MikeCampbell

Batista wasn't 'weeded out' the the sense that I'm talking about. They just flat out told him that he didn't have a future and to not come back. I'm talking about weeding out as in guys realizing that it's actually a tough business, and a lot more than just 'fake fighting.' Such as the guy on the first tough enough who wasn't willing to sacrifice time with his girlfriend. And again, I'll point out Brock Lesnar as an example. Vince pushed him huge from the get-go, he never drew big money, and he left after two years. Also Bobby Lashley. He wasn't as heavily pushed as Brock, but he still got a pretty big push, and he only lasted a year and a half. Krissy Vaine and Ryan Whatever, when they up and split, the overall feeling was that they wasted the WWE's time and money and their spots could have gone to others who'd have appreciated them. I'm not saying that if Brock or Lashely had had a hardcore holly to deal with in OVW then they'd never have been called up, or that they'd not have quit. But rather that the WWE has a bit of history with people they invest a lot in to up and leave, and WWE doesn't make their investment back. Having a hardcore holly to deal with in developmental, I think, will give them a greater chance of not repeating this trend.

It ensures that the WWE is investing it's time and money into people worth having on the roster and who are committed to the WWE. Do you think that Vince would have invested so much into Brock Lesnar if he knew that he'd be gone after less than two years? The same thing with Krissy Vaine and whatever her boyfriend's name was.

Honestly, I don't know if Holly would be any good as a trainer. I seem to recall him on Tough Enough II, but nothing especially sticks out about him. I was thinking he'd be a good fit in developmental more along the lines of having a grizzled tough guy vet who can potentially weed out those who can't hack it. If I'm wrong, then show him the door.

Hardcore Holly is supposedly in danger of being released. I won't miss seeing him on my TV, but you'd think someone with his toughness would be a good fit for helping the developmental guys get ready.

What? I know what he's getting at with the Austin/Rock example, but other than that, I have no idea.

Small correction, Loss, but I beleive that the feud between Edge and Jericho was blown off. Edge beat him in a cage match (the same match where he hurt his shoulder) on the same night Mysterio debuted. Jericho and the Un-Americans jumped to RAW the next week. Watching him and Cade dog Michaels was bringing back memories of the awesome Jericho/Malenko feud in '98. Only a much more serious tone, whereas '98 Jericho was so over the top and goofy that he was actually being entertaining.

"Old Clint shoots those guns, brother. When I shoot a gun, someone gets pregnant! I've got a pregnant horse at home!" Roddy Piper

How has Waltman been in FIP? I just got a couple of FIP DVDs to review for 411 and he's pretty heavily featured.

I always hated the term "X Pac heat" if you watch WWF from summer '98 until when DX reformed as heels in late '99, he was one of the most over babyfaces on the roster.

I think you've got it backwards there. All the WWF games that I can recall from that time (WWF Attitude, WWF WrestleMania 2000, WWF Smackdown!) called the move the "Fame-Asser" while it was always pronounced "Famouser" on TV. Although I've never seen the promo you speak of, I first head it called by that name during WrestleMania 15.

It took me about a year or so to realize that Orton's finisher wasn't called the RKO just because of it's similarity to Marc Mero's TKO, or just to play off of the acronym of TKO, but that RKO was also his initials.

Didn't Shawn lose cleanly to Jericho on a RAW in Summer of '03?

I'd say that it's probably a 99% chance that Henry gets the title. WWE seems to want to keep the ECW Title strictly with ECW. Lashley never defended it on RAW at all during his program with Umaga. And I don't think it was ever defended on SD (although don't quote me on that). And when Lashley got drafted to RAW last year, they vacated the title instead of having Lashley drop it.

Supposedly, the reason for HHH's move is because Steph is having another baby and he likes the reduced schedule. I'm really hoping it's not a permanent thing though.

Until HHH got picked, I was thinking that SD was going to be interesting over the next few months with potential programs between Edge/Hardy and Edge/Kennedy. I'll also admit that I got a pretty good laugh out of Matt Hardy going to ECW, since it'd been reported that an Edge/Matt program was going to start on Friday, unless one of them got drafted. What I'm wondering is if WWE will go all out on switching up the titles with the brands, like they initially did in '05 with the WWE and World Titles. I'm figuring Big Show will win at the PPV to keep the ECW Title where it is. But I could see WWE again switching up the WWE and World Titles.

There's even more fun in today's newswire. Gabe made a comment implying that NOAH had allowed ROH to promote the first ever singles match between Marufuji and Shiozaki. But it's pretty common knowledge that they've wrestled before in singles matches. It's already been mentioned on the board and the silence is deafening, aside from comments like "It's sad that you even know that!"

When I heard he had to take sensitivity training classes, all I could think about was the episode of Rescue Me, where the whole fire house had to take classes and wound up throwing around every racist term in in the book.

Michael Hayes is back to work, but with quite a few provisions. Namely, he had to taken sensitivity training, had to have a sit down with Mark Henry and other African American wrestlers, and can no longer drink at WWE related event.

Good points all around, Loss. Plus ROH being on PPV would also be a factor. I honestly think that it's possible, given that WWE is based out of the Northeast, but it would only happen in ROH's financial woes continue. There hasn't been much said about them lately, any word yet if their cost cutting has been helping them out?

Having seen the Joe/Punk shoot and hearing about Gabe's near orgasam over Joe/Punk II getting five stars. I can only imagine what Gabe would do if WWE offered to either subsidize ROH or make them into a developmental territory. And then subsequently, after is goes south, how the newswires would be all 'ROH is its own company, we don't need them!'

I've been thinking about re-upping my sub, and now I'm sold. I'll do it when I get back from my honeymoon. I'm tempted to do it right now, but I'll be in myrtle beach for six days with no internet.

A Hogan and Nick in jail show would actually be morbidly entertaining, like watching Chyna on Howard Stern. Hogan knows best meets Oz!

Raven is sort of a tricky example though. Because he created Raven to completely overhaul himself in the business to update with the times. If he came out as Raven, same character and same attitude, and wrestled like Scotty the Body or Scotty Flamingo, he'd have been booed out of the building. How far did he got with the stuntman style? I'm recalling the famous chairshot from Dreamer, and when one of the pitbulls bounched his head off the table with the superbomb. Raven himself has stated that his career lasted as long as it did because he got lazy in the ring. On the flip side of the coin, what about Dean Malenko? I'm at a loss for any situation where he took a big risk, unless one wants to count a pescado.

It depends on your view of 'mainstream star' but the Dudley Boyz/Team 3D are still one of the most recognizable teams in the business. Also, there was Rob Van Dam, before he got busted.