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TNA keeps two of its "stars"
| HugeRockStar760 | Posted on 06/11/06 at 07:24:51 From 411Mania and TNA's Hardcore War card in the ECW Arena: - Rhino defeated Jeff Jarrett with a Gore after ducking a guitar shot. On the mic, Rhino said he was offered a contract to go back to WWE, but that he had decided to stick with TNA. Team 3D stayed on the mic for a while, thanking the fans and then brought out AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels and proclaimed them the "future" of wrestling. Brother Runt came back out, and pulled out a WWE contract, saying WWE had offered him the chance to wrestle for ECW for "one night only". He then tore up the contract, saying that he was sticking with TNA! ======== First of all, Spike Dudley has to be the most bitter fired WWE wrestler. And that puts things into perspective. While not fired, even Bret Hart isn't that bitter about things with the WWE. I highly doubt that the WWE offered him a contract to wrestle at One Night Stand. Unless TNA has a flimsy contract system, neither Rhino or Brother Runt could wrestle on a WWE sponsored event unless they received permission from TNA. I highly doubt the WWE would seek permission from TNA nor do I believe they would want Brother Runt without what the WWE really would want and that is The Dudley Boyz. As for Rhino, same thing. The WWE can't even discuss a contract with Rhino as that would be tampering, again, unless the WWE and Rhino received permission from TNA. It's just cheap on TNA's part to use the ECW Arena to try and get publicity. Now, let's say these contract offfers were not worked. I think Rhino is making an incredibly bad business decision. He was the last ECW World and TV Champion. There's a storyline right there for him, it doesn't even need to be written. RVD can become the new ECW World Champion, but Rhino can come out and claim the only true championis Rhino because no one beat him for the title. I have no doubt that TNA will give him another one of those Meng like pushes and then go back to jobbing him to Abyss. |
| The Bizz 2.0 | Posted on 06/11/06 at 10:15:48 LOL... why would u say (in a way they are saying this) "FUCK WWE AND FUCK ECW"... to the home of ECW...? |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/11/06 at 22:48:38 Ethics > Business Rhino and Brother Runt are obviously picking the decision they believe is more ethical over what is better business. Remember, I'm not the only one who hates Vince McMahon for the crap he's pulled. Did it ever occur to you that maybe they think McMahon is spitting on the ECW legacy, and that perhaps they believe this is just another stunt by WWE? After all, they've done it before, so why wouldn't they do it again? I don't know, honestly, but I understand why they'd think that. |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 06/11/06 at 22:55:53 Rhino has no reason to have a beef with WWE, at least from what is publicly known. He threw a fit and broke shit in the lobby of a hotel during Wrestlemania weekend. And Spike comes off as ridiculously bitter and like a whiner. Paul Heyman's interview from the Miami Herland has a good insight into this. ''I don't think TNA is even a consideration. I don't think TNA is even a consideration to anyone in this industry. I wish that they were, but the problem with TNA is they never branded themselves. They took a bunch of guys, whether they had legitimate gripes in WWE, it doesn't matter. They took a bunch of guys, who came on TNA and instead of saying, `This is my opportunity. This is my opportunity to brand TNA. This is my opportunity to create a new style.' All they would say is, `I've been held back. I wasn't given an opportunity. I didn't get this. I didn't get that, and now I'm going to have it.' You know, nobody cares if you've been held back or not. People want to be entertained. It's like if Sylvester Stallone doing a Rocky movie and saying, `You know I wanted it to be a different script.' Who cares? Screw you, entertain me. What they do in TNA is sit there #%*&*#@& and moan about their WWE experiences, instead of selling you on the TNA experience. Another thing they did in TNA wrong, in my opinion, is they didn't brand new stars to be their stars. They didn't make Samoa Joe their star. They didn't make Abyss their lead star. They should have taken these lead guys and branded them so that they are TNA stars." Even if they were "screwed over," they need to shut up and do their thing. |
| HugeRockStar760 | Posted on 06/11/06 at 23:01:03On 06/11/06 at 22:48:38, Anubis wrote:Ethics > BusinessRhino doesn't hate Vince McMahon. He worked last year's One Night Stand. And let's face it, Rhino's release was not Vince McMahon's fault. It was Rhino's fault. He embarassed the WWE at their biggest event of the year. As for Brother Runt, and the other former Dudleyz, I don't understand their release. I guess there is some issues with money. And by the way, I don't think Vince McMahon is spitting on ECW. Is there a lot of WWE influence on the ECW product? Yes, because they are the third WWE brand. They aren't trying to insult anyone's intelligence by acting like it is a rebel organization with no allegiance to the WWE. The way Vince has talked about ECW and has gone about the DVDs, the pay per views, and the books has been nothing but respectful. Where was the respect to WCW? Where were the DVDs and pay per views? While Vince had ego issues with relaunching WCW, he has no issues with ECW. I honestly believe he's going to make this work. They've put a lot of work into it, and even got the promotion a TV spot that could probably lead to a 2 hour show (either on Sci-Fi or moved to the USA Network). |
| psz | Posted on 06/12/06 at 00:58:28 Plain and simple: Vince has supported ECW since LONG before ECW went backrupt. He sent WWE Superstars to ECW events (Jerry Lawler and Bret Hart, for example), he paid ECW for it's talent, and he even loaned them money. As he said on Raw last year: The LAST thing he wants is for something he sunk money in to fail. The Dudleys were released due to the (incompetent) writing staff not having a story for them, and thus not having a PLACE for them. Now that ECW is back, this has changed. They may have been given a better offer at TNA, they may be thinking that ECW is temporary/doomed to fail, or they may be HAPPY working for TNA vs working a full-time WWE schedule... Who knows. If they prefer TNA, there's obviously a reason for it. Same goes for Rhino. I'm not going to sit here and say they should OR shouldn't go to ECW ASAP. If the workload and surroundings at TNA are better/easier to deal with, then I'm all for it. Having worked jobs I love for nearly no money as well as jobs I hate for tonnes of money, I can see both sides (Now I'm at a job I like AND get paid at ;-> can't beat perfection). I think, down the line, ECW will be legitimate competition for TNA, and we'll see the Dudleys and/or Rhino jump ship. Partly due to the money and exposure, and partly due to Paul Heyman being in-charge. EDIT: For the record: I've had a bit more to drink than most people SHOULD, thus I'm rambling. Pay it no mind. |
| HugeRockStar760 | Posted on 06/12/06 at 01:19:17 I think you're confusing Bret Hart's appearance in USWA with ECW. As far as I remember, ECW was never lucky enough to have Bret Hart work a program with them. Shane Douglas vs. Bret Hart? Damn, that would've been fun. |
| psz | Posted on 06/12/06 at 01:24:16 Actually, it was Bret Hart vs Terry Funk. The show was Terry Funk's Invitational, booked by ECW/WWE. (And yes, Taz v Hart or Douglas v Hart would have been killer ;->) |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/12/06 at 04:50:46 Oh, I'm not saying WWE is spitting on ECW; I honestly don't know yet. Time will tell. I'm just saying that this is how some of these workers are probably thinking. I honestly believe most of the Team 3-D promos in TNA are actually shoots these days, straight from the heart. I'm gonna wait and watch and see for myself. It'll be an easy task to see whether or not Paul Heyman has the creative control after only a few shows, because Heyman's booking and Vince McMahon's booking are entirely different in every conceivable way. If it turns into a bunch of weapon-filled matches, then yes, McMahon is spitting on ECW. ECW wasn't about weapons, it was about hardcore, and hardcore wrestling is more than just using as many weapons as you can. ECW was about talent and style, not about weapons (except with New Jack, but that was actually his gimmick). Given how WWE has treated hardcore stuff in the past, it'll take no time at all to figure out if this is legit or not. Easy as pie. |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 06/12/06 at 05:01:43Another thing they did in TNA wrong, in my opinion, is they didn't brand new stars to be their stars. They didn't make Samoa Joe their star. They didn't make Abyss their lead star. They should have taken these lead guys and branded them so that they are TNA stars."Ryan, I couldn't have said it better myself. This is why Sting was a STAR in WCW after Crockett bought Mid-South/UWF from WAtts. Sting could have whined about not being a star in the UWF, but instead was given a HUGE opportunity at the first NWA/WCW Clash of Champions and RAN with it for the touchdown in his match with Flair. TNA needs to heed their own advise and that is to "Shut up and wrestle". |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/13/06 at 01:19:49 I agree. Paul Heyman is good at this kind of stuff. By the way, does anyone else think that there's a chance that Vince McMahon revived ECW and put Heyman in charge in order to "keep him busy" (i.e. not give him the chance to jump to TNA)? Certainly even Jeff Jarrett would be smart enough to put Heyman as the man in charge if he were to acquire his services. TNA definitely needs a figurehead, instead of recyvling WCW's trash. The only former WCW guy they've got who is still good and worth pushing is Sting. Other than that, they need to make new stars, and they have so many potential people. Let's face it; Jarrett, Raven, and the other older TNA stars don't have Ric Flair's longevity, and their careers are coming to a close very quickly. TNA has several viable top guys: Samoa Joe, Alex Shelley, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels . . . |
| psz | Posted on 06/13/06 at 02:11:41 OF course he's keeping Heyman happy. Heyman + Any other fed MIGHT actually cause competition. If not in ratings, in terms of hiring wrestlers. As it is, TNA has hired some pretty good name talent from WWE recently. Put Heyman in charge, and well... The main reason, to me, though is what I said in another thread, which was a McMahon comment from last year: He sunk money into ECW, and he wants a return on his investment. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Keep Heyman "Out Of Trouble" as well as make money using the ECW name. If Heyman's in charge, he stays happy. If he stays happy, he doesn't go to another company. Of course..... This means KEEPING HEYMAN HAPPY, which in turn means Keeping ECW Run By Heyman ;-> |
| Matteus | Posted on 06/13/06 at 02:40:56On 06/13/06 at 02:11:41, psz wrote:Of course..... This means KEEPING HEYMAN HAPPY, which in turn means Keeping ECW Run By Heyman ;->Which in turn means keeping Heyman busy, which in turn means keeping Heyman away from other competition, which in turn means keeping Vince happy. Dammit, I KNEW Vince was only out for himself! |
| psz | Posted on 06/13/06 at 02:50:47 Wel... Yeah. See the "Getting a return on his investment" bit ;-> |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/13/06 at 09:38:38 Just for those questioning if the "ripping up the contracts" thing was legit, here is the latest from Lords of Pain: Big Show appeared at One Night Stand yesterday but the original plan was for him to face Spike Dudley. Those plans were however dashed when Matt Hyson tore up his WWE contract at TNA Hardcore War in Philadelphia on Friday. If Spike Dudley was legit, chances are Rhino was, too. |
| HugeRockStar760 | Posted on 06/14/06 at 07:26:33 I just don't see how it could be legit. You can't just offer a contract, even if it is a one night contract, to wrestle for another promotion when you're contractually obligated to another wrestling promotion, which happens to be the main competition for the WWE. If TNA even considered allowing him to appear on One Night Stand, they'd be considered bushleague. |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/14/06 at 08:46:39On 06/14/06 at 07:26:33, HugeRockStar760 wrote:I just don't see how it could be legit. You can't just offer a contract, even if it is a one night contract, to wrestle for another promotion when you're contractually obligated to another wrestling promotion, which happens to be the main competition for the WWE. If TNA even considered allowing him to appear on One Night Stand, they'd be considered bushleague.Actually, there is nothing legally stopping WWE from making such an offer. The only thing is, if the contract had been accepted, there would be a breach of contract on the part of Matt Hyson. |
| HugeRockStar760 | Posted on 06/16/06 at 06:51:59On 06/14/06 at 08:46:39, Anubis wrote:It's tampering in most professional sports leagues. |
| Anubis | Posted on 06/16/06 at 07:14:47 Maybe, but wrestling isn't considered a legitimate sport, at least not in America. If WWE wanted to buy out the contracts or if the wrestler were willing to take the penalty, there's nothing stopping WWE from stealing talent. Heck, it's happened before. |
| psz | Posted on 06/16/06 at 14:11:03 Rick Rude? ;-> (Only person I know of to appear on WWE, WCW *AND* ECW in one night... Due to ECW being broadcast on Monday Nights in New Orleans at the time) |
| TiLoBrown | Posted on 06/18/06 at 00:45:01On 06/16/06 at 14:11:03, psz wrote:Rick Rude? ;->Rude didn't have a written contract at the time |
| Perverted_Icon | Posted on 06/18/06 at 21:21:14 WCW made him shave so that it was obvious that Raw was taped that night. |