The wrestling world is very cyclical. There is a strong company who everyone likes to work for, and then there is an upstart. Workers think this upstart is a joke, and still love the strong company. Then before you know it, people notice the small company and want to go there. Next step, the strong company loses major pieces and the small company takes over to replace the strong company.These same series of events may have been set in motion recently. The WWE has lost some major talent with Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus and Lita leaving the company. Add to that, as reported here first, The Big Show announcing his retirement. The WWE is financially stable at the moment; that is not in question. But the buzz behind TNA right now is pretty hot.
Adding fuel to the fire, Paul Heyman was released from his duties this past week. There is no word if the WWE plans to just let him go outright or hold onto him until the end of his deal (mid 2007). The WWE fears he will jump straight to TNA television. This all went down backstage at the “Dismember to Dismember” event. Did you happen to see that footage of Heyman crying? Well that was real, folks. That was his last spot for the WWE/ECW.
Look for RVD and Sabu to be joining Heyman in the next few months. RVD was reportedly heard talking backstage about a jump to TNA when his contract expires in three months. The ECW crowd itself, started a TNA cheer for Van Dam reportedly started by his wife. As for Sabu, there has been talk about him being late several occasions and that Mr. McMahon wants him let go.
As for who will be coming, the WWE and TNA are now negotiating with Hulk Hogan on a six-month contract. Hogan would rather end out his career with the WWE but he has not liked their offers so far. Look for Hogan to end up making a deal with them and finishing it all up at next year’s Wrestlemania.
Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy would like to stay on the same show, but the WWE creative department may have other ideas according to a backstage source. The original plan was to only have them together at the ECW PPV, but that changed after the initial fan reaction. Scott Steiner is in the middle of contract negotiations with TNA on a return, but as of right now the two sides are squabbling over the terms of his house show appearances. Steiner wants to negotiate his own, while TNA wants total control. Look for something to be worked out in the upcoming months. TNA has a new video game that was debuted last week on Spike TV. The game will be available on all platforms and from what I see so far, has exceptional graphics. The release date has not yet been set, but it will be available sometime in 2007. As for TNA getting a second hour of television on Spike, so far executives are reportedly very happy with the ratings and are in support of approaching the idea in the next six months. Bobby Lashley has been made the new ECW Champion, in a move that seemed a little rushed to me but necessary. Lashley is a carbon copy of Goldberg, just without the following. If the WWE can provide him with some top caliber feuds he can be just as popular, but that is a big if. Tyson Tomko has shown up on TNA television recently. The big man who used to tag with Christian Cage back in the WWE is now doing so again. This time in more of a managerial fashion, so far the move looks like a good one. Word is that Christian has been pushing for his signing since he arrived in TNA. The Sixshooter has finally gotten a look at the WWE’s first film, “See No Evil.” As far as a review is concerned, here are my initial thoughts. If I were stranded on a desert island and only had a TV with a DVD player along with two movies, those two movies being “See No Evil” and “Gigli,” I would have to hit myself in the head with a coconut until my eyes would permanently shut. Well that is all for this month Sixshooter-a-holics. For daily checkups on wrestling and entertainment news make sure to check me out over on the Web at http://mattygslife.blogspot.com. Until next time I leave you with the words of Christian Cage, “Hey, don’t get hot! There’s no shame in being second best!”