Tossing Salt Media, Inc. presents: Wrestling Fact or Fiction
September 23, 2013

Here I am, back again with another edition of “Wrestling Fact or Fiction”. But the catch this time is that I didn’t “borrow” the questions from anyone else. They’re all from me as it should be. And the answers, that’s just me too. I’d do the disclaimer thing that these opinions are mine and mine only and not the opinions of anyone else, but currently, I’m not writing for anyone else’s website. It’s just me and my own little blog so I don’t have to do that anymore. Yay! I wish we could bring back “Wrestle-Zone.co.uk”. That place (and the people) was awesome. Maybe a small wrestling section at Rock-Zone.UK? Then we could build on the infamous rock and wrestling connenction? Hmmm! I might have to mention that to Paps. Enough chit chat though. Let’s do this.

Adam Cole was the right person to win the vacant ROH Championship.

FACT: Actually, I don’t know if he was or not, but he’s as good as anyone, I would suppose. From the few videos I’ve seen on YouTube, he’s a good worker and a fantastic heel who gets a great response from the live crowds. A good heel makes a good champion more often than not. Plus he’s a sexy young man and that doesn’t hurt either. So yeah, he’s a good pick, at least until Jay Briscoe is ready to reclaim his spot at the top.

Ole Anderson (Happy Birthday Ole) belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame.

FACT: Ole had an amazing in-ring career, holding multiple titles and forming legendary tag teams with “brothers” Gene and Lars, Stan Hansen, Thunderbolt Patterson and of course, his “cousin” Arn Anderson. Not to mention his role as one of the original Four Horsemen. And when you add his time as the booker for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, often at the same time, which had both territories running extremely hot and making money out the whazoo, that’s just the icing on the cake. Ole is not “politically correct” and says what he thinks, period. He’s not extremely popular with the powers that be that run the world of pro wrestling these days, especally those named McMahon. But personal feelings and politics aside, Ole Anderson is one of the best, both in and out of the ring, of all time. He did it all, be it wrestle, work as an announcer, manage, book matches, promote, etc. His book, “How Corporate America Destroyed Professional Wrestling” is a must-read for any wrestling fan. The man is an icon and legend and belongs in any and every pro wrestling hall of fame that might come up. Yes, he is that important in the history of our great sport. And anyone who says differently is just plain dumb. ‘Nuff said!

Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore is a good choice as a trainer for the WWE.

FACT: He’s a fantastic performer and has awesome skills. And based on his work in OVW, he’s a fantastic trainer too. Yep, he’s a good pick and the students / wrestlers down in the new Training Center in Florida are in good hands.

NWA World Champion Rob Conway made the right decision in turning down the WWE’s job offer to be a trainer.

FACT: I almost said fiction because no doubt that he’d be making more money and have an easier life if Rob was to move to Florida and work with the future WWE Superstars and help mold and teach them. But Conway is in a unique position. He’s the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and although that title doesn’t have the prestige or noteriety that it once did, it’s still the NWA World Championship, a title once considered the premiere championship in the world of pro wrestling. It’s an honor to wear that belt and Conway is doing it very well, attempting to be a great champion and helping to build back the mystique the belt once had. To give it up to be a trainer just wouldn’t be right. If Conway was getting a wrestling job, on the main roster in a top spot, then it’d be a different story, but right now, he’s better off traveling the world and defending that prestigious crown. He’s still a young man with many good years ahead of him and there will be plenty of time for being a trainer / teacher in the future. For now, he’s making the right call.

Jeff Jarrett is correct that TNA needs to quit focusing on former WWE stars.

FICTION: While I agree to a point, the fact of the matter is that TNA needs to have names on their rosters that people will recognize and tune in to see. And since the demise of both WCW and ECW, the WWE talent roster is the only real place to find those names. I do think that TNA has done a good job of building and promoting their own stars as well (James Storm, Austin Aries, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe), but they need to keep a strong mix of both home talent and ex-WWE’ers. Don’t have the one side so dominant over the other that the home-characters look second rate. Jarrett is a smart man and knows the business far better than Dixie Carter and I have no doubt that TNA would be stronger right now if Jarrett was the man in charge, but I think even he realizes, whether he’d admit it in public or not, that mixing former WWE stars, who have name recognition, with home-grown stars like the ones mentioned above, as well as AJ Styles, Kazarian, etc, is the best way to go.

William Regal is the right person to take over Jim Ross’s former responsibilities in the WWE.

FACT: No one should have be having to take over Ross’s duties with the WWE and if things were as they should be, he would still be calling the action on Monday nights, traveling down to NXT to coach the next generation of WWE Superstars and scouting to find new talents. But shit happens and Ross is (currently) out of the picture. And with his absence, there is a void to be filled and who better than William Regal? Regal is a fantastic announcer and commentator. He has forgotten more about the business than most people will ever know and has proven time and time again that he’s a great trainer and teacher. Actually if there’s ever a new season of Tough Enough, Regal would be a great trainer for that show.

Anyhow, Regal is now taking over the jobs of scouting and evaluating new talent for the WWE and it’s possible that he’s even more qualified than Ross for this role. He’s not an announcer or former management, but he’s been wrestling for close to thirty years all over the world and has been a part of the WWE system for over ten years, plus he’s extremely close to HHH and the McMahon’s and knows what they’re looking for. No one can replace Jim Ross and it’s a shame that anyone has to step up and take over his duties (for now), but if anyone is capable and worthy, William Regal is the man’s man. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) And on a personal note, a brief run with either the WWE or World Championship still shouldn’t be out of the picture either. Just saying!

Tammy Sytch’s efforts to make the dirt-sheet journalists and wrestling “writers” look foolish was successful.

FICTION: So Tammy posts several stories that are not true and kind of crazy on her facebook page and then blasts the “dirt sheet writers” and “wrestling journalists” for posting her claims as part of their news, without confirming it with her, even though she’s the one who posted the stuff on her own facebook page and made the fake claims, aka “lies” in the first place. If it comes directly from the source, why would it have to be confirmed? It’s already confirmed? And anyway, after several wrestling sites posted the information that she herself had provided, via her facebook page, she’s now blasting them for reporting it. And claims that it was all part of her plans to make the wrestling dirt sheets leave her alone.

What the… ?? All it did, in my opinion anyhow, is make her look more crazy than ever and less credible than ever. If Tammy doesn’t want to have her name dragged through the mud, the best thing to do would be don’t give them any ammo to use against her. Stay out of jail. Stay out of rehab. Quit making up stories and lies and posting them on your facebook page. If Tammy wants to be out of the spotlight, the way to do that is to live a quiet life and don’t make any waves. Otherwise, since Tammy is a quasi-celebrity, the shots are going to come. It’s part of the package and if you don’t like it, ignore it. It’s not worth stressing or freaking out over. Spooning with strangers for money is news. Beating up boyfriends and going to jail, for whatever reason, is news. Making up fake statuses about being mugged or adopting foreign babies is news. Get used to it and get over it and quit whining and complaining.

I just wonder if the autobiography that Tammy has allegedly written is real now. And if it is real, how much of it will we be able to read and believe when it does come out. Tammy has blown any credibility and good will she may have had with these stupid stunts and why would anyone want to read her book if we can’t trust her to be honest with us about it. I’m also wondering that since she doesn’t want the wrestling sites and “dirt sheets” to talk about her, will she still feel the same when her book, if it even exists, is published. The same sites that she’s bashing now will be the same ones that will either help her push and sell her book when it comes out or else will ignore it and her. Let’s see how well a book sells when no one will help promote it. Tammy is burning bridges and has destroyed any credibility for honesty that she may have had. So was this whole deal “successful”? I don’t think so.

Curtis Axel’s time as a “Paul Heyman guy” has been successful.

FICTION: It’s kind of a mixed bag. Axel’s in-ring skills are beyond compare and he’s a fantastic technical wrestler. But the charisma and “it” factor doesn’t seem to be coming across very well, even with Heyman’s aid. I like Curtis Axel and if this was the old territory days, he would be a top guy, no doubt about it. But in this time and era of sound bites and catch-phrases, there’s something there that isn’t quite right yet. In today’s wrestling world, Harley Race, Dory Funk and Jack Brisco would have a hard time getting over and Axel is cut from the same classic mode. I hope Axel finds it though. Paul Heyman is the right person to help and if it’s there, they will find it eventually. I just hope that it’s sooner rather than later.

Both Goldust and Cody Rhodes should be working full time for the WWE.

FACT: Both men are excellent wrestlers and great talents. Cody should be full time in the ring and in the World Championship title picture. Dustin, aka Goldust, should be a strong mid-carder and maybe working in the tag team scene and could also help behind the scenes as a producer / trainer. Both men have far too much to offer the WWE to be ignored or only part-time performers.

WWE will be better when John Cena returns from his injuries.

FICTION: When John Cena is around, he dominates the picture and the others have to fight for their tiny piece of the spotlight. Right now, it’s more spread out and it seems that everyone is getting a little more airtime and attention. Cena is missed, to be sure. He’s an entertaining guy and a good wrestler and the face of the company. It’s annoying how he’s forced down our throats time and time again. But for now, the WWE is being forced to learn that Cena is but a piece of the puzzle and not the entire thing. I just hope that they remember this lesson when he comes back and he’s allowed to be a top guy, but not the only one and that others like Punk, Bryan, The Shield, Axel, etc are continued to be given their place in the sun as well.

And there you go. That’s all for me, my Peeps! Have a great one.

Ubuntu!