Monday, November 30, 2015

TNA signed for Pop TV

Despite following the product regularly, I usually don't write about TNA and in fact, I've only written a total of three TNA related columns this year, two of which involved other promotions and then an article about the Billy Corgan signing.

Why?

The answer is simple, I don't want to write something negative on a regular basis, and much like the product itself, the narrative of the promotion has remained the same for the past few years. Plus, the company has many talented performers and it would be unfair to them, and their hard work in the ring to be completely negative about TNA. So, I decided not to write about it as there's enough criticism on the internet about the organization already and even if it's justified, it's the same story fans have been ranting about since the Hogan era. It should be noted that internet fans are usually the most jaded group of fans and negativity is usually a common theme in most of their reaction. Sometimes, you can't blame them, but other times, I wonder if they watch pro wrestling to enjoy it or just watch for an opportunity to criticism it? More specifically, it's ironic that social media criticizes the WWE booking often and the feedback from the Sheamus win is another example of it, but the same fans that complain continuously still pay for a WWE Network subscription. As I've said many times before, does it matter to Vince McMahon if smart marks complain as long as they pay for a network subscription? The point being, pro wrestling is supposed to be entertainment and if you don't enjoy the product, watch a different promotion or another TV series. Automatic negativity doesn't help the perception of pro wrestling and it doesn't seem to represent actual fans of the sport.

That being said, TNA is moving to Pop TV after just a year on Destination America and some might think this could be used as a fresh start of the company, but that angle was used nearly a dozen times during the history of TNA. It could be suggested that the product caused Destination America to decide not to renew the TV deal, but I don't think that really had anything to do with it as ROH also didn't get renewed and are heading to a different network as well. Destination America didn't seem like a "wrestling channel" so to speak and it's still a little puzzling as to why they signed two promotions to contracts if they weren't going to invest more than a year into them. Unless the shows were too expensive for the network to produce, but again what exactly were they expecting revenue wise? Was it an attempt to get a slice of the WWE dominated market? Were they expecting WWE type ad revenue? Only the network executives know the answer, but it wouldn't be the first time a corporate executive was clueless about the wrestling business and there's a laundry list of former WCW employees to prove it.

What does the move to Pop TV translate to for TNA? Most importantly, it has more TV clearance than Destination America so more people will have access to it, but increasing viewership has been a problem since TNA aired on Spike so accessibility helps, but isn't the main problem. As I've said many times, Dixie Carter is a money mark and is completely clueless about the wrestling business. In my honest opinion, as long as Dixie Carter is involved in the wrestling business, the company will not be successful.

Hey Dixie, how did that Hogan investment pay off?

Don't get me wrong, it would set wrestling back a decade if TNA folded and there's really no upside if it shuts down, other than potentially clearing a TV slot for another promotion. Ultimately, if TNA closed, there would be talented competitors that deserve to have a national stage, but they wouldn't have platform to display their skills. Ethan Carter is a tremendous heel and in my opinion, the WWE missed the boat on him. Eric Young continues to be one of the most versatile wrestlers in the business and he makes the best of what's booked for him. These are just two examples of the great TNA roster, but it's a moot point when illogical angles, lack of brand identity, and almost comical production blunders overshadow the in ring product. It's well known that as a part of TNA's cost cutting measures, they taped several months of TV within a few events and in the process, they have run into a series of situations that make the company look bush league. Since the TV episodes were taped so far in advance, there were stars that were featured for the World Title Series after they already departed the promotion, including Austin Aries, James Storm, and Kenny King. There was also the logistical problem when Hernandez appeared on Impact a few months ago, but the footage couldn't be used when it was discovered that he was still under contract for Lucha Underground, which caused TNA to copy/paste segments to cover it up. As I've said previously, I think there's too much stigma towards TNA and similar to WCW, it might be too damaged of a brand to improve.

So, where does TNA go from here?

As long as TNA has a TV deal and as long as the owner of Panada Energy, Bob Carter continues to fund Dixie's chance to play TV star, the company will continue to exist. To put it in prospective, regardless of the millions of dollars, the Carter family spent on TNA, Panada Energy is a several billion dollar company so maybe TNA isn't in any real danger of a shut down. On the flip side, with the amount of money behind it, you have to wonder why TNA couldn't garner more than a 1.2 rating on Spike TV? The bottom line is, TNA will still exist and many of the problems that have plagued them for years will still exist when they start on the new network.

Friday, November 20, 2015

The Career of Eddie Guerrero

Last week marked ten years since the passing of WWE Hall of Famer and former world champion, Eddie Guerrero. For many fans, there's still a somewhat somber atmosphere when they reflect on the sudden death of one of the most popular stars in the history of the industry, but his career continues to be celebrated.

I still remember when I saw that Eddie passed, it was on the Yahoo home page and I immediately checked a wrestling news site to get further details. At 38, Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room as a result of an enlarged heart and it shook the wrestling world. The WWE dedicated that week's TV shows to his memory and the emotional broadcast featured many of Eddie's friends sharing their stories of him. Almost six months later, I sat in the Rosemont horizon and watched as Eddie's friends and family inducted him into the Hall of Fame. As much as it was an honor to see the legend that was gone too soon take his place in the HOF, it was still extremely sad because he wasn't on the stage to give the speech. However, the entertainment he provided to fans around the globe give reason to celebrate the life and the legacy of Latino Heat.

With pro wrestling in his blood, Eddie was born into a wrestling family as the son of legendary promoter, Gory Guerrero, who earned the nickname from the crimson that was often featured in his matches. His brothers Chavo, Hector, and Mondo all became professional wrestlers and as the youngest of the family, Eddie had to live up to his famous family name in the ring. As was featured in the WWE DVD release of his career, Guerrero had a wrestling ring in his backyard during his child hood and it would later be where he started training to join the pro ranks. Debuting in 1987, Guerrero originally worked under a mask for CMLL before making a "controversial" jump to the rival AAA promotion, where he shed the mask and proclaimed he would assume the family name for his in ring career.

Throughout the early 90s, Eddie was a staple of AAA and teamed with another second generation star, El Hijo del Santo to form a popular tag team until he turned heel in 1993. Guerrero would join a competitor from another wrestling family, Art Barr to become "Los Gringos Locos" and the American influenced stable generated tremendous heat among the proud Mexican audience. Sadly, because of limited exposure in the United States and a relatively short career since he died young, Art Barr is often forgotten about or simply unknown to many of today's fans. However, Barr was a great performer that had tremendous charisma and he actually used the frog splash before Eddie, who started to use the move as a tribute to him. The team peaked in November of 1994 when their feud with El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon culminated in a hair vs. mask match at "When Worlds Collide," the first lucha libre pay-per-view broadcast in America. Around this same time, Eddie was also wrestling in Japan as Black Tiger for New Japan Pro Wrestling and was gaining notoriety as one of the top cruiser weights in the world, which brought an opportunity to compete in the United States. The tag match at the lucha PPV received rave reviews and is regarded as one of the best matches in the history of lucha libre, and the buzz around the match led to Paul Heyman offering Los Gringos Locos a spot in ECW scheduled for early 1995. Art Barr passed away just weeks after the PPV event and the cause of his death still isn't disclosed.

However, Eddie did make his ECW debut and despite only working there for a few months, he had a great series of matches with Dean Malenko that are still talked about today. The Malenko series along with his previous accomplishments brought Guerrero a contract offer from WCW when they signed several cruiser weights to establish the division as a staple of Nitro. During a four year run in the Turner organization, Eddie won many different titles and had many memorable matches, including the match of the year with Rey Mysterio in 1997. Despite the solid in ring work and being over with the crowd, the political structure of the company kept Guerrero from reaching his potential as a more established star. The politics of WCW led to Eddie and a group of friends requesting their release from the promotion in 2000.

Just a few weeks later, the group known as "The Radicalz" debuted on WWE TV, but Guerrero was almost immediately sidelined  with an elbow injury. Eddie remained on TV and returned to the ring for Wrestlemania. After a year of entertaining work in the WWE, Eddie's well documented demons caught up with him and he was sent to rehab. A few months later, Guerrero was arrested for DUI and released from the WWE. At a low point both professionally and personally, Eddie made the decision to get clean and rededicated himself to the industry. In 2002, he began working the independent circuit, including some of the early ROH events and a tour of New Japan. After six months of stellar matches, Eddie returned to the WWE and won the Intercontinental title. Guerrero returned to prominence and continued to rise in popularity, the pinnacle being when he defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE title in 2004.

On November 13, 2005 Eddie Guerrero passed away, but his legacy remains as one of the best performers to step into the squared circle. Eddie proved himself to be a champion in the ring when he won the WWE title and a champion outside of the ring when he became clean from substances. Eddie contributed many things to the wrestling business and he will always be considered a legend.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm

Overconfidence or arrogance?

One or the other played a pivotal role in the shocking KO of the UFC's top star, Ronda Rousey as Holy Holm sent her crashing to the canvas after a highlight reel head kick to claim the Bantam Weight championship in front of a record setting crowd in Melbourne, Australia. As a 14-1 underdog, not many gave Holy Holm, a former multiple time boxing champion, a chance in the main event of UFC 193, but a series of mistake led to Rousey being dethroned as the 135 LBS champion.

Nothing less than dominate prior to the last weekend's defeat, Rousey only needed more than a round to be victorious twice in his mixed martial arts career and become known for her lightening fast finishes more recently. In fact, Rousey finished her last four fights in a little over a combined two minutes, including a 34 second KO of Beathe Correia the last time she was in the cage this past August. Aside from adding wins to her MMA record, Ronda has appeared in movies, TV shows, a segment at Wrestlemania, and released an autobiography in 2015. She's also scheduled to film the remake of the film Road House early next year. The combination of skill and main stream exposure led to Rousey bringing a completely new demographic as well as a new dynamic to the UFC, but those outside projects may have set the stage for her to be defeated inside the octagon.

Ronda brought a 12-0 record into the cage on Saturday with a fierce offense of punches and her trademark arm bar to compliment the judo background that earned her a bronze medal in 2008. There's no doubt that Rousey is an elite fighter that has dominated skilled opponents during her career. However, when Ronda stepped into the octagon with the undefeated challenger, she was too aggressive and played completely into Holm's game. Sloppy striking from the judo expert and Holly's technical foot work allowed Holm to land jabs as Rousey tried to unsuccessfully rush into exchanges with wild punches. I was surprised that Rousey continued the strategy of chasing the challenger in the second round after she took damage in the opening five minutes of the bout, but Holm exploited the flawed attempted at offense. Less than a minute into the second round, Holm staggered Rousey with a punch to set up the previously mentioned head kick and the referee stopped the contest shortly after Ronda collapsed to the mat.

As mentioned, I don't know why Ronda would try to strike with a former pro boxing champion, especially considering how far advanced boxing striking usually is than the punches that are featured in MMA. Did Rousey just assume she would drop Holm with a flurry of punches as she had done to other opponents? With an Olympic grappling background, why would the former champion risk a striking exchange with a boxer?

Overconfidence or arrogance?

Whatever the case, Rousey assuming she would leave Melbourne with the championship and stating it very publicly in interviews before the fight gave Holly Holm the opportunity to overwhelm Ronda with top level striking. Not to take anything away from Holm, but Rousey's fundamental mistakes made it very possible for Holly to win the title. Why Ronda didn't attempt more take downs is anyone's guess, but her lack of precaution for Holm's ability led to the defeat. It has been said many times, but anything can happen in mixed martial arts and you can't overlook an undefeated opponent if you want to remain the champion. Instead of talking about planning to retire undefeated and when to film Road House, Ronda should have taken Holly's record into consideration.

Part of the draw for Ronda Rousey is she brings an authenticity to the sport, but some of the glitz and glamour of the main stream media could have diluted it. Make no mistake, there will be a rematch and it will be major money for the UFC. I would guess that Ronda Rousey will be more prepared and more cautious when she finds herself in the unfamiliar role of challenger. The reality check and the lesson learned from the UFC 193 defeat could be one of the most important things in Rhonda's career if she wants to be the UFC Bantam weight champion again.

Some have made comparisons to Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson in Tokyo in 1990, but that's unfair to Holly Holm. Tyson was landing punches on Douglas before he got caught with a series on punches and couldn't beat the count. Holly Holm is undefeated with an extensive boxing record, she was more prepared for the fight, and exploited her opponent's mistakes to win the championship.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Who will be the WWE champion?

During a match with Kane on the WWE European tour this week, Seth Rollins suffered a major knee injury and will be on the sidelines for the next 6-9 months, which puts the company in a tough spot just a few weeks before the Survivor Series pay-per-view event. Aside from being the WWE champion, Rollins is basically the only major heel on the roster so there's more to the situation than just finding the next champion and because of that, the booking of the tournament scheduled for the PPV seems that much more important for the long term plans, especially considering that Rollins won't be back for Wrestlemania 32. First, it has to be said that it's extremely unfortunate that Rollins suffered such a serious injury and hopefully he can return to 100% because he deserves a lot of credit for his performances during his run in the main event picture, even if the booking was shaky at times. Is Seth Rollins the wrestler to launch wrestling into the main stream? Probably not, but the bottom line is, he can go in the ring and he has carried the company during a time when John Cena took somewhat of a more minimized role recently after working his own busy schedule.

That being said, Survivor Series is only a few weeks away and the WWE has to find a replacement for the champion, and the top heel in the promotion, which can be two completely different scenarios depending of how they book the PPV. Who really replaces Seth Rollins in terms of the major heel on Raw? Alberto Del Rio just returned to the company and won the US title, but he continues to be cheered. Kevin Owens is finally rebuilding momentum after he somewhat plateaued following the Cena feud and he's the current IC champion, but could he leap frog that far up the card that fast? Don't get me wrong, I think Owens has all the tools to be a main event star for the WWE, but you can't manufacture a "pipe bomb" type promo to automatically propel him to the title picture after he just became established as the IC champion. Bray Wyatt continues to be an entertaining act and one of the more over performers on the roster, but he has basically only been used to get other competitors over, most recently Roman Reigns at HIAC and it worked as the match elevated Reign's stock. However, that was designed to help get Reigns over, but when has Wyatt really been booked in a feud to make him become more of a star? It speaks volumes to his ability that he remains relevant despite being beaten into powder during most of the major angles he was booked for, including the match with John Cena, which could've helped establish Wyatt further up the card, but he did the job.

In my opinion, the perception of the lack of depth on the roster  is a result of talent not being fully utilized when they are over with the audience, but the actual talent is there and in many ways, the WWE currently has the best roster they've had in a decade. Why hasn't the WWE given Dean Ambrose a chance to work the main event picture? Instead, he was booked for cartoonish segments and then presented as Roman's sidekick. Dolph Ziggler was put in the spotlight of the main event of Survivor Series last year, but was anything booked to capitalize on it? Brock Lesnar could always be added to the tournament to give it a spark, but if Lesnar would be used more often as the champion again, (which he would have to be considering the competitors that aren't working TV at the moment) wouldn't that be counter productive to the WWE's strategy of making his appearances "special" events? The short term booking solution to prop up the star power on WWE TV of Lesnar working weekly could dilute the aura that's established around Brock with limited appearances. It's been said many times, but it applies here as well, the lack of competition within the wrestling industry seems to have led to the WWE overlooking the potential of certain performers. As I've said before, if WCW existed in 2014, would the office have shunned Daniel Bryan? It took the fans booing Batista out of the building (not his fault) and a near mutiny every week on Raw leading up to Wrestlemania for the WWE brass to actually present what the fans wanted to see in the main event.

Along with that, the business being completely over exposed has an effect on building new stars and specifically, the perception of main event heels. I wrote about it in a column last week, but if you blatantly tell the audience they are watching a staged product, it makes it more difficult to get an emotional investment into the characters. Granted, there's an aspect of "suspending disbelief," but the most successful performers in the history of the business were essentially themselves amplified through the scope of pro wrestling. When the audience knows specifically who is dictating the direction of the product, it makes it much more difficult for a heel character to get heat with the crowd. For example, when Daniel Bryan was eliminated from the Royal Rumble this year, the fans didn't get mad at Bray Wyatt for sending him to the floor, they directed the heat towards the office for booking Bryan to get eliminated. Basically, when the audience knows who makes the decision, the WWE brass gets the heat for the heel's actions, not the heel character and that makes it more difficult for the characters to establish themselves as legitimate stars. The talent and ability is there, but how many of the newer generation are perceived as money drawing stars? There's a reason the WWE has relied on nostalgia acts  to give their biggest events a boost in the past few years and it doesn't seem to help to solidify any of the younger talent either. The combination of not giving certain talents the proper platform when they are over with the fans and the over exposure of the wrestling business has led to a lack of star power, which puts the WWE in a tough spot.

So, what does the WWE do for the PPV? As far as protecting the secrets of the sport, the horse has left the barn, the train has left the station, and you can't go backwards in terms of what's already been revealed. But, the WWE can work within the current perception of the industry and use it to build an intriguing storyline for Survivor Series. Ironically, it was the same event in 1998 that also featured a title tournament and it was when The Rock turned heel to become the "corporate champion." A similar scenario could be used to cover all the bases for the WWE and allow them to accomplish what was probably their original goal for the event. It's well known that the WWE still hopes to make Roman Reigns the next top star and despite some struggles, he seems to be adapting well towards an eventual title run. Again, the majority of the results the audience doesn't want to see, the heat is directed toward the office and not the heels so the booking of the tournament could work towards that. It could be Dean Ambrose or Dolph Ziggler, both of whom the crowd perceive as being disregarded from the WWE office, challenge Roman Reigns in the finals and the Authority helps Reigns get the win so he takes his place as the "anointed champion."

It uses the initial resentment towards Reigns as the motive for the heel turn and it to gives the WWE another top heel. Would it be predictable? Yeah, but if it works, what's the difference? I think if Reigns wins as a baby face, it might fall flat and spark more hostility towards him so hopefully there's some depth to the booking of the tournament. Regardless, there certainly a lot of buzz for Survivor Series and it will be interesting to see who is the next WWE champion.

Monday, November 2, 2015

"The Bulldozer" Matt Tremont

A few months ago, streamers rained down on Matt Tremont as he clutched the CZW World title and with tears in his eyes, realized his dream of winning the top prize of Combat Zone Wrestling, one of the top independent organizations in the United States. After the moment set in, Tremont left the ring and hopped the guard rail to celebrate with the fans chanting his name, which provided an ironic scenario as it was the same place it all started for him.

Over a decade before the referee counted three and declared him champion, the competitor known as "The Bulldozer" discovered Combat Zone Wrestling through VHS tapes, and was memorized with the violent spectacle he saw on screen. After ECW closed, there was an opening in the Philadelphia wrestling market and dozens of promotions tried to capitalize on it, but Combat Zone Wrestling was one of the few to survive the wave of alphabet soup organizations that ran shows in the north east in the early 2000s. CZW found it's own niche within the independent scene mostly because instead of trying to replicate ECW, they created their own brand and raised the bar from hardcore to ultraviolent wrestling. The death match style originated in Japan and commonly features light tubes, barbed wire, and other dangerous objects. Along with CZW, the country of Japan provided Matt with an inspiration to purse professional wrestling when he saw a bootleg tape of the famous IWA Japan King of the Death Match 1995 event, which featured Cactus Jack and Terry Funk in the finals. Matt wanted to see the violent art form live and was provided the opportunity to do so when he went to a building he knew very well from dozens of wrestling tapes, the ECW arena, but it was Combat Zone Wrestling that drew him there. Inspired from CZW legend, Nick Gage and the die hard CZW fan base, Tremont and a group of friends regularly attended CZW events to cheer for their ultraviolent heroes.

However, the thrill of being in attendance wasn't the only goal for Tremont and he set his sights on joining the CZW grapplers in the ring. A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, he searched for a training facility to learn the craft and found it through  AWFR in Philadelphia. A year later, Matt Tremont made his pro wrestling debut and within a few months, he began an ultraviolent journey. His performances in hardcore matches caught the eye of underrated independent veteran, Devon Moore, who took Matt under his wing and would ultimately help get him a job in CZW. In 2011, Tremont was booked in a death match at a smaller show with one of the top competitors in the style, Danny Havoc and the contest was a breakout performance for Matt, as he finally got noticed by CZW management. Just a few months later, Matt was behind the railing for a CZW event, but this time he wasn't there to rally the performers he looked up too. Instead, Tremont jumped the rail and made his CZW debut in a violent match with Pinkie Sanchez, and the anticipation of his arrival in the Combat Zone was audible, as the fans chanted "Bulldozer!" during the contest. His performance earned him an invitation to participate in the the Tournament of Death, an event he bought a ticket to watch just a few years earlier. Matt worked two matches at the event and his performances solidified his popularity with the CZW fan base. As the year progressed, he was booked for a match with the late independent star, Brain Damage and it was featured as the main event at the ECW Arena, which he considers a career highlight, but was also a sign of major things for him at the Combat Zone in the future. The following year, Matt Tremont was one of the main reasons that the death match genre was still relevant and he was rewarded for his efforts when he won his first death match tournament, the IWA East Coast Masters of Pain event. However, that was only one of six death match tournaments that he has won in his career, including CZW's tournament this past June.

Matt has been a featured draw in all of the premier events on the CZW calendar, but he has paid a price for the ultraviolent legacy he continues to create each time he steps into a squared circle. A road map of scar tissue decorates his forehead as an example of the blood he spilled and the sacrifices he made for the sport of pro wrestling. From nearly getting his leg impaled on a bed of nails at the ECW arena to cracking his head violently on the edge of a table during a "tangled web" match, there seems to be few risk The Bulldozer won't take, but he isn't too concerned saying, "I have encountered a hospital on many occasions because of the death matches only for stitches, thankfully in almost 9 years in the business, no serious injuries that have required any surgery."

In 2014, Tremont's stock began to rise as his brawling style was noticed by promoters throughout the independent scene and as a result, he has worked for nearly two dozen promotions, including an organization in Germany. When asked about wrestling internationally, Matt said, "My only international travel in wrestling thus far as been to Germany for WXW in late 2012. It was a tremendous experience. Looking forward to returning in the near future as well as the UK. My main personal goal left in wrestling for myself is to go to Japan either for Zero 1 or Big Japan or even FMW."

So, what's the driving force behind the organic draw to Matt Tremont for so many fans? Quite simply, the fans can identify with him because he has as much passion for pro wrestling as they have when they pack the building. Matt sat in the same seats, cheering for the same icons, and he gives the fans 100% as a way to repay them for their support. Some of the highlights of Tremont's journey were the subject of the "Bleeding Black and Yellow" documentary, which you can purchase directly from him through social media.

When asked about winning the CZW world title, Matt's response spoke volumes about his dedication to the sport as he said, "Anyone who knows my story knows I've been a life long fan of the Combat Zone.Went to my first live CZW event in 2002. Always was my goal in wrestling to make it to CZW. In 2011, I did just that and the platform and opportunities have been humbling and I'm very appreciate of those. The big one of course would be wining the CZW World Championship this past August 8th, 2015 at "Retribution," my biggest Accomplishment to date and most meaningful for me. It was a moment I'll never forget and now almost two full months as champion I look to defend it proudly everywhere I go and represent CZW to the best of my abilities in and out of the ring."

The ultraviolent style isn't for everyone, but nobody can deny the passion, the work ethic, and the sacrifice. Matt gives 100% for every match he has, which speaks volumes to his dedication to the wrestling business. Despite the success and admiration of the CZW fans, Matt remains a humble and polite competitor that strives to prove himself every time he competes. While death match wrestling has its critics, Matt Tremont is a credit to the wrestling business. Matt Tremont idolized the performers he saw while sitting behind the guard rail and he persevered through the trails and tribulations of the industry, which is why it made for a perfect setting that he celebrate with the fans behind the guard rail, where it all started for him over a decade ago.