Way Dance in my book as “stupid.”
“Why so bitter, Norm?” the wrestler asked me. “Why call the Three Way Dance ‘stupid’? It’s just a match! A lot of people enjoy the Three Way Dance!”
I don’t doubt that. I fully understand that some fans like the concept. But that doesn’t change the fact that I think the Three Way Dance is stupid.
Why? Well, it goes back to the notion of generating and preserving the illusion. If you truly believe that the illusion — that is, again, that wrestlers should try to make what they’re doing look real — is important, then I contend that you should agree with me that the Three Way Dance is stupid.
Bear with me here.
Let’s look at this logically. If we’re trying to present pro wrestling as a real combat sport, what sense does it make to pit three combatants against each other simultaneously? If you really think it through, such a construct could never exist in real sport. Let’s use the UFC as an example. There are no Three Way Dances in UFC because, well, it just wouldn’t work. You’d have three fighters — fighters A, B, and C — all standing in the Octagon, nervously looking backing and forth and fearful to make the first move.
Let’s say you’re fighter A. Would you be aggressive and, say, go after figther B? No, of course not, because if you did, you would totally leave your flank vulnerable to fighter C. The other two fighters would be fearful of the same thing happening to them, so no one would attack and all three guys would just stand there, frozen.
Pro wrestling “fixes” this fatal flaw with a completely phony solution — dumping one guy out of the ring.
Think about it. Every single time you watch a Three Way Dance, it happens. One guy gets dumped out of the ring and then just conveniently hangs out casually on the floor while the two remaining guys in the ring proceed with a standard singles match. Then one of those two guys jumps out of the ring and the guy who was standing idle jumps back in and a singles match proceeds between those two guys for a few minutes.
It’s all just too rehearsed, too well timed, too convenient, and…too fake. It would never happen in real life. So to “accept” the Three Way Dance is just to say, “Yeah, this is completely fake and illogical, but let’s just do it anyway.”
Illusion shattered.
There’s a reason why there are only two teams in each NFL game. Could you imagine a football game going down between three teams? Of course not. It wouldn’t make any sense. It doesn’t make any sense in wrestling, either.
The square peg doesn’t fit in the round hole, but in pro wrestling we just keep hammering the square peg into the hole until there’s nothing left of the peg but splinters.
If the illusion matters, the Three Way Dance is stupid. There’s just no denying it.
Come check out my new book, Fixing the Indies, the step-by-step guide to success in indie pro wrestling.” And then link to http://fixingtheindies.com
This is the recap for the 5-11-12 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown! Before I begin with the recap, I’d like to invite everyone to go over to my blog and check out my column on the worst member of the Four Horsemen of all time. I’m pretty proud of it, and it’s gotten a good response, so check it out. All feedback is welcome.
The show opens with what happened on Monday Night RAW, resulting in the World Championship match at Over the Limit being changed to a 4-way, including Chris Jericho and Randy Orton.
Hey, we’re going right into a match.
MATCH 1: World Champion Sheamus and Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez)
This is a rematch from Monday night, for those of you that didn’t watch. ADR actually comes out like everyone else, instead of in a car. Jericho and Orton start off, with Jericho punching Orton into the corner. Orton comes back with punches and kicks. Jericho reverses a corner whip, and Orton counters with a clothesline. Sheamus tags in and lands several punches and a back elbow. He aggressively tags Orton back in, who hits Jericho with a European uppercut. Jericho fights Orton off and tags in ADR, who runs right into a hip toss by Orton. Orton misses a knee drop, and ADR hits an armbar takedown for 2. ADR gets in a top wristlock. Orton fights out and tags in Sheamus. Sheamus hits an Irish Hammer, then beats ADR into the corner. ADR gets a back elbow up, but runs right into the rolling fireman’s carry slam for 2. Sheamus goes to the ropes, and Jericho low bridges him, sending him to the floor. Sheamus eventually gets back in the ring, where he’s met with an ADR kick. Jericho tags in and gets Sheamus in a version of the fujiwara, which he turns into a hammerlock/rear chinlock combo. Sheamus elbows his way out and hits an Irish Hammer off the ropes. Orton tags back in, hits Jericho with a pair of clotheslines and a powerslam. Jericho rolls to the apron, which allows Orton to hit the suspended DDT. Orton sets up for the RKO, but Jericho shoves him off. Orton hits a dropkick for 2, and the pin is broken up by ADR. Sheamus comes in to fight off ADR, and now all four men are brawling. The referee signals for the bell, apparently throwing this match out.
WINNERS: No contest. Orton and ADR begin brawling outside. Sheamus eventually clotheslines Jericho to the floor as Orton clotheslines ADR over the barricade.
After the break, we find out in a tweet from Eve Torres that, based on the last match, later tonight, Orton will take on ADR and Sheamus will take on Jericho in singles matches.
MATCH 2: AJ vs. Kaitlyn
Kaityln is so awkward-looking. I’m not sure why, but she is. AJ immediately takes Kaitlyn down with a tackle, then does it again. AJ dropkicks the knee and hits a shining wizard to get the 3.
WINNER: AJ. After the match, AJ continues the attack, punching the hell out of Kaitlyn. Daniel Bryan’s music hits, and he comes out, yessing it up. He climbs into the ring, smiling. Bryan says he’s impressed. What passion. What gusto. He had no idea she could be so ruthless, and with her best friend nonetheless. If she wanted to send him a message, he got it. He’s seeing her in an entirely new light. There has been so much angst between them since Wrestlemania, he’s ready to move past it at all. At Over the Limit, after he becomes the new WWE Champion, he’s looking forward to moving on…that is, he’s looking forward to moving on to Kaitlyn. Bryan then laughs at AJ as she is seething. She storms out of the ring, heading to the back as Bryan once again does the “Yes!” chant.
MATCH 3: Daniel Bryan vs. The Big Show
Less than a half-hour into the show, and we’re already on our third match. That’s gotta be some kind of record. Show backs Bryan into a corner and lands a gut shot. Into the next corner, and it’s a chop to the chest. Next corner, another gut shot. Next corner, another open-hand chop. Bryan gets his feet up on a charge and hits a flying knee strike from the second rope. Bryan tries for a kick, and Show blocks it, hitting him with another chop. Hip bump in the corner by Show, but Bryan counters the running shoulder with a dropkick to the knee. Bryan stomps Show down and cinches in the Yes! Lock. The bell immediately rings, as we John Laurinaitis ringing the bell. He announces Bryan as the winner via submission.
WINNER: Daniel Bryan. Johnny Ace climbs into the ring and calls Show out for making fun of him on Monday night. Show says, no, he doesn’t think it’s funny. Ace eventually forces him to say, “No, sir.” Ace heard the apology this past Monday, and Show didn’t mean it. As Eve said, outside of the WWE, there’s not much use for a 7-foot, 440 pound, 40 year-old freak. Show will apologize again this Monday night, and it better be a damn good one. Ace leaves the ring, but stops on the stage. He’s going to shock the world in nine days when he beats John Cena at OTL and shakes the WWE to its very foundation. People power!
Back from the break, Heath Slater is in the ring with a microphone. He wants to tell us about his opponent. Physically, he might be the epitome of evolution, but to Slater, he looks like a caveman with a pea brain. He hasn’t beaten anyone worthwhile, especially someone of Heath Slater’s caliber.
MATCH 4: Heath Slater vs. Ryback
Slater gets in Ryback’s face, so Ryback knocks him on his ass. Slater comes back with a kick and some punches. Ryback blocks a swinging neckbreaker attempt, and backs Slater into the corner with shoulder thrusts. Ryback picks him up and hits a spinning powerslam. Ryback levels Slater with a running clothesline and the running fisherman’s suplex to end it.
WINNER: Ryback. Somewhere, Crimson is crying in a bathtub.
Did You Know? Contrary to popular belief, Elvis Presley did not write a single one of his own songs.
Teddy Long is in the ring, doing ring introductions per orders of the GM. Alex Riley is already in the ring for this next match.
MATCH 5: Alex Riley vs. Antonio Cesaro (w/Aksana)
Cesaro gets a hilariously long ring introduction. Cesaro with a waistlock takedown to start. Headbutt sends Riley into the corner, followed by a running boot for 2. Cesaro locks in a cravat, but Riley fights out. Riley misses a dropkick off the ropes, and Cesaro hits a modified gutwrench suplex, followed by a kick to the shoulder blades. Cesaro locks in a double chicken wing, wearing Riley down. Riley fights back with punches and hits a clothesline off the ropes, followed by another clothesline. Riley looks for a spinebuster off the ropes, but Cesaro blocks it by yanking on Riley’s ear, then follows up with a nasty European uppercut. Cesaro cracks his neck before hitting Gotch-Style Neutralizer, and gets the 3.
WINNER: Antonio Cesaro. After the match, Aksana tells Long no hard feelings, but they’re just friends. They then make out in front of Long. She looked like hell here, BTW. At least Cesaro is awesome in every way.
We get a video package for John Cena’s work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Up next, Orton vs. ADR.
MATCH 6: Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) vs. Randy Orton
ADR backs Orton into the corner, but Orton quickly fights out. ADR hits some headbutts and kicks before Orton gets in some more blows. ADR comes back with his own, stomping Orton down in the opposite corner. Again, it’s short-lived, as Orton comes back with stomps of his own and a slingshot under the bottom rope for 2. ADR slides the apron, and manages to hotshot the arm. ADR kicks the injured arm and gets 2. ADR yanks Orton’s arm over the middle rope, and behind the ref’s back, Rodriguez does the same thing. ADR goes for the pin, but only gets 2. A hammerlock front powerslam gets another 2. ADR goes into a top wristlock. Orton punches his way out, hits a pair of clotheslines and a powerslam. ADR slides to the apron. Orton goes for the DDT, but ADR counters and back drops Orton to the apron. Orton lands on his feet, and is met with a step-up enziguri by ADR for 2. Orton blocks a clothesline and counters with the 3.0 for 2. ADR comes back with the double-knee armbreaker. He sets up for the rolling jujigatame, but Orton shoves him off into the turnbuckle. Orton gets him on the second turnbuckle and connects with the suspended DDT. Orton sets up for the RKO, but Rodriguez is behind him on the turnbuckle. He jumps off, right into an RKO, causing the DQ.
WINNER VIA DISQUALIFICATION: Randy Orton. ADR attacks Orton from behind after the match and locks in the jujigatame. Several referees eventually pull him off.
MATCH 7: WWE Tag Team Co-Champion R-Truth (w/Kofi Kingston) vs. Jack Swagger (w/Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler)
Tie-up to start, with Swagger backing Truth to the corner, where he lands some elbows. Truth counters a corner whip into a hip toss before hitting a jumping legdrop for 2. We see AW and his crew (which now includes Mason Ryan) watching on in the back. Back in the ring, Swagger blocks a bodyscissors into a wheelbarrow suplex for 2. Swagger with a forearm to the back and a double chicken wing, which he turns into an armbar. Truth fights back and lands a DDT. Swagger misses a corner charge, allowing Truth to hit a pair of clotheslines and a bodyscissors into a pin for 2. Truth hits an uppercut, ducks a clothesline and hits the Lie Detector for another 2 as Ziggler pulls at Truth’s foot to get him to break it. Ziggler and Kingston brawl outside as Swagger levels Truth with a clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, Truth with another uppercut. Behind the ref’s back, Kingston hits Swagger with Trouble in Paradise, which allows Truth to land the What’s Up for 3.
WINNER: R-Truth. The two teams have now traded wins, and it’s been announced they will square off at OTL for the WWE Tag Team titles.
Did You Know? Fortune cookies are not and have never been Chinese. They actually originated from Japan, and it’s unknown how exactly they were adopted as a mainstay in Chinese restaurants. A recent attempt to market them in China was rejected, as they are considered “too American” for authentic Chinese cuisine.
MATCH 8: WWE United States Champion Santino Marella and Zack Ryder vs. Titus O’Neil and Darren Young
We get a cut-away promo from Marella and Ryder, arguing over their team name (either “Co-Bro” or “Mar-Ryder”). Marella gets O’Neil in a headlock, which is quickly counted by a shoulderblock. O’Neil fights out of a waistlock and hits a bodyslam. Young tags in. Marella blocks his punch and hits his own. Young counters the splits with a neckbreaker and a legdrop. Back suplex by Young as he tags in O’Neil. O’Neil picks Young up and drops him in a gourdbuster position on top of Marella. Young tags back in, and he hits a legdrop before going into a rear chinlock. Marella fights out and hits a stunner before tagging in Ryder. Ryder takes Young down with a clothesline and a pair of knees in the corner. Ryder hits the Broski Boot, but only gets 2. Ryder goes off the ropes, but gets tripped up by O’Neil, allowing Young to hit a clothesline. Marella starts to chase O’Neil off with the Cobra outside, but is clotheslined by Young. Ryder then dropkicks O’Neil through the ropes before decking Young. Back in the ring, Ryder goes for some mounted punches, but Young slides out and trips Ryder up. O’Neil tags in, and they hit a pretty weak version of the Demolition Decapitation (f only slightly better than the version David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty used, but only slightly) for 3.
WINNERS: Titus O’Neil and Darren Young. Why is that the go-to move for boring tag teams? Demolition must be so embarrassed. After the match, O’Neil orders Lilian Garcia to announce them as winners once again. O’Neil calls them future WWE Tag Team Champions. Young says the difference between them and all of the other tag teams is millions of dollars. Then they do a stupid “millions of dollars” chant to themselves.
Matt Striker is in the back with Damien Sandow. He asks Sandow about not competing last week. Sandow apologizes to Striker if he was confused last week. And to think, Striker used to be an educator. These people yearn for enlightenment, and who do they turn to? In short, there is no ones. Others attempt, but they are false prophets. Sandow basically says he is our savior before saying “You’re welcome.” Honestly, what I type here can’t do Sandow’s promos justice. They are so damn good.
We get a video for WWE Download one of their numerous YouTube shows.
Hot damn. We’re on our 9th match tonight. This has got to be some kind of record for a televised wrestling show.
MATCH 9: Brodus Clay (w/Cameron and Naomi) vs. Hunico (w/Camacho)
Hunico is cutting a promo on his way out, saying his name means he’s #1 one. The fans don’t understand someone like him, because they’ve been given everything in their lives. The two heels attack Clay from behind before the match even starts, with Camacho eventually exiting the ring. Clay is now laughing and gyrating as the bell rings. Brodus no-sells some shots from Hunico before taking him down with a headbutt, then beating him down in the corner. Hunico gets his feet up on a corner charge, but runs right into a back body drop. Clay headbutts Camacho off the apron, then drops Hunico with an exploder suplex and hits the running splash follows for 3.
WINNER: Brodus Clay.
MATCH 10: Chris Jericho vs. World Champion Sheamus (non-title)
Sheamus starts off clubbing Jericho across the back, then throws him to two different corners. Jericho fights back with kicks and punches. Sheamus reverses things and lays in some more punches. Jericho gets his boot up on a corner charge, then comes at Sheamus with more punches. Jericho misses a corner charge, sending him to the apron, where Sheamus drops the forearms across the chest before shouldering Jericho to the floor. Commercials.
Back from the break, Jericho runs right into the slingshot shoulderblock from Sheamus for 2. Jericho manages to knock Sheamus to the apron with some punches. Sheamus gets back up and attempts to suplex Jericho to the floor. Jericho counters with a hotshot to the bad arm, followed by a middle rope dropkick, sending Sheamus to the floor. Jericho goes to the floor and rams Sheamus shoulder-first into the post. Back in the ring, Jericho goes to a modified fujiwara armbar that he turns into a hammerlock/chinlock combo. Sheamus fights his way out, but runs into a dropkick. Jericho misses the Lionsault and runs right into a pair of Irish Hammers by Sheamus. Sheamus with a knee lift off the ropes. He goes for the tilt-a-whirl slam, but Jericho counters into the Walls. Sheamus twists out of this and catches Jericho off the ropes for the rolling fireman’s carry. Jericho slides out and locks in the Walls of Jericho. Sheamus eventually gets to the ropes, breaking the hold. Jericho argues with referee before turning around to Sheamus, who back drops Jericho to the floor. Alberto Del Rio runs down to the ring and throws Jericho into the steps, causing the DQ.
WINNER VIA DISUQUALIFICATION: Chris Jericho. ADR then gets in the ring and locks in the rolling jujigatame on Sheamus. Randy Orton eventually comes down and attacks ADR, and the faces take turns beating him up. Sheamus pulls Orton off and they begin to argue. Jericho sneaks in and hits the Codebreaker on ADR. Orton follows up with an RKO on him, which is then followed by a Brogue Kick by Sheamus. Orton and Sheamus continue to stare each other down.
End of show.
While the match quality on this show was so-so, this is the most (quantity-wise) in-ring action I’ve seen on a wrestling show in years, so kudos for that.
It was smiles this week in the TNA Impact Wrestling camp when it was announced that they had signed King Mo Lawal as part of a dual MMA and wrestling contract. Yet a closer look at the signing has me wondering whether Dixie Carter was suckered by Bellator and Spike TV.
I really don’t like to be a nitpicker when it comes to TNA Impact Wrestling but this one had me scratching my head. On the surface it looks like a good deal for the company. As part of the deal they get a recognized MMA fighter, dual promotion on Bellator, and in a favorable position with Spike TV. However, once I started taking a look at this deal in detail I started wondering if signing Mo was really a good idea after all.
The first thing that immediately jumped out at me here was how this deal came about. Dixie Carter on a conference call stated that nobody knew of the deal but her, Mo, Spike, and Bellator. She stated that her and Mo talked storylines without consulting anyone in creative. This sent off a red flag to me and is exactly why there are more days than not where you sit back and have to feel sorry for the poor people in TNA that have to answer to this woman.
It is one thing for Vince McMahon to secretly sign someone and come up with ideas but it is a whole other idea for Dixie to do it. In this case, Dixie is now pushing a guy on her creative team that they may not even want. Additionally, you now are disrupting whatever plans the creative team had over the next several weeks and months with King Mo. Can the creative team really get behind a guy they may not have even wanted or will they secretly sabotage his push to prove a point to Dixie? It sounds cynical but if you have been around the wrestling business, you will understand that what I am saying is not some kind of crazy conspiracy theory. That is going to be the first and biggest hurdle with King Mo.
Second, this man has very little pro wrestling experience. Who knows how well he will pick up pro wrestling? Maybe he gets it quick and pays off immediately but there is very little precedence that says he could. Even Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar had extensive training in OVW before they were brought up to the WWE. Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn both had pro wrestling experience before signing with the WWE. Dixie Carter is sitting around plotting angles for a guy that could get into the ring and become a big embarrassment. Let’s face it. TNA’s track record of taking non-wrestlers and putting them in the ring (Jenna Morasca, Jersey Shore kids) isn’t very good.
Three, you now look like a follower rather than a leader. King Mo and Brock Lesnar are completely different animals. However, to the casual eye you look like the company that is trying to imitate the WWE by putting an MMA guy in the ring. On top of that, you are putting an MMA guy in the ring that probably not even a quarter of your audience even heard of. Perception can sometimes be reality and while the situations are a lot different, some may see them the same.
Four, King Mo was not a big MMA star. He wasn’t even in the UFC. TNA had a bigger star in Bobby Lashley who was a dual MMA/pro wrestling star and he did nothing for them. If they couldn’t get it right with a pro wrestler who was fighting MMA how will they get it right with an MMA fighter doing pro wrestling? Mo has only headlined one MMA event in his career and that was on Showtime! This isn’t as if you are bringing over a known MMA quantity. Quite frankly TNA would have been better off bringing in an unknown pro wrestler and giving him an MMA gimmick. It is one thing for the WWE to bring in the biggest draw in MMA and it is another for TNA to bring in a guy that a very small audience is familiar with.
Five, there is baggage here with Mo. For one, he is under suspension right now for testing positive for anabolic steroids. Yes here we go again with another wrestler being signed coming off a drug suspension. Two, Mo was fired after calling a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission a “racist b*tch” on Twitter. Everyone is entitled to meltdown once in a while but is the guy you want out there as one of the faces of your company? Heck with as much crap as Dana White has put up with from his fighter going over the line on Twitter even he wasn’t comfortable with that and fired Lawal.
Six, what happens if Mo goes into Bellator and loses his first fight? In the world of MMA strange things happen and unless you are fixing the fight, Mo has just as much a chance of losing as he does of winning. What happens after he has gone through a bunch of TNA wrestlers and he comes up short or even gets dominated in Bellator? You have spent the last several months telling your audience what a tough guy Mo has been, beaten several of your name wrestlers, and yet at the end of the day he is no tougher than half of your roster in the eyes of the TNA fans. What now? In the case of Brock, WWE fans have seen Brock kick some major butt in the UFC. Even more, Brock won’t be fighting while wrestling. Mo does have a great MMA record but who knows how healthy he is and where his head is at when he fights in Bellator. TNA can wind up looking like a big joke when this whole thing is said and done.
Seven, could this money be better spent elsewhere? There is a former WWE wrestler out there on the sidelines who was pretty darn good when he had the opportunity to shine and his name is John Morrison. I don’t know what the situation is between him and TNA but over the long run I can’t help but think an investment in Morrison would better benefit the company than investing in a part-time MMA fighter who has barely wrestled.
The only people this deal makes sense for is Spike TV and Bellator. Both companies will keep Mo on television weekly up until he gets cleared to fight. I think there is a much better chance of getting a pro wrestling fan who sees Mo to tune in to watch him fight in MMA than getting any MMA fan who doesn’t like pro wrestling to all of the sudden care about watching Mo wrestle in TNA. This deal keeps Mo busy in the interim keeping him away from signing with any other MMA company. For Spike and Bellator it is a win-win. When only two are benefiting in a three-way deal someone is getting suckered and in this case I think we know who that is.
Could this thing work out for TNA? Honestly I have never seen anything work out for TNA in the ten year history of their company. They have tried everything from using MMA fighters (Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock) to using mainstream celebrities (Jersey Shore, Survivor stars), to bringing in legendary pro wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair) and nothing and I mean nothing has made a difference in pay per view buyrates or television ratings over the long haul. I can’t imagine that King Mo will be that guy.
Welcome to the 5-10-12 edition of Impact Wrestling. I really need to find a new way to start these things, don’t I?
Show starts off with footage from last week, as Bobby Roode laid out Mr. Anderson, RVD and Jeff Hardy with a chair. This segues into the Impact Zone, where Bobby Roode is making his way down to the ring. This coming Sunday, Roode will defend the World Championship against RVD. If TNA is smart, Roode will retain the title and continue being one of the better champions they’ve had in a long time. Of course, this is TNA, so RVD will probably win. Roode asks if there’s anything more he can do to prove to the fans he’s the best champion in the history of the company, as well as the most dominant. Last week, not only did he defeat and embarrass Mr. Anderson, but he also took Mr. Anderson out. Not only that, but he took out Jeff Hardy. And, he took out RVD as well. One man, one athlete, one champion, taking out three men all at the same time. Sometimes, he amazes himself on how great of a champion he is. Speaking of great things, he has great news for everyone. In fourteen days, Bobby Roode goes down in history, as he will become the longest-reigning World Champion in the history of TNA. Longer than AJ, Hardy, Angle, Sting, no one has held the title longer than him (again, I can see RVD winning here, unfortunately). In three days, when RVD gets in the ring with the IT Factor of professional wrestling. If RVD thinks he’ll outwrestle Roode and take the belt, he’s sadly mistaken. There is absolutely no one and nothing that will stop his World title domination.
RVD decides it’s time to earn his paycheck for the week and comes down to chase Roode off. As RVD is standing in the ring with the belt, Mr. Anderson comes down from behind and attacks Roode like a coward. The faces then double-team Roode, and this leads to Jeff Hardy coming down for a triple-team. Hardy and Anderson then start fighting each other as referees and the Elite Beat Agents (Snow, D-Lo and Kenney) come down to break things up. Hulk Hogan’s music hits, and he stops at the stage. He says he likes what he’s seeing. By the looks of things, Hardy and Anderson both want a piece of Roode, as well as each other. RVD, are you sending Hogan a message you want a piece of Roode right now? That’s the way it looks. Hogan’s got a main event tonight that will “flip-flop” this whole company. He needs to talk to RVD about it, because if RVD agrees, Hogan will set up a fatal 4-way tonight where each person has both something to gain and lose. If Hardy or Anderson win, they take RVD’s spot at the PPV. If Roode wins, he can pick whoever he wants to face of the three at Sacrifice. If RVD agrees to the match and wins, he can make the PPV match feature any stipulation he wants. Is RVD willing to make the Sacrifice, brother? RVD nods in agreement, and now the PPV match that TNA has surprisingly been promoting for the last couple of weeks will potentially become typical TNA booking in that it gets changed at the last minute. Brother. Dude. Jack. Pythons.
We see Bully Ray talking to Anonymous Interviewer in the back about Austin Aries. He makes fun of Aries for being 5’8”, and 175 lbs. “on a good day, soaking wet, with a brick in his pocket”, and he’s also been the biggest “thawn in my side in the six yeahs I been heah”. Love how Ray slips in and out of his accent. Austin Aries, last week, you made a lot of disparaging comments towards him. You want to make fun of him, talk down to him, raise your voice to him? He’s sick and tired of Aries bullying him around. He’s not going to let it happen anymore. The whole locker room is talking about Aries. He’s the real problem, and Ray isn’t going to stand for it any longer. He’s going to take care of this little problem. Watch what he’s about to do. He doesn’t push people around; he takes them down and puts them out. Stay tuned.
Later tonight, we will hear from James Storm for the very first time in a couple weeks. Also, the final confrontation between Crimson and Matt Morgan. Up next, it’s Workrate vs. Anonymous Brooke.
In the ladies’ locker room area, we see Gail Kim and Madison Rayne talking. Kim is talking about how Tessy has been lucky lately, but she can’t beat Kim when the title’s on the line. Rayne asks her what she thinks of Rayne’s shirt. “It’s fine. It’s shiny.” Everyone talks about how beautiful Tessy is and how great her body is; she’s Photoshopped. Kim doesn’t need all of that. Rayne asks her about her underwear for the evening. Kim says they’re fine before asking what’s up with Rayne. Rayne says it’s a guy, but she doesn’t want to talk about it. Kim leaves to watch the next match.
MATCH 1: Velvet Sky vs. Brooke Tessmacher
I really hate the way TNA does the WCW thing where they briefly film the wrestler coming out before zooming in the big screen or company logo. Tie-up to start, with Sky backing Brooke into the corner. Sky shakes her butt off the clean break. Brooke then does the same thing, jiggling her butt. Sky goes into a side headlock, and lands a shoulder off the ropes for 1. Arm wringer by Sky into a corner whip. Sky hits a running forearm in the corner and looks for a bulldog, but Brooke shoves her off into the opposite corner. Brooke runs in and lands a monkey flip, sending Sky into the other corner. Brooke goes up for mounted punches, and Sky shoves her off for 2. Sky does her stupid kick/chop combo, but runs into a Dropsh*t, sending her into the corner. Brooke does a hip bump, followed by a stinkface. Sky climbs back up and sidesteps a charge, landing a bulldog for 2. Sky sends Brooke into the corner, then kicks her in the gut a few times. Sky with her stupid knees to the face, followed by a snapmare and seated dropkick for 2. She goes to pick Brooke up, and Brooke snags her in a small package for 2. Sky sets up for In Yo Face, but Brooke backs her into the corner, breaking the hold. Brooke drop-toe holds her into the corner, then botches her finisher, which I am calling the Brooke Shield until she gives it a name. Brooke goes for the pin and gets the 3.
WINNER: Anonymous Brooke. Gail Kim runs into the ring and attacks from behind after the match. Kim nails Eat Defeat on Brooke before talking some trash.
Still to come, we apparently get footage of James Storm feeding horses and playing in dirt.
Up next, a match rivaling Ed “Strangler” Lewis vs. Lou Thesz as Crimson takes on Matt Morgan.
Anonymous Interviewer stops AJ Styles when he enters the building to ask obvious questions about Kazarian and Christopher Daniels. Styles says he has Kurt Angle in three days, and that’s who he’s focused on, and nothing else. As far as this secret goes, no comment.
Jeff Hardy is talking to AI #2. The Selfish Generation is coming to end, and thanks to the main event tonight, he gets a chance to be the one to end it.
MATCH 2: Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
As Morgan makes his way out, he is attacked by Bully Ray from behind. Ray takes his chain out before kicking Morgan in the stomach. Ray then screams at Christy Hemme and SoCal Val before grabbing a chair. Morgan pulls himself up on the ring post, and Ray smacks the ring post, completely missing Morgan in every way possible. Morgan still sells it like he got hurt, though. He then turns to the camera and tells Austin Aries that will be him. Morgan has smeared some corn syrup on his head to make it look like he’s busted open. Either that, or he did a very, very obvious blade job, because Ray wasn’t even close to making contact. The Elite Beat Agents make their way out to try and stop this, but Ray yells at them.
WINNER: No contest. Morgan is pretending to twitch as the medics check on him. They’re missing their white masks and matching tights, though, which makes it totally obvious they’re fakes.
Back from the break, we see that Morgan was loaded on a stretcher when the cameras were off. Ray still hung around on the map, watching as Morgan was being wheeled away, still pretending to shake.
Crimson is still in the ring, saying what just happened was unfortunate. What else is unfortunate is that week after week, Morgan would continue to yell that he was going to be the man to end Crimson’s undefeated streak. Delusion is a scary thing, and he knows it (he should, since he thinks he’s a star). He’s feeling very gracious and benevolent tonight. How about the referee give Morgan another chance to come down here and fight tonight. Give him a count of ten, and let him try to answer the count. The referee rings the bell, so I guess this is officially a match now.
MATCH 2, Part 2: Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
The referee counts down to 10, so Crimson wins by count-out.
WINNER: Crimson. By far, his best performance ever. Crimson says what happened was sad, but also predictable. He calls Morgan an underachiever and that his career is a disappointment. Can’t say I disagree with that part.
We get a video package for RVD, talking about how rough he had things and blah, blah, blah. I really don’t care.
Up next, Austin Aries actually gets to defend the World X-Division title. Huzzah! Another Festivus miracle!
Make sure you vote for James Storm’s “music video” on some country music site! Or don’t, as it doesn’t matter.
MATCH 3-World X-Division Championship: Zema Ion vs. Champion Austin Aries
I was wondering if Ion still worked here. Let’s see if he can end another career with a botched moonsault tonight. Tie-up to start, with Aries backing Ion into the corner. Ion uses some hairspray on his head. Criss-cross sequence ends with Aries breaking a headscissors and landing a dropkick, sending Ion to the floor. Aries goes up top for a dive, but Ion moves out of the way, sending Aries into the guardrail. Ion botches a running somersault plancha to the floor. Back in the ring, Ion lands some kind of stupid kick for 2, followed by some stomps for another 2. Aries fights back from his knees. Ion responds with a thumb to the eyes and lands his back suplex into a facebreaker for 2. Bodyslam by Ion, and he goes for a running middle rope moonsault, which Aries blocks with his knees. Aries with some forearm shots and elbows to the top of the head. Aries sends Ion into the turnbuckles chest-first and lands a rolling elbow. Aries clotheslines Ion offer the top to the floor, then follows up with a suicide dive. Ion gets back in the ring, where he receives a hotshot and a very theatrical splash by Aries for 2. Aries goes up to the top, where Ion blocks him. Ion goes up for the hurricanrana, but Aries holds on, sending Ion back to the mat. Aries lands a missile dropkick, sending Ion to the opposite corner. Aries lands a running dropkick in the corner and follows up with a vicious brainbuster for the 3.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: Austin Aries. Aries has easily one of the top three best brainbusters I’ve ever seen.
We see Kazarian and Christopher Daniels in the back. Daniels says Styles isn’t their friend. As far as their jobs go, they are on solid ground, so it’s time to go out there and show the world what they’ve got.
Back from the break, we see the footage of what opened the show, which, for those of you keeping score, happened less than an hour. Guess TNA thinks their fans all have ADD.
We get another interview with RVD. Typical “I know I can beat these guys…I do things my way” crap that he’s been doing for years. He then makes a veiled remark about winning Money in the Bank a few years ago.
Video package for the Kazarian/Daniels/Styles feud. I love Daniels and Styles, but this feud is so stupid and obnoxious. It doesn’t help that Kaz is factored in, who is worthless. Back in the ring, Daniels and Kaz are there, and Daniels has a microphone. He calls the crowd “sad clowns”. Last week, he gave Styles an ultimatum, to come out here and reveal his secret, or Daniels would do it for him. He hasn’t heard from Styles in the last seven days, but he’s going to give Styles one more chance. AJ, come out here and set the record straight. Styles doesn’t show up after a few seconds, so Daniels says he hates to do this, but as the new face of the company, he thinks the fans deserve to know the truth about their boy. Styles’ music finally hits and he makes his way to the ring. Styles stops at ringside. He tells the heels he doesn’t know what they think they have over him, but it needs to stop now. Why? Because these two are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives. Kaz says Styles made the mistake. He was trying to protect Styles, but then he looked at all of Styles’ accomplishments compared to theirs, and then began to ask himself why he’s protecting Styles. Styles made a mistake, and this is the proof. Kaz opens an envelope and shows a picture to Styles. It’s a photo of Styles and Dixie Carter standing together, talking. Styles doesn’t get what the big deal is. Daniels says he has more pictures. The next picture is Daniels holding Carter’s face in his hands. Daniels says this looks more touchy-feely. What could they be talking about that Styles would put his hands on the president of the company? Styles is speechless. Daniels then reveals another picture, and it’s Styles kissing her on the neck, hugging her close to him. Daniels says that, since day one, Styles has been the poster boy of this company. When he looks at these photos, well, as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Daniels leaves the ring, followed by Kaz, who drops the photos at Styles’ feet.
After the commercial, you get to see what you just saw one more time.
MATCH 4-World Television Championship: Robbie E (w/Robbie T) vs. Champion Devon
Why do I feel like this match has happened repeatedly over the last few weeks or so? What’s that? Oh. My sources are telling me it feels that way because it’s true. Devon charges the ring and begins attacking both guys. T gets clotheslined out of the ring as the match officially starts. Devon pounds E in the corner. Thesz Press off the ropes, followed by some punches and a jumping headbutt. T trips Devon off the ropes and drags him to the floor. Devon slams his head into the steps. E tries to attack from behind, but Devon sees him coming and clotheslines him (Tenay: “Knockout punch!”). Back in the ring, Devon hits the standing spinebuster and gets the 3.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: Devon. After the match, Robbie T runs in and slams Devon into the turnbuckle. He then follows up with an over-the-shoulder powerslam that has Davey Boy Smith spinning over in his grave. Robbie E then holds up the belt over his head.
Footage from last month when we saw James Storm the last time. This leads into a video package for James Storm, saying he needs to take time for himself right now. He’s on his ranch, showing us how he does his chores. It’s pretty much what you’d expect, as Storm is playing up the angle, droning on about self-doubt and that kind of thing.
Mike Tenay hypes tonight’s 4-way match, completely ignoring that Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy are in it, only talking about what will happen if RVD or Roode wins, which pretty much gives away that either Roode or RVD are winning this one. Genius work there, “Professor”.
Joseph Abyss is in the back, asking a stagehand which direction the ring is, as apparently he’s headed that way.
Devon is in the back, yelling at Anonymous Interviewer. It’s never been a fair fight since he won the title, as those two jacka**es (E.T.) are always in his face. If they want a fight, they got one. At Sacrifice, he wants both of them, and the outcome will still be the same. He’ll spinebuster both their a**es. Oh, his brother! Testify.
Video package for this whole stupid Abyss angle. The whole thing with Styles is stupid, but this thing with Abyss is approximately 812 times worse. Joseph Abyss makes his way out, pretending to be really excited by all of this. Love how they’ve added he’s a “renowned lawyer” in Chicago. Abyss is trying to talk to the crowd, but forgets to grab a microphone. The morons in the crowd chant “Where’s Abyss?” Abyss finally gets his microphone. Over the last few months, he’s watched a ton of his own matches in this building, and he tore this place down to the ground. Fun, wasn’t it? Abyss would like to thank Hogan for allowing him to come out here. We’ll have to bear with him, as he’s not used to speaking to large crowds. Everyone knows why he’s here-he’s looking for himself. You know, Abyss? Over his investigation, every clue he received, every lead he followed, every interview he did, there was one common thread: Bully Ray. He told Ray last week he wasn’t going away until he gets answer about where is himself. On his way in tonight, he saw a sign for Sacrifice this Sunday. He might just buy a ticket to that thing and sit with the fans to watch it.
Bully Ray’s music hits, and he comes out, already screaming into a microphone. Ray says he’s tired of hearing this crap. This is a load of crap. There’s something not right with Abyss and himself. Something’s not right. Does this look like a courtroom to you? Does this look like a cauwtroom to you? No, it’s not a courtroom, stupid! It’s a wrestling ring, and you have no business being in a wrestling ring or wrestling arena? Did Abyss see what he did to Matt Morgan? How would he feel if Ray did that to him? Aybss says Ray is right; he’s everything he says he is. It got Abyss thinking, though, back to the night when he disappeared. That night, Abyss had a match with Ray, and beat him. Table that for a second. Two weeks ago, Ray’s former partner of 20 years who Ray claims to have carried (Devon, for those of you keeping score), called Ray down to the ring, and then beat him. Abyss says to table that as well. God, Abyss is a horrible actor. Let’s go back to last week when Ray was invited down to the ring by Austin Aries, a man with incredible talent but half Ray’s size. Aries beat Ray down then. How is that bullying thing working out for Ray? In response to this, Ray knocks Abyss down to the mat before saying, “That’s how it’s working out for me.” Abyss then begins to laugh as Ray leaves the ring.
Mr. Anderson is in the back, talking obnoxiously about his match tonight. He’s scheduled to face Jeff Hardy at Sacrifice, but if he wins tonight, Hardy steps aside, and “I’m taking my title back, BUDDY! *whispers* My title. My title.”
King Mo has signed with TNA. So, he finally usurped Mabel and is now getting his time in the spotlight.
We get Slammiversary moment #9, which is footage of Hogan’s debut with the company. Only problem? This didn’t happen at Slammiversary, and in fact happened on an episode of Impact.
Kurt Angle is talking to Anonymous Interviewer about AJ Styles. Angle calls Styles a good guy, and he needs to focus on the task at hand, which is getting crippled by Angle at Sacrifice. When his bones are mending, he can focus on these allegations.
Mike Tenay and Taz runs down the card for Sacrifice, which has apparently added Samoa Joe and Magnus defending the tag belts against Kazarian and Christopher Daniels, as well as Bully Ray vs. Austin Aries. You know, I expected these matches to happen, but TNA could have possibly announced them a little earlier in order to get people to start talking about them and get interested in them.
Another RVD video. I’m beginning to hate him.
MATCH 4-Fatal 4-Way Match to Potentially and Needlessly Change the Sacrifice Card: Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy vs. World Champion Bobby Roode (non-title)
Thankfully, Anderbotch skips his stupid self-introduction. Match starts with the three faces taking turns attacking Roode in the corner. Anderson shoves the other two off and begins choking Roode with his foot. RVD shoves him off and lays in some punches on Roode. Hardy and Anderson are trading blows now. Roode fights back on Hardy and Anderson. He sends both Anderson and RVD to the floor before throwing Hardy into the corner. Roode with some punches and a corner whip. Hardy gets his elbow up and goes for Whisper in the Wind, but Roode sidesteps it, sending Hardy’s stupid ass crashing to the mat. Roode goes for the pin, but only gets 2. Commercials.
Back from the break, Roode drops Hardy with a suplex. Hardy moves out of the way from a jumping knee drop, hits an inverted atomic drop, a double legdrop and seated dropkick for 2. RVD tries to get back in the ring, but Hardy kicks him down. Hardy goes for a dive off the apron, but RVD moves, sending Hardy into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Anderson tries for a pin on Roode, but only gets 2. Roode whips Anderson in the corner, but Anderson fires back with a clothesline. Roode tries for the Payoff off the ropes, but Anderson reverses into a swinging neckbreaker for 2. RVD breaks the pin up, and Anderson hits him with a knee lift. RVD gets a high kick out of the corner and lands the split-legged moonsault for 2. Anderson reverses a corner whip. RVD elbows off the charge and hits a thrust kick off the middle rope. He goes for the Rolling Thunder, but he’s intercepted by Roode, who lands a spinebuster for 2. Roode stomps away on RVD. RVD comes back with a botched superkick, sending Roode to the corner. RVD lands a roundhouse in the corner before trying a monkey flip on Hardy, who blocks it and botches Whisper in the Wind for 2. RVD hits the step-over roundhouse and Rolling Thunder. Roode quickly comes in and throws RVD out. Roode goes for the Payoff on Hardy, who counters it into a sit-out Twist of Fate. Anderson comes in and drops Roode with the Mic Check before tackling Hardy through the ropes to the floor. RVD climbs up top, hits the Five-Star Frog Splash and gets the 3. WINNER: Rob Van Dam. Gee, who didn’t see that coming, especially since he already announced the stipulation he wants for the match on Sunday (a ladder match, BTW) earlier in the show. RVD goes under the ring and pulls out the ladder that just happens to be there. He then climbs up and taunts Roode from the top. Meanwhile, Anderson and Hardy are yelling at each other. We see fireworks go off, and Abyss makes his way out. Only this time, he’s actually dressed like Abyss and not Joe. Abyss sends a message to himself, Joseph. Joseph is getting to close to the fire. Back off before you get burned. Abyss’ music is more generic than ever.
End of show.
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When Brock Lesnar started to cut his own promos, many people didn’t like it. They thought he wasn’t charismatic. They wanted Paul Heyman back. I could see why, to be honest. There’s a mold of people who are considered to be good on the microphone, and a guy who sounds like a homespun, cornfed farm boy doesn’t fit that mold.
That being said, I dug it when Lesnar took to the microphone. He’s not CM Punk, but does everyone in the company HAVE to be a stylish and slick wordsmith on promos? Isn’t variety the slice of life? Maybe Lesnar is supposed to be delivering his lines like a hick, because that’s what he is, right? Lesnar is basically the Midwestern kid who made it big, delivered a big ego, left and then came back as a super big shot. Why wouldn’t he be speaking for himself, making grandiose demands all while acting the part of the high school jock thinking he was running things back on the parking lot? In many ways, I feel like that’s the biggest reason why WWE has successfully gotten fans to boo him.
So, why bring Heyman back? Well, we don’t know whether this is a full-time thing or not. The real question is, why are fans so hyperactive to see him back? It’s obvious. Heyman is one of the best all-time on the microphone. I can’t deny that. The man didn’t reach the pinnacle of being one of the best all-time managers and promoters without knowing a thing or two about talking. Context-free, this is a positive, right?
Context is a tricky thing though. For as much as some of the more critical fans of WWE want them to keep moving forward, bringing back Heyman is as much of a retread move as they come. Granted, it’s not TNA-bringing-back-the-Nasty-Boys bad, but that was cronyism at its best. There’s no reason for anyone to think Vince McMahon thinks Heyman as a chum right now. That being said, if this is more than just a one-night, “hey, look we know our continuity” thing, and Heyman is to be Lesnar’s permanent mouthpiece again, then don’t we have to start looking at the Law of Diminishing Returns to start kicking in here?
Besides, when Heyman was talking for Lesnar the first time, it didn’t take long for the fans to start taking a shine to him. My guess is WWE doesn’t want Lesnar to be cheered. The definition of stupidity is doing something the same way and expecting different results. I understand that Lesnar has a limited amount of dates and needs someone to speak for him. Why couldn’t it continue to be John Laurinaitis? How about Eve Torres in the stead of David Otunga (who is by his wife’s side during the trial of the man who murdered her family). Instead of bringing someone back to talk for Lesnar that made him popular and beloved, why not have someone speak for him while he’s gone who’ll make the crowds boo him and want to see him lose?
And when he’s there, why not let him keep talking? Some see it as “bad”. I see it as different, effective and yes, entertaining. I love seeing the big galoot come out and big time everyone with the sophistication of a rolling boulder. It’s a fascinating contrast to the steely resolve of John Cena or the cooler-than-everyone-in-the-room air of Triple H. If everyone is the same as everyone else, no one gets over. When you have contrast though? That’s how stories develop and become memorable.
And it’s not that I hate Paul Heyman either. If they had another role for him, I’d be all over that. Hell, I enjoyed him on RAW this past Monday and I’ll probably continue to enjoy him in the future. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think it’s a bit shortsighted to think that he’s absolutely needed as an attachment to Brock Lesnar.
Tom Holzerman is a lifelong wrestling fan and connoisseur of all things Chikara Pro, among other feds. When he’s not writing for the Camel Clutch Blog, you can find him on his own blog, The Wrestling Blog.
In what has to be a first, a well known MMA fighter has signed a dual deal allowing him to fight and wrestle in a co-promotional effort. Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion King Mo will wrestle for TNA Impact Wrestling and fight for Bellator under the terms of a new deal.
Twitter reporter or as he calls himself “hobbyist” Front Row Brian broke the news on his Twitter feed Wednesday. I have become a big fan of Brian’s reporting and in my opinion he is the tops at breaking stories in MMA. It is amazing at times how quickly he gets the news out as opposed to the journalists paid to do the same thing.
King Mo is currently serving a suspension for testing positive for PEDs. Mo was released from Strikeforce after he suggested that some of the questioning he received in his NSAC hearing was racially based. As a free agent some speculated that Zuffa would sign him back and move him to the UFC. Brian also reports that Zuffa retained matching rights and could have matched the offer if they wanted to keep him. The Bellator and TNA dual signing is certainly one that I never would have expected. Mo’s deal is a four fight deal for $90,000 to show and $30,000 to win.
According to Brian, Mo will first start wrestling for TNA Wrestling. Remember, he can’t fight for awhile as he is serving a suspension. His appearances on both promotions will act as co-promotion for each brand. Brian also reports that TNA is most interesting in starting a program with Sting and Mo first and then Mo vs. Kurt Angle.
I have to admit that I am already scratching my head at Sting vs. Mo. Granted, this is only an initial idea but I couldn’t think of a worst way to debut Mo. I can’t imagine that they could have a great match or anything close to what Mo vs. Angle would be. I can’t help but think Samoa Joe would have been a better opponent to use to introduce Mo. Additionally I am stunned that they would bring Mo in as a heel. The guy has natural charisma and has big time babyface written all over him. Again this is all preliminary but if this is the plan, it isn’t all that well thought out in my opinion.
I think the big winner here is Bellator who will have their star on Spike TV every week promoting the idea he will be fighting for real in their company. My hunch is that you will have more pro wrestling fans inclined to follow Mo to Bellator as opposed to MMA fans getting excited about watching Mo wrestle in TNA. I do think he’ll grab some MMA fans early on out of intrigue but it wasn’t as if Mo was a big draw in MMA to begin with.
King Mo is a big pro wrestling fan and should do well in the TNA Impact Wrestling rings. Mo was recruited by the WWE before getting into MMA and almost went down this road before. Mo is an accomplished amateur wrestler and has the potential to be the biggest star in TNA Impact Wrestling if they do things right.
Dave Meltzer describes Mo’s wrestling interests, “Lawal is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who always aspired to go into pro wrestling after the Olympics in wrestling. He failed to make the 2008 Olympic team, but ended up doing MMA, where he was Strikeforce light heavyweight champion at one point.”
Booking idea aside, I do like the idea that Impact Wrestling is going out on a limb here. This is uncharted waters for those in charge at TNA. That could be a good or a bad thing but at least for now, everyone is talking about Impact Wrestling and that is a very good thing.
I highly recommend following Front Row Brian on Twitter for the best and latest breaking MMA news and rumors.
Live coverage of May 14 2012 WWE Monday Night RAW results & play by play will begin tonight shortly after 9 PM/EST broadcast. Triple H is scheduled to return tonight and address the incident with Brock Lesnar from two weeks back. Will Paul Heyman confront Hunter live on RAW? More matches for WWE Over the Limit will be announced and more. Come back at 9 for the live blog!
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This is the recap for the 5-11-12 edition of 
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Welcome to the 5-10-12 edition of 
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In what has to be a first, a well known MMA fighter has signed a dual deal allowing him to fight and wrestle in a co-promotional effort. Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion King Mo will wrestle for 
