Some people say wrestling imitates real life. In the case of Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle, no statement could ring truer. Several weeks ago, Jeff Jarrett was reportedly told to take his guitar and go home by TNA CEO Dixie Carter. How can the man who runs the backstage and creative process in TNA be told to go home and more importantly why?
According to backstage sources, it turns out that Jeff Jarrett was actually living with Kurt Angle’s ex-wife, Karen Angle. If you flash back a couple months ago, Kurt Angle was on the Howard Stern show talking about his failed marriage and that he thought she was actually seeing a wrestler while they were still together. Supposedly, Kurt is right.
After hearing about the news, Dixie Carter went on a backstage tirade, telling Jarrett to take a leave of absence. Jarrett agreed and has not been seen or heard from since. Word is we may never see or hear from him again. Dixie Carter has been reportedly talking about buying him out from TNA.
What is ironic about this story is that Jarrett was actually in an on-air angle with the former Angles. Both Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle went back and forth on television, discussing each one’s misfortune in marriage (Kurt Angle’s divorce, Jeff Jarrett’s wife’s passing). Now this news rolls out, and TNA is in a major shakeup. Who will get total creative control of the show?
Reports are that right now, Vince Russo, of WCW fame, is writing most of the show. There are also rumors of a possible reaching out to former ECW leader Paul Heyman. Either way, expect some big changes in the direction of TNA, and that might not be a bad thing.
The WWE has been on a roll lately with their new guest host feature on “Raw.” Last week’s host, Sgt. Slaughter, pulled in whopping 3.8 cable rating. This leads the Sixshooter to believe that the WWE will have a lot more former stars guest hosting “Raw” in the future. Expect the likes of Ric Flair to begin showing up.
Jeff Hardy has not yet signed an extension with the WWE, according to backstage sources. Hardy may take some time off when his deal expires in the next couple of months. There is no word that Hardy would be looking to jump back to TNA at this time. TNA liked having Hardy on their roster, as he was a big draw when it came to selling merchandise, but in the end he is just too big a risk due to his checkered past.
The Sixshooter got a hold of the new WWE DVD for the Macho Man. As far as content, the DVD had a lot of big matches in their entirety. But as far as production value, this one was a big dud. It actually looked like the WWE put absolutely no effort into this production.
Hosted by Maria and Matt Stryker, who have no business even talking about the Macho Man, this DVD barely gave you an insight into Randy Savage at all. There were no commentaries from other wrestlers, just blabber from Maria/Stryker, and then another match. This DVD was really disappointing in every way. How do you put together a Macho Man DVD and not show me Macho Man vs. Hollywood Hogan in WCW?
This lack of quality has the Sixshooter doubting how good the upcoming “Rise and Fall of WCW” DVD that will be coming out Aug. 25. Can the WWE actually show footage of another promotion doing good things? Can they actually cater to fans that did not like to watch their own show? Can they have a WCW DVD without HHH telling the Sixshooter how bad it was there, even though he was in it for a minute? The answer is, probably not.
Mr. Kennedy’s no-compete clause is almost up, and there is no doubt in the Sixshooter’s mind that he will be in TNA. Mr. Kennedy is a talent on the microphone and an average in-ring performer, but the crowd draws on his charisma. Having him on television every week can only help TNA. He is a young, fresh face to throw out there along with the newly signed Elijah Burke and Bobby Lashley.
That is all for this month Sixshooter-a-holics. Make sure to check me out daily over at http://www.garden-state-of-mind.blogspot.com. Next month, the Sixshooter will have a review of the upcoming “Rise and Fall of WCW” DVD. As the great former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone used to say, “This is the greatest night in the history of our sport!”