Chris Hero Returns

A few weeks ago, it was reported that NXT star, Kassius Ohno, was released from the company and he already returned to the independent circuit. Ohno, who was known as Chris Hero prior to being signed, was under contract for almost two years and many people thought he would debut on the main roster at various points during his NXT stint, which included some good matches with William Regal.

Before signing with the WWE, Hero was a journey man on the independent scene and he worked for every well known independent promotion in the United States. He also wrestled in Europe and Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. Obviously, Hero has the skills to wrestle on a major stage and he evolved his style from a traditional Europe style to a Japanese style, thus led to the initials in NXT to incorporate his style into a gimmick.

The reports of Hero's release sparked outrage from smart mark fans, claiming that the WWE "doesn't know talent" but the company makes millions of dollars a year so obviously they are doing something right. That being said, Hero has the skills to be a star in wrestling and he can still be relevant despite being released from the WWE. As far as the reason behind Hero's release, he and the WWE management are the only people that know the answer, but there has been much speculation online. Reportedly, the WWE wanted Hero to improve weight training and it could have been one of the reasons he was released. Some fans might claim that Hero's skill is enough for him to get a spot on the main roster and they might have a point, but the WWE isn't a pro wrestling company, it's a sport entertainment company. Anyone that has watched Hero's work, knows that he's a tremendous pro wrestler, but that doesn't necessarily translate to being a sports entertainer. Some fans can complain about sports entertainment, but it draws millions a year and that's not to say that the WWE product couldn't be improved because there could definitely be improvement. However, there's a different standard for the WWE and it's a global product, which includes ratings, merchandise, etc. The bottom line is, the style that made Hero a star on the independent scene and the WWE style are apples to oranges so being a star on the independent scene doesn't automatically get a competitor a spot on the main roster.

As for Hero's career, the NXT run has generated buzz for his return to the independent circuit and he will an asset to any promotion. It will be interesting to see if Hero debuts for New Japan Pro Wrestling, as the company has generated some buzz with the expansion of iPPV shows and they have also booked more foreign talent. The question is, did the WWE miss the boat with Hero? Probably not because he's 33 years old, he didn't really evolve his style for the WWE, and there's an entire NXT roster that could potentially be stars for the WWE, but as mentioned earlier, Hero will continue to be successful.

Will TNA sign Hogan?

A few weeks ago, Hulk Hogan's TNA contract expired and an angle was filmed to explain his absence from TNA TV. Reportedly, Hogan is negotiating to resign with TNA and recent comments in an interview have fueled speculation of a WWE return. So, will Hogan resign with TNA? Could there be a return to WWE TV? There are certainly some interesting scenarios, but is Hogan worth it?

Hogan debuted on Impact in 2010 during TNA's feeble and disastrous attempt to recreate the Monday night wars. The NWO, Eric Bischoff, and Ric Flair were suddenly on TNA TV. Instead of an alternative product, the show resembled a weekly WCW reunion, which led to Impact going to Thursday night after an unsuccessful attempt to compete with Raw. Based on those results, it seems as though Hogan probably wasn't worth the ridiculous salary, but  there's more evidence that Hogan wasn't worth the investment. Prior to Hogan's debut in TNA, the ratings for Impact were around 1.0 and during his entire run with the company, the ratings didn't improve. I've said it before an I will say it again, Hulk Hogan isn't a draw in the current market. At this point, he's known more for a tabloid circus than wrestling and the TMZ headlines seemed to sour many fans on him. Even when TNA took Impact on the road, Hogan appearing didn't draw the fans to make it profitable for the company and the show is scheduled to return to the Impact Zone. Basically, Hogan did nothing for TNA, he didn't improve the ratings and he didn't improve attendance so, what did he do to benefit the company? This was said before and it's nothing new to anyone reading this column, but Dixie Carter is clueless about the wrestling business and Hogan worked her for major money. Dixie thought that since Hulk was a major star a decade ago, it would boost TNA. Hogan did an interview on the Howard Stern show prior to signing with TNA and he mentioned he was in major debt, which is probably why he signed with the company. Hogan needed money and TNA was his opportunity to cash in on the declining name value he had. You can't blame Hogan for taking the money, but you have to wonder how clueless Dixie is to sign him. The bottom line is Hogan is damaged goods and if TNA is trying to cut costs, there's really no reason to resign him.

Despite Hogan's comments about a potential WWE return, I doubt the WWE would resign him anytime soon because as was mentioned earlier, Hogan is damaged goods. Supposedly, they offered him a lower amount of money than TNA, but why would they pay him more money? Quite simply, Hogan needs the WWE more than the WWE needs Hogan and if Hogan's image is going to be restored, it would be as a result of the WWE presenting him as a legend to the current audience. Hogan claims he could have another match and the only major match in a WWE ring would be a Wrestlemania match against John Cena, but who knows if Hogan could actually wrestle again?

So where will Hogan actually sign? Hogan mentioning a possible WWE return was probably just an attempt to get leverage in the negotiations with TNA and if Hogan can't get a deal with WWE, then I would guess he would resign with TNA to get the money that is on the table. Don't get me wrong, this isn't an attempt to bury Hogan because as I said, you can't blame him for taking the money, but rather an observation of the investment TNA made to sign Hogan and the results of it. TNA has a great roster and a lot of bright spots, but the Hogan experiment wasn't one of them. As for the rumors of TNA possibly shutting down, I doubt it and hopefully it can continue to provide a stage for some of the great talent on the roster.

Oh noooooo DUCKZILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mayweather vs. Canelo

In less than 12 hours, Floyd Mayweather will put his undefeated record on the line against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in a bout that has created more buzz for boxing than any other fight in recent memory, which will undoubtedly translate to major dollars. So, what generated this amount of press coverage? Quite simply, it's a rare occasion where two contrasting superstars are featured in a pay-per-view event. Floyd's most recent fights with Miguel Cotto and Robert Guerrero, respectively, were bouts against good fighters, but certainly not scenarios that put his undefeated streak in jeopardy. During the various media promotion in the week leading to the fight, Mayweather mentioned that some of his opponents were handpicked in an attempt to ensure victory, which really isn't news, considering he has been avoiding a fight with Manny Pacquio for years. Basically, Floyd would only agree to fight contenders he knew he could defeat and they didn't pose a serious threat to him, but as Floyd also mentioned in the interview, people were still paying to see the fights. Despite his arrogant attitude, Floyd is a smart business man and he knows that a blemish on his record could translate into less revenue for his next fight, so why would he risk a fight against a younger and stronger Canelo Alvarez?

The answer is simple, fighting the next potential superstar in boxing brings Floyd the most money, as he's guaranteed a record $41 million dollars for the Alvarez fight. At 36 years old, Floyd is probably near retirement and when will he get the opportunity to fight an opponent that will pay that amount again? Even if Floyd is defeated, he cashes the biggest pay check of his career while he had the chance to get the record setting purse. However, Floyd isn't just about the payday and judging from the negotiations prior to the fight, winning is still a top priority for Mayweather.

The odds say that Mayweather will remain undefeated, which is seemingly based on his skill, rather than just the name value he brings to the table. The fight will take place at 152 pounds, which is probably a disadvantage for Canelo, mostly because it seems as though he could fight at a different weight class, so he will have to attempt to bulk up more than usual before the fight. The 23 year-old Alvarez doesn't have the experience and how he reacts to the bright lights could affect him.

Floyd Mayweather also has incredible speed and defense, which he showed during the Guerrero fight when he avoided many punches and countered in a tremendous technical display. However, if Canelo can close the distance and land some of the powerful punches he's known for, he could rattle Mayweather. The bottom line is Canelo is going to have to use his strength and being the bigger fighter if he's going to defeat Mayweather. If Canelo can actually defeat Floyd, he could become the next superstar for boxing, but Floyd could maintain his place at the top of the sport so it will be interesting to see what happens during the fight. This is more of a guess than anything and I could be wrong, but I will guess than Canelo wins a decision.

AJ Styles TNA Contract

Recent reports claim that TNA star, AJ Styles' contract will expire next month and it's possible he won't resign with the company. The "This is Awesome" TNA fans can relax because AJ will remain on the  TNA roster. Styles is obviously a tremendous talent and he was one of the competitors that helped the company gain notoriety during its earlier years. More specifically, Styles put the company on his back and had some of the best matches in the promotion history. Without a doubt, Styles is one of the most amazing athletes in the history of the business and even today, with a somewhat reduced role compared to earlier in his career, remains a major asset to the company. So, why wouldn't the company resign him?

Obviously, Styles and the TNA office are the only people that know the details of the negotiations, but I would guess that with TNA cutting the budget recently, they probably haven't offered Styles the right amount of money. The production cost of Impact on the road caused some talents to be released, which makes sense, but as far as Styles goes, it's time for TNA to pay up. Styles has earned his money and deserves to be compensated for his efforts. If TNA is actually trying to pay Styles less than he's worth, it would be ironic considering they can afford Hulk Hogan on the pay roll. Speaking of Hogan, what exactly has he done for TNA? The ratings haven't increased so what's the benefit for the company? They are not  more people watching Impact to see a Hogan promo so is it really necessary to pay him to talk? This might have sounded impossible a decade ago, but Hogan isn't really a draw in pro wrestling in the current market. If anything, he's known more for being a tabloid circus than a draw for wrestling fans. The tape scandals and TMZ reports of recent years seemed to sour people on Hogan so again, why is TNA paying him? Basically, if TNA can afford to pay Hogan then they can afford to pay Styles, which is why he will be signed.

Even though I think AJ will resign, I could be wrong and rumors of his departure from TNA fuel speculation that he could sign with the WWE. Styles has probably been offered a WWE contract before and if he was going to sign with them, it would have been five years ago. Styles has mentioned in interviews that he wants to spend time with his family, which is understandable and the TNA schedule allows him to do that. The flip side could be the reason Styles would consider a WWE contract, he has wrestled for over a decade and a WWE contract would give him the opportunity to make the most money in his career. While I'm sure AJ won't be in the bread line, a WWE deal would be major money he could earn for his family and he could retire at a younger age without a lot of the injuries that many of the aerial wrestlers have later in their career. If Styles were to sign with the WWE, I don't think he would be the automatic main event performer that some might guess, not for lack of talent, but rather that while TNA is a wrestling company, WWE is a sports entertainment company and it would be two completely different elements. That's not to say AJ wouldn't be successful in the WWE because he would definitely have some level of success, but his lack of promo skills might keep him from the main event scene. That being said, AJ has the talent so it would be interesting to see what he would do in the WWE and if he would be given the chance to be a major performer.

There have been similar contract situations in TNA before, including when Samoa Joe resigned with the company so it's possible AJ could resign a few weeks before his contract expires and he becomes a free agent. That being said, TNA has made a lot of dumb decisions, but even TNA isn't dumb enough to not AJ Styles for the company.

Angle, Tito, and Sabin

It's the competition of the wrestling business that provides a better product, but after the past few weeks of Impact, it's obvious that the wrestling business will go as far as the WWE takes it because TNA will not be a competitive product in the wrestling industry. That being said, the WWE product has been really solid the past few months and Summer Slam seems like a really good card. Sadly, there's a reason the Total Divas reality show gets a better rating than Impact.

Earlier this year, TNA made the announcement that it would feature less PPV events, which is a good move because the amount of PPVs really make each indivdual pay-per-view less important so basically scaling back the number of shows would allow TNA to build to major PPVs with a special event atmosphere. However, the episodes of Impact that are advertised with names of PPVs, such as this past week, Hardcore Justice doesn't really make sense because with the exception of a title match, it's basically just another episode of Impact. That being said, it was last month at the Destination X episode that Chris Sabin, who recently returned to the company after two knee injuries, cashed in the X Division title to defeat Bully Ray and win the TNA World Heavyweight title. Sabin is a solid performer, but I don't know if many would put him on the same level as other X Division stars that were main event wrestlers such as AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, or Samoa Joe. Regardless, Sabin's return to the ring was something TNA could use to push him and it's great that Sabin was able to return after some serious injuries. If nothing else, Sabin added something new to the main event scene, which is better than Sting challenging for the title again. That's not a jab at Sting because he's a legend, but rather if TNA is going to attempt to continue to establish itself as a company, the future is going to be build around the younger stars so it makes sense for them to invest TV to push Sabin. The title win also gave Sabin the opportunity to make it to the next level and become a credible main event star for the promotion. However, during a steel cage match on Impact this past week, Sabin dropped the belt to Bully Ray after former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz helped Bully get the win. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bully Ray deserves a lot of credit for completely reinventing himself and he's arguably, the best heel in the business, but if TNA was going to give Sabin the chance to be a main event performer for the company, why have him drop the title after a month? Wouldn't a decent run as champion help establish Sabin as a legitimate main event competitor?

A few weeks ago, TNA hyped an August warning as a debut for the company, which led to some speculation as to who was going to appear on Impact and when Tito Ortiz showed up, there was almost zero reaction from the crowd. Tito announced he was retired from MMA about a year and he wasn't relevant for year prior, but signed with Bellator to fight Rampage Jackson in November. If Tito isn't relevant  for the MMA audience, why would he be relevant for a wrestling audience? I understand it's an attempt to promote the Bellator PPV, but is a wrestling program the right platform to promote MMA? How does it benefit TNA? If anything, it makes Bellator look bush league that a scripted storyline is being used to attempt to promote a legitimate fight. Don't get me wrong, Tito accomplished a lot during his MMA career but it's ridiculous to use a scripted wrestling program to try to promote an MMA fight. Another point is that 99% of the Impact TV audience doesn't order TNA PPVs so why would they order an MMA PPV? It doesn't make sense and it won't help either company, but the the Bellator PPV will probably get the same buy rate as a TNA PPV so I guess it make sense for Tito to appear on Impact.

Kurt Angle was arrested for a fourth DUI and he has subsequently entered rehab for it. Obviously, it was a dumb decision and there's no excuse to drive intoxicated, but at least Angle is getting help for it. Hopefully, Angle can resolve his problems because they have somewhat overshadowed his career in the past few years. There haven't been any reports about Angle's status to return to the ring, but he should put his health before wrestling and if that decision is retirement from the sport then it's the right decision for him. Regardless of if Angle wrestles again, he is one of the greatest of all time, which he accomplished in just a few years during his WWE career.

TNA Releases

Last week, TNA released five wrestlers and another contract expired, which totals six departures from the company, reportedly for budget cuts. While it's understandable that TNA would have to cut the budget because of the expense of running Impact on the road, did they actually waste more of an investment when they released the talent? Four of the wrestlers that were released were participants in the TNA Gut Check Challenge and while releasing most of the winners of the contest, TNA has basically killed the credibility of it. Why should the audience think that the future winners of the contest are potential stars when there's a track record of Gut Check winners that get released? Furthermore, the TV time that was used to push Christian York, Taeler Hendrix, Crimson, and Joey Ryan was basically wasted because with the except of Crimson, did any of the other Gut Check talent that were released actually get a legitimate opportunity to become a star for the promotion?

Christian York is a ring veteran that despite being signed to a few major organizations during his career, didn't really make it to the next level in the business and TNA used it as the basis of the storyline for his debut, but York did nothing major after it. There wasn't a storyline for him after he was signed to the company and while his released isn't a major mishap, as he's decent in the ring, but nothing great, it's another example of TNA wasting TV time, as there could have at least given York the opportunity to become a more established star.

Taeler Hendrix had a decent match with Tara and was signed to a contract to wrestle in the OVW developmental territory, but only made a few appearances on Impact so it seems to be another situation where she didn't really get an opportunity to become a star for TNA. Hendrix has potential and it would seem to make sense for the promotion to add to the knockouts division, which is some of the better ratings for the company, but she was released. Another Knockout, Madison Rayne, wasn't resigned after her contract expired, which doesn't make sense because she was one of the better knockouts, at least in terms of character on the TNA roster. Gail Kim, Tara, and Mickie James are great for the knockouts division, but Rayne could have added a lot to it.

Joey Ryan was also released and I think he could have become a star for the company, if he was given the opportunity, instead of the sporadic TV appearances during the past few months. Joey Ryan was good in the ring, has great mic skills, and he's entertaining so he should definitely have a spot on the TNA roster. I would guess that Joey Ryan returns to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he has wrestled most of his career and he will continue to have good matches. Obviously, Joey Ryan was under utilized in TNA, but at least it gives him the opportunity to return to PWG, which is probably the best independent promotion in the United States so if you haven't seen it yet, I definitely recommend watching some PWG.

Crimson is one of the original Gut Check winners and was signed after he wrestled at a TNA seminar. Crimson has all the skills to be a major star in pro wrestling and it's possible WWE could sign him. After his debut, TNA gave Crimson a major push and he was undefeated for over a year before he basically disappeared from TNA TV. What did the undefeated streak really do for Crimson? When TNA didn't book him on Impact, they basically killed the push and the TV time they invested in him is worthless. Crimson should still be on the TNA roster and it will be interesting to see if the WWE signs him.

Matt Morgan was also released and it was after some sporadic appearances for the company. There were rumors that Morgan would return to the WWE last year, but he eventually resigned with TNA, but did nothing memorable after it. On the surface, Morgan seems like he would be a star in pro wrestling, but for some reason, he just hasn't really become anything other than a mid card talent in TNA or the WWE. That's not to say that Morgan doesn't have the potential to be a star, but rather that the way he was booked in both companies didn't really help push him. It will be interesting to see if he returns to the WWE and if he gets push at the company.