TNA star Ken Anderson was recently interviewed by Al Castle, senior writer at The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling magazine. Topics discussed include Anderson’s days as a WWE jobber, having to deal with his father’s death during his first WWE push, the importance of blood in wrestling, the heat he got for portraying an anti-U.S. military character, how he deals with criticism, and more.
The magazine, which features Ken Anderson on one cover and Sheamus on the other, is on newsstands now and is also available at pwi-online.com.
Here are some highlights of what Ken Anderson said about:
His WWE Departure:
“The thing is that the chairman of that company likes guys who stand up for themselves. He likes guys who aren’t just pushovers, who aren’t just ‘glad-handing, nonsensical yes-men,’ to quote another wrestler (CM Punk). And yet, it depends on what day it is and what side of the bed he woke up on. So it’s really a gamble. If you’re a pushover and you’re a wimp and you say, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes,’ you’re going to be trampled over, regardless. You’re going to get steamrolled regardless of how talented you are. But if you don’t, if you play it the other way, you have a chance of being successful. Like you said, I made some mistakes. I stuck my foot in mouth when I shouldn’t have. I spoke up when I shouldn’t have. None of it was with bad intentions. What’s more, this is the wrestling business and some guys get injured. The interesting thing for me is that you look at that roster and there are guys that get injured time and time again. The Undertaker is good for an injury every year or so. Steve Austin’s been injured. Rey Mysterio gets injured. But when you haven’t made the right political decisions, and you’ve been injured a time or two, that could be possible ammo for some of those people who aren’t your allies to say, ‘Boy, he’s injured all the time. Is he not reliable?’ And when you’re not around to defend yourself, that could be your downfall.”
His "Asshole" Character In TNA
"It wasn’t so much a change as it was this was stuff that I had pitched years ago to Vince McMahon and he said absolutely not. The very first meeting I had with him, I pitched the ‘as#####’ idea. I would bring up how Steve Austin was always telling people, ‘There are about 10,000 people here calling you an as#####,’ and that was a bad thing. But what if we turned it around? What if we played into the notion that nice guys finish last, and so I’m an as#####. I think it was Colin Powell who said, ‘It’s sometimes better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.’ It was one of those things that I knew in my head at the time would work. But now that I asked Vince and he told me no, I can’t say it for sure. Even if I did say and it worked, I’d still get into trouble. Whereas if I just went out there and said it and it worked, I could have apologized later and said I just felt it at the moment.”
Whether Wrestling should be PG:
"I don’t know how it’s possible to have a show about guys that want to fight each other, with half-naked women running around and all of the other stuff that we have, and have it be PG. I just don’t understand how that works. It doesn’t make sense to me. Me favorite years in the wrestling business were the Attitude Era. Maybe it’s as simple as they’ve decided, ‘We need it to get away from this for a while, as far away as possible, so that when we bring it back it will be a what’s-old-is-new kind of thing.’… Our target audience is 18-34. And you’re giving them PG content … If you’re 18 years old, you don’t want to see PG stuff. You don’t want to see somebody called a ‘darn butthole.’ It insults their intelligence.”
Frequent Face & Hell Turns In TNA:
“Here’s where sometimes people don’t understand the full story. There are reasons why somebody will suddenly change from heel to babyface, from a logistics concern. Maybe somebody is hurt and maybe somebody needs to fill a spot that was originally intended for somebody else. And we can’t think of somebody else to fill that role, so we need you to fill that role. Part of me thinks that wrestling needs to evolve again. There’s this thought that, in wrestling, it needs to be black or white. You’re either a good guy or a bad guy. I don’t know anybody in my life that is wholly evil or wholly good. With Breaking Bad, or Sons Of Anarchy, or Weeds—you look at these shows and there’s a guy who is a chemistry teacher who sells meth. Is this a good guy? By society’s standards, no. But we look at the TV show and we can sympathize with him. So I don’t know what the answer is. But I do believe that sometimes in the wrestling business, it’s almost forced. And it can be insulting to the wrestling audience, whereas on a TV show like Sons Of Anarchy, you decide. But in wrestling, it’s ‘Hey, I’m the bad guy. Boo me,’ or ‘I’m the good guy. Cheer for me.’”
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Tara new interview highlights
In Your Head Radio with Tara
Hosts: Jack and Oneinchbiceps
Recap by Taso the Greek
Show available at IYHWrestling.com
Tara (a/k/a Victoria) joins the IYH hosts for the second part of the show. Tara calls out Jack and Inchman about being their favorite Knockout, and talks about her trainer Rob Conway and his metro sexual ways.
Tara talks about her match with Sojo Bolt, her first friend in TNA, and their match to benefit animal rescue upcoming for Remix Wrestling in Ohio. Tara said that Sojo was a great friend in TNA but she was gone way too soon, but now her new friend in TNA is Miss Tessmacher, Brooke Adams. Tara talked about how she gets along great with Tessmacher, and brings up her skill and the fact that she was trained as a wrestler in WWE. Tara said that Tessmacher has the best ass in the business. She went on to say Tessmacher works out four hours a day in order to look that good, though.
Jack asked about the importance of looking good as opposed to being a good wrestler. Tara explained that you need to have both to succeed. She said that the best wrestlers do not get TV time and she experienced this in WWE. She went on to talk about the differences between WWE and Impact Wrestling when she first got to TNA. It was different and refreshing to her to see that wrestling was more important than good looks. The women get as much air time in the ring as they want as well, another difference from WWE. "Walking on egg shells" was another way she put it, her time spent in WWE compared to being in TNA.
Tara and the hosts talked about the main event between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong, and also her main event cage match against Mickie James. She talked about first meeting Awesome Kong. She mentioned that she has not been used a lot recently on TV with Tessmacher as Women's Tag Champs, but she had no problem going to her bosses and explaining to them that she wants to be a fighting champion. Another difference between TNA and WWE is that you can go to your bosses and tell them how you feel.
Tara talked about the PWI 50 and how it is important to her to be number one on that list. If you are in the wrestling business, you should be trying to be #1 on that list until the day you can no longer wrestle. She hopes to wrestle for a long time.
Her dream match was to wrestle Chyna. She credits Chyna for helping her into WWE. She hoped to get a match with Chyna in TNA but it did not happen.
She would also like to wrestle Eve Torres. She practices BJJ , as does Eve, and this moves the conversation over to UFC. Tara felt that when she first talked about working in MMA she was younger and if she had jumped right in she might have been able to give it a try. But now she feels that women aren’t appreciated in the MMA world. She brings up an injury she suffered on her elbow in her cage match with Mickie James, and that was the end of any serious thought about MMA.
Tara talked about gimmick matches like ladders matches or cage matches. She felt that it was an honor to do a match like that because it meant people had faith in her to do a match like this. They are dangerous and one wrong move could end your career, so they are very scary to do.
Tara talks quickly about radio shows and radio interviews and how most interviewers don’t even know what most women wrestlers do, which she finds insulting.
More on Remix Pro wrestling: Her match against Sojo Bolt is for the #1 contendership to the title, which would mean a match against Sara Del Ray. Tara explained how huge of a match that would be for her as she felt that she would mesh very well with Sara. Also, Tommy Dreamer will be at the show and Tara talked about Tommy Dreamer’s Top 5 Crazy People in the Business list and where she is situated on that esteemed honor roll. Tara talked about Tommy and Chavo Guerrero and how you develop relationships in the business.
A caller asks what is the craziest thing Tara and Brooke Adams do? Tara mentions a Youtube video that everyone can check out of her and Brooke dancing around in a hotel room. Tara and Brooke will break out in song and dance almost anywhere, which sometimes freaks people out. She mentions that she is a huge Vampire Diaries and Twilight fan. She also said she is a huge Twitter fan as well. She talked about how she rescues dogs as well, and mentioned how crazy wrestlers are in general.
Hosts: Jack and Oneinchbiceps
Recap by Taso the Greek
Show available at IYHWrestling.com
Tara (a/k/a Victoria) joins the IYH hosts for the second part of the show. Tara calls out Jack and Inchman about being their favorite Knockout, and talks about her trainer Rob Conway and his metro sexual ways.
Tara talks about her match with Sojo Bolt, her first friend in TNA, and their match to benefit animal rescue upcoming for Remix Wrestling in Ohio. Tara said that Sojo was a great friend in TNA but she was gone way too soon, but now her new friend in TNA is Miss Tessmacher, Brooke Adams. Tara talked about how she gets along great with Tessmacher, and brings up her skill and the fact that she was trained as a wrestler in WWE. Tara said that Tessmacher has the best ass in the business. She went on to say Tessmacher works out four hours a day in order to look that good, though.
Jack asked about the importance of looking good as opposed to being a good wrestler. Tara explained that you need to have both to succeed. She said that the best wrestlers do not get TV time and she experienced this in WWE. She went on to talk about the differences between WWE and Impact Wrestling when she first got to TNA. It was different and refreshing to her to see that wrestling was more important than good looks. The women get as much air time in the ring as they want as well, another difference from WWE. "Walking on egg shells" was another way she put it, her time spent in WWE compared to being in TNA.
Tara and the hosts talked about the main event between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong, and also her main event cage match against Mickie James. She talked about first meeting Awesome Kong. She mentioned that she has not been used a lot recently on TV with Tessmacher as Women's Tag Champs, but she had no problem going to her bosses and explaining to them that she wants to be a fighting champion. Another difference between TNA and WWE is that you can go to your bosses and tell them how you feel.
Tara talked about the PWI 50 and how it is important to her to be number one on that list. If you are in the wrestling business, you should be trying to be #1 on that list until the day you can no longer wrestle. She hopes to wrestle for a long time.
Her dream match was to wrestle Chyna. She credits Chyna for helping her into WWE. She hoped to get a match with Chyna in TNA but it did not happen.
She would also like to wrestle Eve Torres. She practices BJJ , as does Eve, and this moves the conversation over to UFC. Tara felt that when she first talked about working in MMA she was younger and if she had jumped right in she might have been able to give it a try. But now she feels that women aren’t appreciated in the MMA world. She brings up an injury she suffered on her elbow in her cage match with Mickie James, and that was the end of any serious thought about MMA.
Tara talked about gimmick matches like ladders matches or cage matches. She felt that it was an honor to do a match like that because it meant people had faith in her to do a match like this. They are dangerous and one wrong move could end your career, so they are very scary to do.
Tara talks quickly about radio shows and radio interviews and how most interviewers don’t even know what most women wrestlers do, which she finds insulting.
More on Remix Pro wrestling: Her match against Sojo Bolt is for the #1 contendership to the title, which would mean a match against Sara Del Ray. Tara explained how huge of a match that would be for her as she felt that she would mesh very well with Sara. Also, Tommy Dreamer will be at the show and Tara talked about Tommy Dreamer’s Top 5 Crazy People in the Business list and where she is situated on that esteemed honor roll. Tara talked about Tommy and Chavo Guerrero and how you develop relationships in the business.
A caller asks what is the craziest thing Tara and Brooke Adams do? Tara mentions a Youtube video that everyone can check out of her and Brooke dancing around in a hotel room. Tara and Brooke will break out in song and dance almost anywhere, which sometimes freaks people out. She mentions that she is a huge Vampire Diaries and Twilight fan. She also said she is a huge Twitter fan as well. She talked about how she rescues dogs as well, and mentioned how crazy wrestlers are in general.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
TNA DVD Twin Pack - Sacrifice/Slammiversary
SACRIFICE 2011
TNA Wrestling presents "Sacrifice," live from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. "Sacrifice" features TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting defending his title against Rob Van Dam, plus the pro wrestling return of Chyna, as she teams with Kurt Angle to face Jeff and Karen Jarrett. World Tag Team Champions Beer Money – Bobby Roode and James Storm – defend their gold against the team of Matt Hardy and a surprise partner, and much more in this action-packed DVD!
SLAMMIVERSARY 2011
Celebrate 9 years of Total Nonstop Action as TNA presents "Slammiversary," live from Universal Studios in Orlando. Mr. Anderson takes his war against Sting to a main event match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Bully Ray faces "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles in a brutal and violent "Last Man Standing" match to settle their deadly feud. This epic event features all of your favorite IMPACT WRESTLING Superstars and many more!
DVD Review - Born to Fight (starring steve austin)
DVD Review – Born To Fight (starring Stone Cold Steve Austin)
By Phil Allely
WWE legend Steve Austin has carved himself a very nice career in the world of film since he retired from the wrestling ring. He has also been able to juggle big budget hits with low budget projects that can stretch him as an actor. Known primarily as an action movie star this is one such project that allows Austin to get his teeth into the role and expand his acting skills along the way.
Born to Fight is a nice addition to the CV of Steve and it also serves well as a film that may just gain him a whole new level of fan. Telling a story we can relate to in some way this film revolves around the all to real issue of bullying. Austin plays Dan a janitor at a US high school, here he seems to happily go about his work and not really show up on anyone’s radar. Young Matthew is the school newcomer who unwittingly ends up on the receiving end of a beating and other embarrassing situations at the hands of the school boxing star.
Although Matthew tries to overcome his belittling he decides he needs to learn to box to gain the respect of his foes and to stand up to them. This is where our muscle bound lead comes in, Dan it transpires is a retired pro boxer and he after seeing potential in Matthew decides to help him train to enter the upcoming school boxing competition.
Born to Fight is a cross between the Karate Kid and Rocky films (in Austin’s own words, watch out for my interview coming soon). The tale has a meaning and moral code is there too, this is a story that makes you feel like you have invested into the narrative. Austin deserves special credit for stepping out of his comfort zone here, he has more dialogue than in any of his action features. He has also picked up many good habits along the way as well, he now works the camera better, he owns each scene he is in and he doesn’t overshadow his co-stars.
Born to Fight is released on October 3rd by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Cert 12
RRP £15.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)
By Phil Allely
WWE legend Steve Austin has carved himself a very nice career in the world of film since he retired from the wrestling ring. He has also been able to juggle big budget hits with low budget projects that can stretch him as an actor. Known primarily as an action movie star this is one such project that allows Austin to get his teeth into the role and expand his acting skills along the way.
Born to Fight is a nice addition to the CV of Steve and it also serves well as a film that may just gain him a whole new level of fan. Telling a story we can relate to in some way this film revolves around the all to real issue of bullying. Austin plays Dan a janitor at a US high school, here he seems to happily go about his work and not really show up on anyone’s radar. Young Matthew is the school newcomer who unwittingly ends up on the receiving end of a beating and other embarrassing situations at the hands of the school boxing star.
Although Matthew tries to overcome his belittling he decides he needs to learn to box to gain the respect of his foes and to stand up to them. This is where our muscle bound lead comes in, Dan it transpires is a retired pro boxer and he after seeing potential in Matthew decides to help him train to enter the upcoming school boxing competition.
Born to Fight is a cross between the Karate Kid and Rocky films (in Austin’s own words, watch out for my interview coming soon). The tale has a meaning and moral code is there too, this is a story that makes you feel like you have invested into the narrative. Austin deserves special credit for stepping out of his comfort zone here, he has more dialogue than in any of his action features. He has also picked up many good habits along the way as well, he now works the camera better, he owns each scene he is in and he doesn’t overshadow his co-stars.
Born to Fight is released on October 3rd by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Cert 12
RRP £15.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)
WWE Night of the Champions 2011
WWE Night of the Champions 2011 – Pay-Per-View Review
By Phil Allely
WWE’s Night of the Champions is a pretty good addition to the organisations long line of PPV events. This one being a bit more special as it guarantees a title defence for every champion and of course in offering that we the fans hope that a new champion or two may be crowned by the end of the night.
Tag Team champions Evan Bourne and Kofi Kngston (known as Air Boom) battled the combo of The Miz and R-Truth in the opener. A reasonable way to kick things off the DQ finish and the post-match referee beat down by Miz/Truth showed them to be real bad losers and also set up their re-appearance later on the card.
Next up the Intercontinental championship was on the line with champ Cody Rhodes defending against Ted DiBiase. The former tag team (as part of Legacy) worked well together and pulled off a thoroughly enjoyable match. Rhodes retaining his gold with the help of a handful of DiBiase’s tights.
The four-way scrap for the United States title was an early highlight in the PPV, John Morrison, Alex Riley, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler trying to out-do each other with high spots. Ziggler did his usual sneaky heel routine and pulled of the win to keep his belt, this time he allowed Swagger to get Morrison into a prone state and then steal the pin after disposing of Swagger.
The World Heavyweight Title match between Randy Orton and Mark Henry on paper had a good few faults. However as it played out in the ring this odd pairing worked so well that you believed it was a match where anything could happen and both men deserved their place in it. Henry has been in the WWe for so long now we often forget that he has often been a title hopeful and yet never held the world strap in either brand. Orton on the other hand has been winning gold and having top line matches for many years now and will be a huge star no matter if he has the prized item in his possession or not. This was a good bout and even with Orton carrying the larger Henry through most of the set-pieces Henry did cover his back and make his size work for him in his encounters with the more agile Orton. Henrys power and under rated World’s Strongest Slam move proved to be his ace up the sleeve though and he pulled off his first world title with them, leaving Orton flattened in the middle of the ring.
The Divas Title defence by Kelly Kelly against the mighty Beth Phoenix worked reasonably well on most levels. Phoenix covering Kelly’s failing in the ring and even with a few mistimed moves and an ill-judged press move it kind of did its job. Kelly once more pulled off the surprise win to hold on to the belt for another while at least.
Alberto Del Rio had only recently saw his dreams of WWE Title holding come true, so logic dictated that the odds of him losing it so soon after such hype were slim indeed. His opponent John Cena is such a huge star that with or without the title his fans love him and his nay sayers will as awlasy mock him and put him down. Surprisingly though this wasn’t Del Rio’s night, he put up a fair fight against one man gang Cena, but he did end up tapping to the STF. Ricardo Rodriguez’ interference and Del Rio’s heel tactics were no match for the WWE’s poster boy and merchandise machine here.
Last up was the eagerly anticipated No DQ match between CM Punk and WWE’s C.O.O. Triple H (who is now juggling a career both behind the scenes and in the ring, due to low true star numbers in the roster). This all out battle was the perfect finale to events and if it had have been let run its natural course there would not have been a fan who ended up feeling short changed by the result. The brutal actions of both men fed the fans nicely and built up things into a frenzy. As we saw near falls and the combatants attempt their finishing moves we were met with appearances The Miz, R-Truth and John Laurinaitis. This is where things lost the plot and got very confusing, Miz and Truth seemingly were there to ensure Punk won the match, but then they attacked him and things got very muddled for all concerned. It got worse when Kevin Nash (who many had thought was once again away from the WWE) hobbled down to ringside and got himself into the mix, nailing both Punk and Triple H in the process. The perplexing end came when Nash fell to a Triple H sledgehammer shot and Trips then snatched an opportunist pin on a prone Punk (who was recovering from a Nash Powerbomb).
Night of the Champions worked very well in parts and along the way we saw two new World Champions crowned, however the ending of the Triple H/Punk match and the puzzling interference from Nash, Miz, Truth et al all left many dazed and confused as to what had just happened. Perhaps upon a second viewing this will be easier to interpret and may even make more sense.
By Phil Allely
WWE’s Night of the Champions is a pretty good addition to the organisations long line of PPV events. This one being a bit more special as it guarantees a title defence for every champion and of course in offering that we the fans hope that a new champion or two may be crowned by the end of the night.
Tag Team champions Evan Bourne and Kofi Kngston (known as Air Boom) battled the combo of The Miz and R-Truth in the opener. A reasonable way to kick things off the DQ finish and the post-match referee beat down by Miz/Truth showed them to be real bad losers and also set up their re-appearance later on the card.
Next up the Intercontinental championship was on the line with champ Cody Rhodes defending against Ted DiBiase. The former tag team (as part of Legacy) worked well together and pulled off a thoroughly enjoyable match. Rhodes retaining his gold with the help of a handful of DiBiase’s tights.
The four-way scrap for the United States title was an early highlight in the PPV, John Morrison, Alex Riley, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler trying to out-do each other with high spots. Ziggler did his usual sneaky heel routine and pulled of the win to keep his belt, this time he allowed Swagger to get Morrison into a prone state and then steal the pin after disposing of Swagger.
The World Heavyweight Title match between Randy Orton and Mark Henry on paper had a good few faults. However as it played out in the ring this odd pairing worked so well that you believed it was a match where anything could happen and both men deserved their place in it. Henry has been in the WWe for so long now we often forget that he has often been a title hopeful and yet never held the world strap in either brand. Orton on the other hand has been winning gold and having top line matches for many years now and will be a huge star no matter if he has the prized item in his possession or not. This was a good bout and even with Orton carrying the larger Henry through most of the set-pieces Henry did cover his back and make his size work for him in his encounters with the more agile Orton. Henrys power and under rated World’s Strongest Slam move proved to be his ace up the sleeve though and he pulled off his first world title with them, leaving Orton flattened in the middle of the ring.
The Divas Title defence by Kelly Kelly against the mighty Beth Phoenix worked reasonably well on most levels. Phoenix covering Kelly’s failing in the ring and even with a few mistimed moves and an ill-judged press move it kind of did its job. Kelly once more pulled off the surprise win to hold on to the belt for another while at least.
Alberto Del Rio had only recently saw his dreams of WWE Title holding come true, so logic dictated that the odds of him losing it so soon after such hype were slim indeed. His opponent John Cena is such a huge star that with or without the title his fans love him and his nay sayers will as awlasy mock him and put him down. Surprisingly though this wasn’t Del Rio’s night, he put up a fair fight against one man gang Cena, but he did end up tapping to the STF. Ricardo Rodriguez’ interference and Del Rio’s heel tactics were no match for the WWE’s poster boy and merchandise machine here.
Last up was the eagerly anticipated No DQ match between CM Punk and WWE’s C.O.O. Triple H (who is now juggling a career both behind the scenes and in the ring, due to low true star numbers in the roster). This all out battle was the perfect finale to events and if it had have been let run its natural course there would not have been a fan who ended up feeling short changed by the result. The brutal actions of both men fed the fans nicely and built up things into a frenzy. As we saw near falls and the combatants attempt their finishing moves we were met with appearances The Miz, R-Truth and John Laurinaitis. This is where things lost the plot and got very confusing, Miz and Truth seemingly were there to ensure Punk won the match, but then they attacked him and things got very muddled for all concerned. It got worse when Kevin Nash (who many had thought was once again away from the WWE) hobbled down to ringside and got himself into the mix, nailing both Punk and Triple H in the process. The perplexing end came when Nash fell to a Triple H sledgehammer shot and Trips then snatched an opportunist pin on a prone Punk (who was recovering from a Nash Powerbomb).
Night of the Champions worked very well in parts and along the way we saw two new World Champions crowned, however the ending of the Triple H/Punk match and the puzzling interference from Nash, Miz, Truth et al all left many dazed and confused as to what had just happened. Perhaps upon a second viewing this will be easier to interpret and may even make more sense.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Tara talks TNA and more
Knockouts Tag Team Champion Tara appeared on the In Your Head online radio show last night talking about her upcoming independent appearance for a good cause. Tara will be appearing for Remix Pro Wrestling on October 8th, facing Sojo Bolt, in an event that will raise money for the Humane Society of Ohio.
On the show, Tara revealed that she’s been frustrated recently over her lack of TV time along with tag team partner, Brooke Tessmacher.
Tara says:
Recently, Brooke Tessmacher and I, we haven’t been… I’m not at TV. We were supposed to have TV [tapings] today in Tennessee and we weren’t brought in for two TVs. I’m hearing on Twitter a lot of people are like, ‘Wow, you haven’t been used a lot’ and I’ll be honest, it’s frustrating, but I’ve been making my voice known to people I work with, my bosses and everything like that, so hopefully the squeaky wheel gets oiled.
We don’t get punished for speaking up over here which is really nice. I wanna be used. The belts [the Knockouts Tag Team Championships] are not jewellery for me. It’s a championship and I want to defend it. I’m not just here to look pretty with this around my waist, so I’m hoping they use a little bit more after Bound for Glory.
Speaking on whether looks or wrestling skills are more important for female wrestlers, she says:
It is entertainment. I like to stress that. I think it’s a package deal. Fit Finlay in the past said that the best wrestlers don’t get TV time. My experience from my past, for my skills and how hard I worked at my wrestling skills, [I] wasn’t as appreciated as girls that looked like a model and it’s very frustrating.
People wanna see some good looking women on TV and who am I to say, ‘No, you wanna watch wrestling, you wanna watch wrestling’, you know what I mean? I think TNA/Impact Wrestling does showcase different realms of the women. When I first joined — Awesome Kong, ODB, Sojo, Traci Brooks, the Beautiful People — it was just like a mix of people and it was so refreshing to see not the cookie-cutter long hair, blonde hair, blue eyes girl next door. It was really refreshing to come to a division that had so much to offer. It made me feel good.
Tara also talks about her experiences working as a WWE Diva versus working as a TNA Knockout, saying:
It’s nice that the women’s division on Impact [Wrestling] has a little more free range on what we do in the ring. It’s not like, ‘Hey, you have five minutes. Only do five minutes’. They’re like, ‘Well, how much time do you want?’ [...] When I first came there, I was like ‘How much time do I have in the ring on TV?’ and they were like, ‘You just do what you want to do’. I was kind of lost because I was like, ‘I need rules’. I was so used to having rules and structure. It was so refreshing. I was like ‘Am I allowed to do this?’. I was still walking on eggshells from the past [in WWE]. When I came into TNA, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, this division’s completely looked at differently’.
Finally on her match with Sojo at Remix Pro Wrestling on October 8th, which will be a very rare independent appearance for Tara, she says:
We have a lot of history. She was the first friend I made when I went over to TNA/Impact Wrestling. She was the sweetest thing but you get her in the ring and things change tunes really quick.
We only had one match together and I was so bummed because I was looking forward to having some future matches together or as a tag team or something like that. Next thing I knew she was gone. I was so sad. I was left alone on the road.
I’m super excited to face her on October 8th.
On the show, Tara revealed that she’s been frustrated recently over her lack of TV time along with tag team partner, Brooke Tessmacher.
Tara says:
Recently, Brooke Tessmacher and I, we haven’t been… I’m not at TV. We were supposed to have TV [tapings] today in Tennessee and we weren’t brought in for two TVs. I’m hearing on Twitter a lot of people are like, ‘Wow, you haven’t been used a lot’ and I’ll be honest, it’s frustrating, but I’ve been making my voice known to people I work with, my bosses and everything like that, so hopefully the squeaky wheel gets oiled.
We don’t get punished for speaking up over here which is really nice. I wanna be used. The belts [the Knockouts Tag Team Championships] are not jewellery for me. It’s a championship and I want to defend it. I’m not just here to look pretty with this around my waist, so I’m hoping they use a little bit more after Bound for Glory.
Speaking on whether looks or wrestling skills are more important for female wrestlers, she says:
It is entertainment. I like to stress that. I think it’s a package deal. Fit Finlay in the past said that the best wrestlers don’t get TV time. My experience from my past, for my skills and how hard I worked at my wrestling skills, [I] wasn’t as appreciated as girls that looked like a model and it’s very frustrating.
People wanna see some good looking women on TV and who am I to say, ‘No, you wanna watch wrestling, you wanna watch wrestling’, you know what I mean? I think TNA/Impact Wrestling does showcase different realms of the women. When I first joined — Awesome Kong, ODB, Sojo, Traci Brooks, the Beautiful People — it was just like a mix of people and it was so refreshing to see not the cookie-cutter long hair, blonde hair, blue eyes girl next door. It was really refreshing to come to a division that had so much to offer. It made me feel good.
Tara also talks about her experiences working as a WWE Diva versus working as a TNA Knockout, saying:
It’s nice that the women’s division on Impact [Wrestling] has a little more free range on what we do in the ring. It’s not like, ‘Hey, you have five minutes. Only do five minutes’. They’re like, ‘Well, how much time do you want?’ [...] When I first came there, I was like ‘How much time do I have in the ring on TV?’ and they were like, ‘You just do what you want to do’. I was kind of lost because I was like, ‘I need rules’. I was so used to having rules and structure. It was so refreshing. I was like ‘Am I allowed to do this?’. I was still walking on eggshells from the past [in WWE]. When I came into TNA, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, this division’s completely looked at differently’.
Finally on her match with Sojo at Remix Pro Wrestling on October 8th, which will be a very rare independent appearance for Tara, she says:
We have a lot of history. She was the first friend I made when I went over to TNA/Impact Wrestling. She was the sweetest thing but you get her in the ring and things change tunes really quick.
We only had one match together and I was so bummed because I was looking forward to having some future matches together or as a tag team or something like that. Next thing I knew she was gone. I was so sad. I was left alone on the road.
I’m super excited to face her on October 8th.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Saturday, 17 September 2011
TNA DVD Review - Immortal
TNA DVD Review – Immortal
By Phil Allely
When wrestling legend Hulk Hogan joined TNA it seemed as if the wrestling world had truned on its head. Yes Hogan had jumped ship once before form the WWE to join its rival WCW and he was instrumental in creating the most exciting faction in wrestling the N.W.O. Hogan at that time was one of the world’s hottest stars and he alongside WCW almost broke the. WWE as they warred over Monday Night TV ratings.
This is something TNA must have surely longed to happen once again when they signed Hogan to a big money contract, company President Dixie Carter and her organisation had of course big plans to push TNA to the max with Hogan on board.
So here in this double disc DVD set we get to see just how those plans have progressed. The only issue being that many of the comments, interviews and talking heads are in full on storyline/character mode and that does take away from the task at hand.
If you can bypass the fact that everyone featured talks about events like they are reality then this set will work for you.
We kick off with the Hulk Hogan/TNA signing press conference and proceed at speed to a spirited (and baffling) backstage speech by Dixie to the TNA roster. We also see Hogan’s business partner Eric Bischoff get cemented into proceedings too.
Hogan’s TNA debut made headlines across the globe (your reviewer even broke the story in the mainstream UK press) his initial in-ring appearance made for entertaining viewing and he was the Hogan of old during it.
Across these discs we get to see some of Hulk’s old pals make guest appearances (Scott Hall, Sean Waltman et all), plus we get to see his initial encounters with Ric Flair and Mick Foley. Alongside the signings of Foley and Flair we see former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy turn up on TNA TV and even the former Mr Kennedy (Ken Anderson) all of which certainly livened up the TNA product.
One big thing about the Hogan regime has been the removal of the six-sided ring. This was one of the things that made TNA different from its rivals and removing it did create an awful lot of bad blood. The once unique X Division also got lost in the mix as Hogan/Bischoff took control of things, yet again this made TNA stand out from the crowd.
One more featured story here is the ill-fated jump to live programming by TNA, at least those concerned do talk honestly about this experiment. TNA did find the error of their ways pretty sharply and returned to their old time slot asap.
This box set has got an awful lot going on in it and over its six hour run time you do get to see just how much Hogan and Bischoff have brought/changed in relation to TNA’s product.
We also get to relive the exciting (if slightly disappointing) match between Hogan and Flair, alongside AJ Styles and Abyss, the Fortune/Immortal Lockdown main event and a few other matches. The emphasis here is of course more on the storylines and talking than the in-ring activity.
Immortal does fulfil its end of the bargain to a degree, it highlights the Hulkster’s TNA career to date and it showcases the good and bad that it has led to. The inclusion of the EV2 feud and some candid comments by legend Sting all help too.
Immortal is available now from all good retailers.
By Phil Allely
When wrestling legend Hulk Hogan joined TNA it seemed as if the wrestling world had truned on its head. Yes Hogan had jumped ship once before form the WWE to join its rival WCW and he was instrumental in creating the most exciting faction in wrestling the N.W.O. Hogan at that time was one of the world’s hottest stars and he alongside WCW almost broke the. WWE as they warred over Monday Night TV ratings.
This is something TNA must have surely longed to happen once again when they signed Hogan to a big money contract, company President Dixie Carter and her organisation had of course big plans to push TNA to the max with Hogan on board.
So here in this double disc DVD set we get to see just how those plans have progressed. The only issue being that many of the comments, interviews and talking heads are in full on storyline/character mode and that does take away from the task at hand.
If you can bypass the fact that everyone featured talks about events like they are reality then this set will work for you.
We kick off with the Hulk Hogan/TNA signing press conference and proceed at speed to a spirited (and baffling) backstage speech by Dixie to the TNA roster. We also see Hogan’s business partner Eric Bischoff get cemented into proceedings too.
Hogan’s TNA debut made headlines across the globe (your reviewer even broke the story in the mainstream UK press) his initial in-ring appearance made for entertaining viewing and he was the Hogan of old during it.
Across these discs we get to see some of Hulk’s old pals make guest appearances (Scott Hall, Sean Waltman et all), plus we get to see his initial encounters with Ric Flair and Mick Foley. Alongside the signings of Foley and Flair we see former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy turn up on TNA TV and even the former Mr Kennedy (Ken Anderson) all of which certainly livened up the TNA product.
One big thing about the Hogan regime has been the removal of the six-sided ring. This was one of the things that made TNA different from its rivals and removing it did create an awful lot of bad blood. The once unique X Division also got lost in the mix as Hogan/Bischoff took control of things, yet again this made TNA stand out from the crowd.
One more featured story here is the ill-fated jump to live programming by TNA, at least those concerned do talk honestly about this experiment. TNA did find the error of their ways pretty sharply and returned to their old time slot asap.
This box set has got an awful lot going on in it and over its six hour run time you do get to see just how much Hogan and Bischoff have brought/changed in relation to TNA’s product.
We also get to relive the exciting (if slightly disappointing) match between Hogan and Flair, alongside AJ Styles and Abyss, the Fortune/Immortal Lockdown main event and a few other matches. The emphasis here is of course more on the storylines and talking than the in-ring activity.
Immortal does fulfil its end of the bargain to a degree, it highlights the Hulkster’s TNA career to date and it showcases the good and bad that it has led to. The inclusion of the EV2 feud and some candid comments by legend Sting all help too.
Immortal is available now from all good retailers.
Hogan upsets Karen Jarrett
Hulk Hogan discussed Kurt Angle's recent arrest for driving under the influence during an interview with Busted Open and said ex-wife Karen told him Kurt's a horrible driver and that she didn't allow him to drive their children during their entire marriage.
"The Kurt Angle thing, I don't know what to think of it yet. They said he blew, you know, and he wasn't drinking. I can't even begin to go there, I’m not going to put Hulk Hogan's opinion over what the legal system comes up with, because I don’t even know what we are talking about with Kurt. I don’t know what the facts yet, I don’t know what’s going on," Hogan said.
"You know I talked to his wife and she said he's a horrible driver. The whole time they were married she wouldn’t even let him drive the kids. He texts when he drives, he's great in the ring as far as focusing but his people skills are horrible. He’s got two left feet, and it translates into his driving. I'm not making any excuses for him, but I want to know what the facts are before I pass any judgement."
Karen, after reading Hogan's remarks, wrote on Twitter, "People should never make false statements and say they had conversations with people they didn't!!!!"
She then wrote to ProWrestling.net target=_blank>ProWrestling.net's Twitter page requesting an interview to "set the record straight on Hogan's comments."
The Vice President of the Knockouts Division added, "One thing EVERYONE needs to know about myself...DON'T mess with my family!!!! If you do..GOD help you!!!!"
"The Kurt Angle thing, I don't know what to think of it yet. They said he blew, you know, and he wasn't drinking. I can't even begin to go there, I’m not going to put Hulk Hogan's opinion over what the legal system comes up with, because I don’t even know what we are talking about with Kurt. I don’t know what the facts yet, I don’t know what’s going on," Hogan said.
"You know I talked to his wife and she said he's a horrible driver. The whole time they were married she wouldn’t even let him drive the kids. He texts when he drives, he's great in the ring as far as focusing but his people skills are horrible. He’s got two left feet, and it translates into his driving. I'm not making any excuses for him, but I want to know what the facts are before I pass any judgement."
Karen, after reading Hogan's remarks, wrote on Twitter, "People should never make false statements and say they had conversations with people they didn't!!!!"
She then wrote to ProWrestling.net target=_blank>ProWrestling.net's Twitter page requesting an interview to "set the record straight on Hogan's comments."
The Vice President of the Knockouts Division added, "One thing EVERYONE needs to know about myself...DON'T mess with my family!!!! If you do..GOD help you!!!!"
Friday, 16 September 2011
MTV2 get a Wrestling Boost
Press Release:
High-flying, thrilling acrobatics, action-packed wrestling moves and captivating story lines make Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors one of the most exciting sporting events. On October 1st, the series returns for a second season on MTV2 and Tr3s.
In Mexico, where it rivals soccer in attendance, lucha libre (free wrestling) boasts a 75-year history of colorful, fun-for-the-whole family entertainment. The tradition of wearing masks harkens back to the Aztecs and the designs are meant to evoke the power of animals, gods and other ancientheroes.
But make no mistake, this is not a sport frozen in time. Having already won the loyalty of generations of Latino fans of all ages around the world, LLUSA is conquering American audiences—particularly the sought after young male 12-34 demographics—with its unique spin on the art of wrestling and the outsized personalities of its Luchastars.
Beyond the mystique of the mask, lucha libre stands apart from American pro wrestling with a strict code of honor, a six-sided ring and its own set of tag-team rules. And unlike their American pro wrestling counterparts, luchadors rely on their speed and agility not just power to subdue opponents. Outside the ring, the show introduces compelling stories that can range from battles over a divorce to immigration issues, from money to morality. Inside the ropes, what the Luchastars do is very real – only a trained athlete, in superb condition could perform their complex moves.
To capture an even larger audience, Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors has brought in a well-known, world-class roster of Mexican and U.S. wrestlers, like Marco Corleone, Lizmark Jr., Super Nova, Shane Helms and Tinieblas Jr. These guys are not your typical brutes – Corleone, a former WWE wrestler, was one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Men in Mexico and wrote a kids book in Spanish about bullying. They’ve also created some new larger-than-life characters, such as RJ Brewer, an Arizona patriot and supporter of the state’s anti-immigration bill SB 1070, and Tigresa Caliente, a woman of Amazonian proportions.
Along with the television show, live tours are powering the strong momentum for LLUSA. In addition, a new Lucha Libre USA app for iPhone and Android will allow fans to create and become their own masked warrior.
“With Lucha Libre USA,” CEO Steve Ship says, “we have created a distinctive fusion of American pop culture and a great Mexican sport, one that appeals equally to the Hispanic audience, the mainstream wrestling fan and the MTV2 viewer.”
High-flying, thrilling acrobatics, action-packed wrestling moves and captivating story lines make Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors one of the most exciting sporting events. On October 1st, the series returns for a second season on MTV2 and Tr3s.
In Mexico, where it rivals soccer in attendance, lucha libre (free wrestling) boasts a 75-year history of colorful, fun-for-the-whole family entertainment. The tradition of wearing masks harkens back to the Aztecs and the designs are meant to evoke the power of animals, gods and other ancientheroes.
But make no mistake, this is not a sport frozen in time. Having already won the loyalty of generations of Latino fans of all ages around the world, LLUSA is conquering American audiences—particularly the sought after young male 12-34 demographics—with its unique spin on the art of wrestling and the outsized personalities of its Luchastars.
Beyond the mystique of the mask, lucha libre stands apart from American pro wrestling with a strict code of honor, a six-sided ring and its own set of tag-team rules. And unlike their American pro wrestling counterparts, luchadors rely on their speed and agility not just power to subdue opponents. Outside the ring, the show introduces compelling stories that can range from battles over a divorce to immigration issues, from money to morality. Inside the ropes, what the Luchastars do is very real – only a trained athlete, in superb condition could perform their complex moves.
To capture an even larger audience, Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors has brought in a well-known, world-class roster of Mexican and U.S. wrestlers, like Marco Corleone, Lizmark Jr., Super Nova, Shane Helms and Tinieblas Jr. These guys are not your typical brutes – Corleone, a former WWE wrestler, was one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Men in Mexico and wrote a kids book in Spanish about bullying. They’ve also created some new larger-than-life characters, such as RJ Brewer, an Arizona patriot and supporter of the state’s anti-immigration bill SB 1070, and Tigresa Caliente, a woman of Amazonian proportions.
Along with the television show, live tours are powering the strong momentum for LLUSA. In addition, a new Lucha Libre USA app for iPhone and Android will allow fans to create and become their own masked warrior.
“With Lucha Libre USA,” CEO Steve Ship says, “we have created a distinctive fusion of American pop culture and a great Mexican sport, one that appeals equally to the Hispanic audience, the mainstream wrestling fan and the MTV2 viewer.”
Thursday, 15 September 2011
TNA No Surrender 2012 - PPV Review
Mickie Surrender’s her gold as Sting eyes up a clash with Hogan…
By Phil Allely
TNA’s No Surrender Pay-Per-View was a slightly hit and miss affair content wise, but it did see two title changes, a surprise bout crowning the BFG Series winner and one match was confirmed for the Upcoming Bound For Glory supershow, alongside some hints at other ones. A technical issue did hamper UK viewers enjoyment though.
Things opened up reasonably well as new boy to the X Division Jesse Sorensen battled cagey veteran Kid Kash for the number one contender’s spot for the X title. Underdog Sorensen pulled off the shock win after a lengthy beat down from Kash.
James Storm and Bully Ray’s BFG Series encounter was a slow plodding affair, the stalling by Ray and dodgy DQ finish didn’t help matters. Ray’s win giving him a clear lead over his nearest rivals Robert Roode and Gunner.
The Winter versus Mickie James match for the Knockouts title saw a Wonder Woman clad James having to fend off not only the unconventional Winter but also the interfering Angelina Love. The numbers game and a Great Muta style mist spray to the face saw Winter once again raise the gold.
Mexican America successfully defended their newly won Tag Team straps in an average scrap with the combo of Brother Devon and The Pope. Sarita and Rosita proving to be the deciding factor, their interference giving their team the win.
Samoa Joe showed signs of his former glories in his outing with Matt Morgan, both big men offering forth a series of hard-hitting moves and solid in-ring action. Morgan however came out the better after a successful Carbon Footprint found its mark.
Needing a submission win to tie with Bully Ray Bobby Roode and Gunner pulled out all of the stops in their war. Roode’s working of a weakened arm on Gunner finally paying off as the Immortal member tapped out to the Fortune representative.
Austin Aries faced fellow high flyer Brian Kendrick in an X Division Championship match. Aries’ tenacity proving fruitful, a brutal brainbuster move finishing off Kendrick’s title run.
The un-advertised BFG final between Roode and Ray started slow with plenty of stalling, but quickly got tough. After trading the advantage and teasing near falls it was Roode who capitalised on a missed move by ray to get his shot at the World Heavyweight Champ at Bound For Glory.
Unfortunately the main event remained unseen by UK fans (due to a technical issue), but what we missed was World Champ Kurt Angle, Mr Anderson and Sting taking each other to the limit in a nicely paced triple threat match for the gold. There were near falls, Angle as always went all out to impress, Sting continued to revisit his enthusiastic old self and Anderson held up his side of things too. The end came as Hulk Hogan interfered (once again) on Angle’s behalf and Sting fell to an opportunist pin fall.
No Surrender may have had a few too many interference based results, but it did give us a couple of new champions amongst other things. Elsewhere we saw the impending Hulkster/Sting bout gather steam, Bobby Roode saw his world title dreams come build too. The biggest downside being the technical issue that left Challenge viewers without the main event.
By Phil Allely
TNA’s No Surrender Pay-Per-View was a slightly hit and miss affair content wise, but it did see two title changes, a surprise bout crowning the BFG Series winner and one match was confirmed for the Upcoming Bound For Glory supershow, alongside some hints at other ones. A technical issue did hamper UK viewers enjoyment though.
Things opened up reasonably well as new boy to the X Division Jesse Sorensen battled cagey veteran Kid Kash for the number one contender’s spot for the X title. Underdog Sorensen pulled off the shock win after a lengthy beat down from Kash.
James Storm and Bully Ray’s BFG Series encounter was a slow plodding affair, the stalling by Ray and dodgy DQ finish didn’t help matters. Ray’s win giving him a clear lead over his nearest rivals Robert Roode and Gunner.
The Winter versus Mickie James match for the Knockouts title saw a Wonder Woman clad James having to fend off not only the unconventional Winter but also the interfering Angelina Love. The numbers game and a Great Muta style mist spray to the face saw Winter once again raise the gold.
Mexican America successfully defended their newly won Tag Team straps in an average scrap with the combo of Brother Devon and The Pope. Sarita and Rosita proving to be the deciding factor, their interference giving their team the win.
Samoa Joe showed signs of his former glories in his outing with Matt Morgan, both big men offering forth a series of hard-hitting moves and solid in-ring action. Morgan however came out the better after a successful Carbon Footprint found its mark.
Needing a submission win to tie with Bully Ray Bobby Roode and Gunner pulled out all of the stops in their war. Roode’s working of a weakened arm on Gunner finally paying off as the Immortal member tapped out to the Fortune representative.
Austin Aries faced fellow high flyer Brian Kendrick in an X Division Championship match. Aries’ tenacity proving fruitful, a brutal brainbuster move finishing off Kendrick’s title run.
The un-advertised BFG final between Roode and Ray started slow with plenty of stalling, but quickly got tough. After trading the advantage and teasing near falls it was Roode who capitalised on a missed move by ray to get his shot at the World Heavyweight Champ at Bound For Glory.
Unfortunately the main event remained unseen by UK fans (due to a technical issue), but what we missed was World Champ Kurt Angle, Mr Anderson and Sting taking each other to the limit in a nicely paced triple threat match for the gold. There were near falls, Angle as always went all out to impress, Sting continued to revisit his enthusiastic old self and Anderson held up his side of things too. The end came as Hulk Hogan interfered (once again) on Angle’s behalf and Sting fell to an opportunist pin fall.
No Surrender may have had a few too many interference based results, but it did give us a couple of new champions amongst other things. Elsewhere we saw the impending Hulkster/Sting bout gather steam, Bobby Roode saw his world title dreams come build too. The biggest downside being the technical issue that left Challenge viewers without the main event.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
WWE DVD Review - Over The Limit 2011
WWE DVD Review – Over The Limit 2011
By Phil Allely
Over The Limit on paper had a lot of potentially high octane bouts on offer and whilst some failed to live up to their hype, others fulfilled their end of things very well indeed.
The show kicked off in a sombre mood as we saw a graphic proclaiming the event was in memory of the late Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage, which considering the often mooted bad blood between the legend and WWE main man Vince McMahon was a very nice touch indeed.
R Truth and Rey Mysterio were up first and ably set the pace for proceedings, Truth showing his more brutal side and Mysterio taking punishment his battered and worn down body really doesn’t need.
Next following a cocky as ever speech by WWE Championship contender The Miz we had Wade Barrett face off against his former Corre teammate Ezekiel Jackson. This did plod along in parts, but both big men worked hard to give the fans a decent showing. The Corre of course made their presence felt here too.
The Sin Cara and Chavo Guerrero match was one of the already mentioned great on paper affairs. However whilst the pairs styles should have worked well, it just wasn’t meant to be. The set-pieces were good, but not as good as we were led to believe they would when executed by the highly anticipated Cara. The mood lightening seems to hinder Cara’s matches too, making some of his flashier moves hard to see.
After a fun interview segment with World Heavyweight Champion randy Orton and his nemesis Christian it was time for Alberto Del Rio to spout forth some drivel about his wrestling destiny. He was cut short by Tag Champs Kane and Big Show in a comical interlude.
Big Show and Kane then faced The Nexus team of Mason Ryan and CM Punk. Punk as the smallest participant had his work cut out to put forth a formidable showing here against his much larger foes.
The Divas title match-up saw champ Brie Bella defend her gold against the ever-popular Kelly Kelly. This was a more spirited scrap than the usual Diva cat fight, Nikki Bella of coursed got involved in proceedings and as per usual our underdog (Kelly) took a beating. Kelly’s inevitable comeback proving to be a welcome crowd pleaser, even with the delectable Bella twins underhand tactics.
After reaching the pinnacle of the WWE Christian saw his World Title dreams shattered when Randy Orton ended his title reign in just five days. This was his chance to redeem himself and take back the belt he had worked so long and hard for. Picking up the pace after a few duller bouts this match makes this release well worth a purchase alone. Orton and Christian work so well together in the ring that many of us could watch them do battle forever, each move and exchange are so fluid you’d think they had been working together for many years. This is the match of the night here and it’s great to see both men at the top of their game.
The bitter, sometimes offbeat feud between Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler finally came to an end next, this Kiss My Foot match was a fine way to do so, although the feud itself did run a tad too long for many fans. Lawler throwing Cole through his ‘Cole Mine’ plexi glass shelter was a nice set-piece too. Watch out for a special appearance by some people who Michael Cole had offended alongside Lawler. There’s even a guest spot for original Kiss My Foot match participant Bret Hart.
The WWE Championship main event match between The Miz and champ John Cena was an entertaining affair. It quickly degenerated into a handicap match (featuring Miz’s Stooge Alex Riley).
The action was fast, furious and most of all involving, Cena may have his many fans, but equally there are countless others who detest his super hero style character. Here he appeared more human than ever and underwent a great deal of abuse at the hands of the duo of Riley/Miz.
With weapons galore (including steel cases, ring steps, kendo stick et al) this was a very good way to round off a PPV.
Over The Limit 2011 will certainly keep you amused as a home DVD release, it does tick many boxes and the main matches are indeed treats to view again. There are some inferior encounters in there, but they do move along quickly enough and don’t dilute the main one too much at all.
On the extras front there is an interview with John Cena only.
WWE Over The Limit 2011 is available now form ww.silvervision.so.uk and all good retailers.
RRP £17.99
Certificate 12
Running Time 2 Hrs 56 mins
By Phil Allely
Over The Limit on paper had a lot of potentially high octane bouts on offer and whilst some failed to live up to their hype, others fulfilled their end of things very well indeed.
The show kicked off in a sombre mood as we saw a graphic proclaiming the event was in memory of the late Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage, which considering the often mooted bad blood between the legend and WWE main man Vince McMahon was a very nice touch indeed.
R Truth and Rey Mysterio were up first and ably set the pace for proceedings, Truth showing his more brutal side and Mysterio taking punishment his battered and worn down body really doesn’t need.
Next following a cocky as ever speech by WWE Championship contender The Miz we had Wade Barrett face off against his former Corre teammate Ezekiel Jackson. This did plod along in parts, but both big men worked hard to give the fans a decent showing. The Corre of course made their presence felt here too.
The Sin Cara and Chavo Guerrero match was one of the already mentioned great on paper affairs. However whilst the pairs styles should have worked well, it just wasn’t meant to be. The set-pieces were good, but not as good as we were led to believe they would when executed by the highly anticipated Cara. The mood lightening seems to hinder Cara’s matches too, making some of his flashier moves hard to see.
After a fun interview segment with World Heavyweight Champion randy Orton and his nemesis Christian it was time for Alberto Del Rio to spout forth some drivel about his wrestling destiny. He was cut short by Tag Champs Kane and Big Show in a comical interlude.
Big Show and Kane then faced The Nexus team of Mason Ryan and CM Punk. Punk as the smallest participant had his work cut out to put forth a formidable showing here against his much larger foes.
The Divas title match-up saw champ Brie Bella defend her gold against the ever-popular Kelly Kelly. This was a more spirited scrap than the usual Diva cat fight, Nikki Bella of coursed got involved in proceedings and as per usual our underdog (Kelly) took a beating. Kelly’s inevitable comeback proving to be a welcome crowd pleaser, even with the delectable Bella twins underhand tactics.
After reaching the pinnacle of the WWE Christian saw his World Title dreams shattered when Randy Orton ended his title reign in just five days. This was his chance to redeem himself and take back the belt he had worked so long and hard for. Picking up the pace after a few duller bouts this match makes this release well worth a purchase alone. Orton and Christian work so well together in the ring that many of us could watch them do battle forever, each move and exchange are so fluid you’d think they had been working together for many years. This is the match of the night here and it’s great to see both men at the top of their game.
The bitter, sometimes offbeat feud between Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler finally came to an end next, this Kiss My Foot match was a fine way to do so, although the feud itself did run a tad too long for many fans. Lawler throwing Cole through his ‘Cole Mine’ plexi glass shelter was a nice set-piece too. Watch out for a special appearance by some people who Michael Cole had offended alongside Lawler. There’s even a guest spot for original Kiss My Foot match participant Bret Hart.
The WWE Championship main event match between The Miz and champ John Cena was an entertaining affair. It quickly degenerated into a handicap match (featuring Miz’s Stooge Alex Riley).
The action was fast, furious and most of all involving, Cena may have his many fans, but equally there are countless others who detest his super hero style character. Here he appeared more human than ever and underwent a great deal of abuse at the hands of the duo of Riley/Miz.
With weapons galore (including steel cases, ring steps, kendo stick et al) this was a very good way to round off a PPV.
Over The Limit 2011 will certainly keep you amused as a home DVD release, it does tick many boxes and the main matches are indeed treats to view again. There are some inferior encounters in there, but they do move along quickly enough and don’t dilute the main one too much at all.
On the extras front there is an interview with John Cena only.
WWE Over The Limit 2011 is available now form ww.silvervision.so.uk and all good retailers.
RRP £17.99
Certificate 12
Running Time 2 Hrs 56 mins
Monday, 12 September 2011
Mickie James Interview Highlights
TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Mickie James was asked on her official website if she would ever return to WWE.
“This is a tough question that I often get asked and usually avoid answering. I can’t say that I never will or would go back to the WWE.” James said.
“I honestly never intended on leaving until I retired. However we don’t choose our destiny. We just live it. I am very happy at TNA and am enjoying my time here for as long as it lasts. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to grow inside and out as a performer, artist, and a woman. One really never knows what tomorrow holds. That’s why you make the most of every moment. Good, bad, or indifferent, and own it like only you can.”
She also gave her thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame, writing: “To be inducted in to the Hall of Fame is a huge honor for any one person in this industry. It not only gives you credibility as the mark you made in the pages of history to the fans, but notoriety for the path you paved for everyone who followed in your footsteps.”
– Madison Rayne indicated on her Twitter account that her husband, who serves for the United States military, was recently sent overseas. The multi-time TNA Women’s Champion tied the knot last February and changed her name to Ashley Cabot.
“This is a tough question that I often get asked and usually avoid answering. I can’t say that I never will or would go back to the WWE.” James said.
“I honestly never intended on leaving until I retired. However we don’t choose our destiny. We just live it. I am very happy at TNA and am enjoying my time here for as long as it lasts. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to grow inside and out as a performer, artist, and a woman. One really never knows what tomorrow holds. That’s why you make the most of every moment. Good, bad, or indifferent, and own it like only you can.”
She also gave her thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame, writing: “To be inducted in to the Hall of Fame is a huge honor for any one person in this industry. It not only gives you credibility as the mark you made in the pages of history to the fans, but notoriety for the path you paved for everyone who followed in your footsteps.”
– Madison Rayne indicated on her Twitter account that her husband, who serves for the United States military, was recently sent overseas. The multi-time TNA Women’s Champion tied the knot last February and changed her name to Ashley Cabot.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Goldberg interview highlights
Regarding Bill Goldberg's likely return to the ring and the Rumble in the Jungle II show in Africa's Congo, promotional material for the event lists Goldberg vs. former WWE star Dave Batista at the big show on October 12th at Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa.
Goldberg apparently said on Twitter that Batista won't be his opponent because Batista is going back to WWE. Batista told The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he's not on the Congo shows and has no wrestling plans for the near future, "or possibly ever the way WWE is going." Goldberg has not signed a contract at last word.
Batista is currently focusing on his Gracie Gym in Tampa, Florida and waiting to see if potential movie deals work out. The former World Heavyweight Champion also had back surgery a month ago. Batista's back was bothering him to the point his Jiu Jitsu training was suffering.
No other names have been announced for the show but a promotional brochure shows photos of starts like Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Daivari, Bob Sapp, Ken Shamrock, Chavo Guerrero, Charlie Haas, Paul London, Tom Howard, Nathan Jones, Sylvester Terkay and Roddy Piper. Goldberg's name is also listed as part of the group's management. Word is that the promotion asked Chris Jericho and he turned them down. Celebrities advertised include George Foreman, Jean Claude Van Damme and Leila Ali.
The promotion, USA to Africa Pro Wrestling Mission, also plans to film a documentary including the 20-hour plane ride with background footage of the talents. The documentary would be produced by Donnie Eichar and Brad Tiemmanto, of MTV's The Buried Life. There has been talk of the final show of the tour to be an internet pay-per-view, in addition to a DVD release. There is also talk of the promotion becoming a regular touring group in Africa.
Goldberg apparently said on Twitter that Batista won't be his opponent because Batista is going back to WWE. Batista told The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he's not on the Congo shows and has no wrestling plans for the near future, "or possibly ever the way WWE is going." Goldberg has not signed a contract at last word.
Batista is currently focusing on his Gracie Gym in Tampa, Florida and waiting to see if potential movie deals work out. The former World Heavyweight Champion also had back surgery a month ago. Batista's back was bothering him to the point his Jiu Jitsu training was suffering.
No other names have been announced for the show but a promotional brochure shows photos of starts like Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Daivari, Bob Sapp, Ken Shamrock, Chavo Guerrero, Charlie Haas, Paul London, Tom Howard, Nathan Jones, Sylvester Terkay and Roddy Piper. Goldberg's name is also listed as part of the group's management. Word is that the promotion asked Chris Jericho and he turned them down. Celebrities advertised include George Foreman, Jean Claude Van Damme and Leila Ali.
The promotion, USA to Africa Pro Wrestling Mission, also plans to film a documentary including the 20-hour plane ride with background footage of the talents. The documentary would be produced by Donnie Eichar and Brad Tiemmanto, of MTV's The Buried Life. There has been talk of the final show of the tour to be an internet pay-per-view, in addition to a DVD release. There is also talk of the promotion becoming a regular touring group in Africa.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Jim Ross Q&A Highlights
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has answered several fan questions on his Twitter account, @JRsBBQ. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote on Tuesday morning about:
SmackDown Moving To Tuesdays:
"Will WWE move Smackdown to tuesdays live on Sy Fy? Heard nothing official but personally I like the idea. Live TV hard to beat. So, TBD."
WWE's New Cable Channel:
"WWE Network moving forward briskly. Not sure of details but tv biz buzzing & interested. 'Assume' nothing other than it's gonna be a hit."
What He Thinks Of TNA Wrestling:
"Have many friends there & wish them no Ill will & only success."
Rumored WrestleMania 28 Matches:
"Amazing how many folks think I actually known the WM28 card here in September. I'd guess NO ONE KNOWS the card. NO ONE."
What He Thinks About Zack Ryder's Potential:
"Working diligently to become a player & I hope that he makes it."
You can follow Jim Ross on Twitter @JRsBBQ.com.
SmackDown Moving To Tuesdays:
"Will WWE move Smackdown to tuesdays live on Sy Fy? Heard nothing official but personally I like the idea. Live TV hard to beat. So, TBD."
WWE's New Cable Channel:
"WWE Network moving forward briskly. Not sure of details but tv biz buzzing & interested. 'Assume' nothing other than it's gonna be a hit."
What He Thinks Of TNA Wrestling:
"Have many friends there & wish them no Ill will & only success."
Rumored WrestleMania 28 Matches:
"Amazing how many folks think I actually known the WM28 card here in September. I'd guess NO ONE KNOWS the card. NO ONE."
What He Thinks About Zack Ryder's Potential:
"Working diligently to become a player & I hope that he makes it."
You can follow Jim Ross on Twitter @JRsBBQ.com.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
TNA Lockdown 2011 - DVD Review
TNA DVD Review – Lockdown 2011
By Phil Allely
TNA’s Lockdown Pay-Per-View is one of the guilty pleasures many of us have in the world of professional wrestling. The reason for this being that due to all the matches being within the confines of a steel cage. Meaning that inevitably the violence gets ramped up more than usual, plus bloodshed is more commonplace than in normal bouts too.
2011’s offering was a full blown cage match marathon, each and every match had great potential and there were high hopes that we would see some big title changes and maybe even a see Knockout lose her hair.
The X Division Xscape scrap worked well and saw the usual mix of high flying action, dangerous moves and career shortening spots. The only downside being the now common TNA error of booking too many spots and participants, which dilute the end product.
The 4 corners tag team match had some nice set-pieces though, all four teams working well together indeed. A high point being the revitalised Scott Steiner’s power moves.
The Knockouts Title versus hair match-up was a distinct let down, but the result did prove to be popular. The reason for the short outing was also an understood one (our very own Phil Allely interviewed Mickie James prior to the event and she was extremely pumped up for the match, so the end result must have annoyed her in the end, although the pair have fared better since).
Samoa Joe and The Pope D’Angelo Dinero had a fair scrap in their grudge match. Joe of course proving his worth as a hard-hitting tough guy.
The Matt Morgan and Hernandez battle was a worthwhile effort and one that at least had the crowd involved and weaved its storylines together nicely. Watch out for a nice Hernandez cage based move.
As expected Kurt Angle pulled out all of the stops in his continuing war with perennial foe Jeff Jarrett, both men risking life and limb to please the fans. Kurt deserving special praise for once again taking an insane bump, that many younger and healthier men would never even attempt.
The TNA World Heavyweight Title match was a nicely paced triple threat style match. The cage and the enthusiasm of the trio concerned all helped it move along at a swift rate. Sting, Rob Van Dam and Mr Anderson all plying their trade well, each taking the opportunity to showcase their trademark moves and work the crowd, the finish hitting the spot too.
The main event of Lockdown is usually the events selling point and in 2011 this bout certainly helped pad out an already brimming card. Lethal Lockdown is a great concept, there are two teams, they alternate the numbers advantage and when they all have entered the cage roof lowers to seal the combatants in until one a decision is met. There are also weapons galore to utilise where appropriate as well.
This year the teams were representing Immortal and Fortune, featuring Ric Flair, Bully Ray, Abyss and Matt Hardy tackling the well knit unit of Beer Money, Kazarian and Daniels. The teams (including an increasingly old looking Flair) gave their all here and yes blood did flow. Watch out for Daniels crazy leap and a few guest appearances, including the legendary Hulkster.
Lockdown 2011 was a superb show from TNA, the matches were by the far well planned and executed, there were faults, but they were minimal.
On the extras front we have a bonus disc featuring the now trademark Before the Bell featurette, plus some nice post match interviews, footage from the Lockdown Fan Interaction event and a music video.
Lockdown 2011 is available now from all good retailers, visit www.tnawrestling.com for more information on this and other TNA/Impact Wrestling DVD releases.
By Phil Allely
TNA’s Lockdown Pay-Per-View is one of the guilty pleasures many of us have in the world of professional wrestling. The reason for this being that due to all the matches being within the confines of a steel cage. Meaning that inevitably the violence gets ramped up more than usual, plus bloodshed is more commonplace than in normal bouts too.
2011’s offering was a full blown cage match marathon, each and every match had great potential and there were high hopes that we would see some big title changes and maybe even a see Knockout lose her hair.
The X Division Xscape scrap worked well and saw the usual mix of high flying action, dangerous moves and career shortening spots. The only downside being the now common TNA error of booking too many spots and participants, which dilute the end product.
The 4 corners tag team match had some nice set-pieces though, all four teams working well together indeed. A high point being the revitalised Scott Steiner’s power moves.
The Knockouts Title versus hair match-up was a distinct let down, but the result did prove to be popular. The reason for the short outing was also an understood one (our very own Phil Allely interviewed Mickie James prior to the event and she was extremely pumped up for the match, so the end result must have annoyed her in the end, although the pair have fared better since).
Samoa Joe and The Pope D’Angelo Dinero had a fair scrap in their grudge match. Joe of course proving his worth as a hard-hitting tough guy.
The Matt Morgan and Hernandez battle was a worthwhile effort and one that at least had the crowd involved and weaved its storylines together nicely. Watch out for a nice Hernandez cage based move.
As expected Kurt Angle pulled out all of the stops in his continuing war with perennial foe Jeff Jarrett, both men risking life and limb to please the fans. Kurt deserving special praise for once again taking an insane bump, that many younger and healthier men would never even attempt.
The TNA World Heavyweight Title match was a nicely paced triple threat style match. The cage and the enthusiasm of the trio concerned all helped it move along at a swift rate. Sting, Rob Van Dam and Mr Anderson all plying their trade well, each taking the opportunity to showcase their trademark moves and work the crowd, the finish hitting the spot too.
The main event of Lockdown is usually the events selling point and in 2011 this bout certainly helped pad out an already brimming card. Lethal Lockdown is a great concept, there are two teams, they alternate the numbers advantage and when they all have entered the cage roof lowers to seal the combatants in until one a decision is met. There are also weapons galore to utilise where appropriate as well.
This year the teams were representing Immortal and Fortune, featuring Ric Flair, Bully Ray, Abyss and Matt Hardy tackling the well knit unit of Beer Money, Kazarian and Daniels. The teams (including an increasingly old looking Flair) gave their all here and yes blood did flow. Watch out for Daniels crazy leap and a few guest appearances, including the legendary Hulkster.
Lockdown 2011 was a superb show from TNA, the matches were by the far well planned and executed, there were faults, but they were minimal.
On the extras front we have a bonus disc featuring the now trademark Before the Bell featurette, plus some nice post match interviews, footage from the Lockdown Fan Interaction event and a music video.
Lockdown 2011 is available now from all good retailers, visit www.tnawrestling.com for more information on this and other TNA/Impact Wrestling DVD releases.
Sunday, 4 September 2011
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