5 Burning Questions

1.  When will "The Future" become the present?
I keep thinking it's just about to happen and then.....BAM!  Door slams shut.  For once I actually side with the younger crop of Superstars and I get bamboozled.  When I finally have it in my mind that these guys are at the point where they could hold up a storyline or carry a main event they snatch them right back.  Dolph Ziggler is the next big Superstar in the WWE.  Too bad he had to wait for the powers that be to see that Kenny Dykstra, Drew McIntyre, and eventually The Miz were not the main eventers that they had envisioned.  This dude has GO!  When will be the time when he is allowed to break out and not be snatched back weeks later?  The same can be said for Kofi Kingston (who has the crowd eating out of his palm) and Zack Ryder.  There is also some real talent milling around on NXT that needs some TV time.  The Divas there actually seem to be able to"gasp" wrestle (crazy concept, I know).  Will the end of an era match at WM 28 truly be that?  Will the young crop of Superstars be given the spotlight and groomed for greatness?  Time will tell if we are given the next Edge or fooled with the next Jack Swagger. 

2.  Aren't you glad to see Brodus Clay back?
So happy to see the Funkasaurus back on TV.  That is all.

3.  Will TNA Creative get it together now that Russo is gone?
After the Jarretts brought Dixie Carter(and her money) into the TNA fold it was a forgone conclusion that she would be making some big time calls in the operations of the company.  You know, paying reality stars 5 to 6 figures for 1 or  2 appearances.  Sound decisions for company growth.  One of the biggest moves was made when Dixie decided that she wanted some guys who knew the business.  Since Jeff and Jerry Jarrett and the guys that got the company up and running were a bunch of fresh-faced Yale graduates.  What better expert to bring in than Vince Russo to be in charge of booking and creative?  Yeah, the guy that ran Hogan out of WCW.  The same guy that made himself the World Champion, after making David Arquette the champ, of course. Let's not get it twisted.  She brought someone in for help on the management side too.  I mean the man behind the NWO himself, Eric Bischoff.   What better way to put together an all-star team than to get  guys that had some shining moments in the industry 15 years ago.  One with the backing of Ted Turner's money and the other one with Vince McMahon fine tuning.  They have now been set free to decimate the X-Division that made TNA famous.  Turn the wrestlers that have been the foundation on the company into jobbers.  Just to make things feel a little more like home they brought back all of the guys that were the main eventers in WCW.  These men now range in ages from 51 to 60.  Got to love progress.  This would be the equivalent to the Giants signing Phil Simms and benching Eli Manning.  After 2 years of low ratings, empty house shows, low PPV buys and talent exodus a change has come.  Russo has left the building!  He actually had the chance to depart by choice.  Not something that usually happens to people who absolutely suck at their jobs, but hey Dixie wanted to see her choice through.  So with Vince gone the next few months should be interesting (hopefully from a creative standpoint.  Will we see the Knockouts once again return to a place of respect? Will we see wrestlers on TV don't happen to be involved in major storylines? Will I be forced to spend the first 30 minutes of each Impact listening to a promo that took place on Nitro in 1997?  Please make a move TNA.  HIRE PAUL HEYMAN!!!!

4.  Why am I being force fed baby Bischoff?
Speaking of WCW of the late 90's did we not already see this experiment fail with David Flair?  At least we can say he came from god stock.  Not so much for Garrett.  This is a serious case of take your kid to work day gone wrong.  I mean if your dad can be your foot in the door to the industry so be it.  The kid found his way on to the payroll and TV as a ref.  I mean look at all the major league bat boys who were hired because of daddy.  Those kids don't get to bat clean-up in the MLB All-Star game though. So why is young Garrett, still green as duck shit, in the main event on IMPACT?  Standing across the ring from a Olympic Gold Medalist. That might have been a great spot for Jay Lethal had he not been released.  Maybe even pushing Matt Morgan or Hernandez?  Nah, too much sense for Dixie.  Little Bischoff is so cute out there in daddy's ring.   Let's give a push to an inexperienced kid, with no training and the look of Impact Zone concession stand attendant.  Tune in to Slammiversary for the 18 & under Battle Royal.

5.  What happened to the hate?
Alright so he beat Kane, does that mean that Cena is back to his wonderful Boyscout self?  Wasn't this story supposed to go somewhere?  I am now seeing the usually booed Cena picking up some Fans and the Rock coming off as tired and stale (as stale as greatness can be, I guess).  Is the rock stepping into the role of antagonist?  Is CenaCena?  Who knows?  Whatever it is has to be better than last year's main event.  I am still sitting on the wrestling equivalent of wrestling blue balls from that stinker. 

After a scolding from a few people I'm back on my game.  I must now plot a way to watch WM 28 despite working a 12 hour night shift.  I will be back to rant, rave, praise and lampoon all that comes before me in the world of wrestling.....excuse me sports entertainment.  Until we meet again gator belts! 

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Late

Before you even say anything I know I'm late on the Burning 5.  Get off my back!  I'm a busy man.  Trust me there is plenty burning right now. 

Missed Opportunity or How the Indy passed me by

Sooooo, did I guzzle green beer on St. Patrick's Day?  Nope!  Did I make my way over to Martinez, CA to the DMW show to see if the hype on Perry Von Vicious was truth?  Nope!  I did however work until well past show start time.  Oh yeah, gone was my chance to check out El Chupacabra and Sheik Khan Abadi throw down (the little guys always put on a show).  Not too many chances left before I head out of town so expect me in the house at the next few local Indy shows around the Bay.  Word on the street is that big league names will be coming to town.  I got a few people buzzing about HOODSLAM so I will be bringing some minions into the world of FTF!  If you see me at DMW, Battleground, NWA or any show on the Indy scene, Holla at ya boy.  Until next time, see you backstage Knuckleheads!

5 Burning Questions

5 questions that are stuck in my mind that I hope to find answers for this week or until I get bored with the subject. 

1.  Is it all a work?
     Seriously, are we all playing into the hands of the creative geniuses behind the curtain or are we seeing real life play out in front of our eyes?  The words flying back and forth between The Rock and Cena on last week's RAW seemed to get a little bit personal at times.  Several former WWE Superstars took to social media following the exchange and also seemed shook up.  Mick Foley, the Mayor of Promoland himself described what saw as extremely uncomfortable.  Jim Ross in his own personal blog says "What he saw on RAW was 100% real." .  This could be the beginning of some of the craziest backstage heat in a very long time or some of the greatest storyline build-up in the history of Wrestlemania.  The Superstar ego is indeed a delicate matter.


2. Who did Natalia piss off?
    From one of the best Diva angles inn the past couple of years to shit, literally! Former Divas champion and one half of the Sisters of Salvation has not only been forced to job to the same "Barbies" that she and Beth Phoenix mowed down in the late part of last year.  If that wasn't enough she has been rewarded to be the center of possibly the stupidest angle on Smackdown. Fart jokes are the best that Creative had for one of the most talented Divas on the roster?  Way to run with that whole Hart legacy.  Just when you thought they gave a damn about the women's division.

3. What has become of the 2010 MIB winners?
    Excluding Kane, who recently returned to continue reeking havoc, the 2010 MIB match winners have not made any positive contributions to the legacy of the match.  Don't believe me?  When was the last time you saw a great Jack Swagger match?  ......That's what I thought.  After shocking the world at WM 26 and walking away with the briefcase Swagger immediately cashed in on the very next Smackdown to become World Heavyweight Champion.  I wish I had more highlights but that's about it. Swagger was poised to prove the doubters wrong and shoot to the top but fell flat.  Leaving nothing but room for a million I told you so opportunities.  Was it too soon?  Was he just not main event material?  Still up for argument.  The only certainty was that he managed to turn in the most boring WHC reigns in recent memory.  There was more entertainment in the 60 minute Ziggler title reign.  At the first MIB pay-per view we saw The Miz walked  away with a contract for a WWE title match.  He cashed in his contract to defeat Randy Orton and ride the momentum all the way to the WM 27 main event.  You can't top a story like that.  What you can do is blow the opportunity by turning in one of the biggest duds in WM history.  I'm sure there are those that will pin that one on Cena but history has shown that when paired with the right opponent, Cena has turned in some pretty good title matches.  Despite winning the marque match at the biggest event in the industry Miz found himself dropping the belt to Cena just a month later.  Two young champions that were passed the torch with hopes to be the future faces of the company saw the flame unceremoniously extinguished.  You can find either one  of these men struggling to crawl up from mid-card status.  Just look for the guy getting pinned by Santino.

4. What role will recently injured Superstars play at WM?
    I fully expected Mark Henry to go into WM as the WHC.  That idea was cut short by real life injuries.  This adds him to the list of Superstars that I was willing to bet would be playing major roles at the big event this year.  As of now Henry, Alberto Del Rio and Christian are not in the line up for WM.  Joining them as a now possible no-show is Wade Barrett, following an injury during the 10 man battle royal on RAW.  Interesting to see how this will develop in the coming weeks.

5. When will the Undertaker expose his bald head?
    Corny, I know.  But this has been driving me batshit since he returned.  Images have been all over the web showing the Taker with a bald head since last summer.  After confronting Triple H while wearing a greasy wig I was left wondering if WWE had the balls to make him wrestle in a hair piece.  A promo showing him cut his hair in some form of angry protest (yeah, make the Deadman act like a chick) against Triple H not accepting a WM rematch.  But we have still yet to see the chrome dome.  After looking like a mere mortal being carted out last year how will something as simple as hair affect the legacy of one of the greatest Superstars in history.


Until next time, take a minute to let it burn.