wrestling / Columns

The Wrestling 5&1 06.23.12: Christy Hemme vs. Mickie James

June 23, 2012 | Posted by Greg De Marco

Big week in the Wrestling 5&1 for our loyal readers—Buggy Nova’s status is finally revealed! Plus, another favorite gets a shot, too. Great things are ahead—for them—and for you in this column!

Listen while you read!

Well, the world’s worst kept secret is finally out there! Something I’ve been sitting on, officially, since March, is finally news thanks to a random Wednesday night appearance in Orlando.

First, here is our official report (which we don’t often get to do):

Buggy Nova has signed a WWE developmental contract. Buggy, who made weekly appearances on The Greg DeMarco Show since May 2011, had WWE tryouts in January and February (wrestling against AJ at each). She also appeared in the K-Mart WrestleMania commercial with Sheamus.

Buggy was based out of Southern California since 2009, where she trained under Shannon and Shane Ballard. She relocated to Tampa on June 4, and made her first FCW appearance at a live event in Orlando, Florida—participating in a Diva bikini contest under the moniker “Natalie.” Prior to leaving Southern California, Nova also trained in mixed martial arts at Millennia MMA.

Buggy made her final appearance on The Greg DeMarco Show, presented by 411Mania.com and streaming worldwide on the Voice of Choice Nation, on May 29.

Yeah, I could have reported it earlier, but had a request from Buggy herself to wait until a public appearance was made. After over a year of appearing in my columns and on the radio show, Buggy deserved to call that shot, and I was happy to do it. If you listened to the One Year Anniversary edition of The Greg DeMarco Show, you heard Buggy’s final appearance, where we danced around the issue of her departure from the show. She would have loved to announce it on air for everyone, but when you’re headed to the WWE, you have to play it safe.

Buggy trained under the Ballard Brothers—Shannon and Shane—two guys who are unsung heroes in the world of independent wrestling. They’ve performed all over the world, even seconded by a young Cheerleader Melissa (who actually played the role of cheerleader back then). I first met Buggy in May 2010, thanks to The Ballards. She traveled with them and several other Ballard trainees to participate in an elementary school benefit show here in Arizona, nearly six months before I started writing for 411.

In my early days of writing The Wrestling 5&1, I was always looking to provide something different to you, the reader. A wrestler that I am friend with sent a friend suggestion to myself and Buggy on Facebook, and on a whim I offered her a spot as an “&1” girl in the column. The readers immediately took to Buggy, so she became a regular in the column, and eventually the radio show. She had a unique look from the start, but her first radio appearance opened so many people up to her awesome personality. One year later, “Greg DeMarco, I Love You!” is a famous DeMarco Show sound bite, and Buggy is on her way to becoming a WWE Diva!

Buggy’s tryout experiences in January and February were detailed on our radio show, including her private matches against AJ, critiques she received from William Regal, her first WWE photoshoot and he commercial she filmed for the Kmart WrestleMania campaign with Sheamus. In a bit of irony, she listed going to TNA as her big goal during her first ever show appearance on our very first episode. She also appeared at the October 2011 Shimmer tapings in Berwyn, Illinois, but was not brought back in March. The weekend of the March tapings is also when her WWE status first became official.

Here’s a Buggy Nova highlight video, put out by Vendetta Pro…

Vendetta Pro: Buggy Nova

Here, Buggy faces one of her favorite opponents…

Buggy Nova vs. Christina Von Eerie
Supreme Pro Wrestling, July 17, 2011, Sacramento, CA

Then there was that Shimmer match, the one where they were chanting her name before she even appeared? Yeah, that one…

Buggy Nova, Bonesaw & She Nay Nay vs. Veda Scott, Su Yung & Kimberly
Shimmer Women’s Athletes, October 1, 2011, Berwyn, IL

And finally, her last match on the independent scene, April 20 for IWL in her own backyard of Chino, CA.

Buggy Nova vs. Harry Potter Peter Avalon
Insane Wrestling League, April 20, 2012, Chino, CA

Buggy’s had her fair share of ups and downs during her young career, and has developed nearly as many haters as fans during that time. Much like the hatred that comes out in the comments section of my columns—we always shared the same “that means we must be doing something right” mentality. And obviously she was!

Congratulations Buggy Nova, you deserve this and much more!

Bonus Time

Caught some footage of Buggy’s first event for FCW, in a dance off hosted by Damian Sandow!

And later that night, she participated in a bikini contest! As you can tell, she’s still the same Buggy…

And her first appearances are on record as well!

June 20, 2012, FCW, Orlando, FL: Diva Bikini Contest featuring Buggy (as Natalie)
June 21, 2012, FCW, Tampa, FL: Buggy (as Natalie) & Sophia vs. Kaylee & Audrey Marie
June 22, 2012, FCW, Winterhaven, FL: Buggy (as Natalie) & Paige vs. Sophia & Kaylee

You’ll notice I’m still listing her as “Buggy.” I’ve been told that Natalie is merely a temporary name, she will be getting her official ring name within the next week or two.

You Decide: What do you think? Should we keep track of Buggy’s FCW appearances?

Last Week: Kelly Kelly overcame a game Cameron, garnering 66% of the 1072 votes cast.

Now K2 will sit and await her next opponent as she attempts to make her own push towards the hall…


Get a good look at Tiffany and Brooke, they’re gone next week!

Future Versus Updates:
*AJ Lee now sits at two victories after Heatwave (one prior win plus her victory over Tiffany), and will continue in her quest for the Hall.
* Maria Kanellis gains a victory (over Brooke Tessmacher), and will now start her own quest as well!
* Tiffany and Brooke Tessmacher will both receive new opportunities at the Hall as soon as the opportunity is available. They will not be challengers against Christy, AJ or Maria.
* Kelly Kelly sits at one victory with her win over Cameron.

This Week: Christy steps back up to the plate and takes on a favorite of mine and many readers, but a women who has had a ton of opportunities. She looked damn good in her bid to win the Knockouts Championship on Thursday. Can she rebound in Versus?

Christy Hemme!

Mickie James!

The Choice Is Yours!

CHRISTY HEMME vs. MICKIE JAMES
Take your pick and vote in the poll below!


Remember, you can vote multiple times—once every 12 hours.
And you can track the results right here, too!

So the WWE rolled into Uniondale, Long Island, New York to present RAW from the Nassau Coliseum. As a kid, I saw my first three wrestling events there, all WWF house shows, before moving to Virginia (where I saw “War Games: The Match Beyond” live). One thing I’ve realized as I look back on RAW is that the company definitely missed the boat with their audience.

Now I understand that you can’t direct your entire product on the live crowd’s reaction. I also get that the live crowd doesn’t always dictate that the viewing audience will see or do. But there’s also evidence to the contrary. See WrestleMania 28, and the “YES! YES! YES!” chants. Another thing to keep in mind is that the crowd is often referenced in television recaps—because they do impact the viewing experience. Don’t think so? Watch TNA Impact Wrestling episodes that are taped, live, and outside of their Universal Studios home. The difference to the viewer is tremendous.

So what could the WWE have changed about RAW to maximize the New York crowd, that isn’t quite Bizarro World, but also isn’t South Carolina either.

The Lack of Zack (Ryder)
The lack of Zack Ryder when the WWE appeared on Long Island is dumbfounding. I know he made a dark match appearance for the live crowd, but there was a tremendous opportunity missed that would also have advanced another storyline.

The Big Show walked out on John Laurinaitis and David Otunga before the RAW main event, as he’s “moved on to bigger and better things.” That promo could have been kept backstage, where Show also adds that he’s going to have some fun tonight. Show then heads to the ring, issuing an open challenge for a match. Some might expect John Cena—but when it’s Zack Ryder that answers, the place will go nuts. Show is in the midst of a monster push (loss to John Cena notwithstanding) and would proceed to destroy Ryder. Add in a little crowd work by Show, and the heat would be amazing. Add in an attempted save by Mick Foley that results in a knockout blow for the guest General Manager, and Show might need a police escort out of the building. That’s mega heat.

AW is a Mouthpiece, Right?
So if AW is going to be the mouthpiece for The Prime Time Players, then let him be the mouthpiece. When Darren Young and Titus O’Neill were pulled out of their match with Primo and Epico, AW should have had more to say, and it should have been broadcast for everyone to hear. This should have led to Primo and Epico giving chase, to further what appears to be their face turn. The problem here isn’t what they did—that worked just fine. It was the opportunity for more. AW will draw a major response in New York, the WWE needs to capitalize on it.

Let Ziggler Show Off
Last week, the crowd chanted along with Dolph Ziggler’s pinfall over Christian to win the elimination match. They were chanting for him at the PPV event itself. And last night on RAW they were solidly behind Dolph once again. Seems to me that the fans want to cheer Dolph Ziggler. That doesn’t mean he has to be a face. He can easily be a “cool heel.” How do you pull that off?

Ziggler beats Swagger, and Vickie goes for the same celebratory kiss. Except Dolph hates it, spiting and possibly washing out his own mouth with water (maybe even spitting that water at Vickie—provided you can live with the internet’s cries of bullying) and brushing her off. He’s The Show Off, right? Let him show off. He doesn’t need a mouthpiece to be effective. And while doing it in front of the Long Island crowd would have gotten him a face reaction, he follow-up promo the next week would gain more attention, and a stronger reaction when he remains a heel.

John Cena Overcomes Big Johnny?
RAW felt like the end of something for John Laurinaitis. It really felt like he chapter on his run was closed, and unlike many other characters, he didn’t overstay his welcome. But the issue with John Cena was over after No Way Out. The crowd didn’t want to see Cena send Big Johnny packing. So give the people what they want! Have someone take Cena out backstage—possibly keeping it a mystery until next week when you build whatever program you’re placing Cena in next. Cena needs a replacement, one that New York would love. Who would make a great option, and would be a story that would be easy to tell with a little video promo and a few lines from the announcers? CM Punk.

Imagine the rub for Punk if he takes our Johnny Ace with the GTS, sending Big Johnny off of TV for a while. Need to further the storyline with Daniel Bryan? Fine. As Punk celebrates in the aisle, D-Bry can clip out his knee from behind. You then make the opener Sheamus-Kane, where AJ’s distraction doesn’t send Kane from the ring, it just distracts him long enough to eat a Brogue Kick from the World Heavyweight Champion.

And that’s it! Three easy moves that would have had a positive impact on the viewing experience of RAW, all done by better formatting your product around the live crowd. I’ve advanced storylines—some even better than the WWE did—and I provided opportunities to lay down the foundation for John Cena’s next angle.

You Deicde: Should the WWE make better use of the live crowds?

One week ago, Austin Aries asked for an opportunity—a main event world championship opportunity, and Hulk Hogan gave it to him. At a price. Aries needed to decide if he was willing to forfeit the X-Division Championship in exchange for a shot at the World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Roode, at Destination X. For a week, one question lingered… What would A-Double do?

As you can see, Aries had a counter offer for “The GMster.” Aries said that if he takes the offer, then he wants to ensure that every X-Division Champion after him has the same opportunity each year, at Destination X. Hogan agreed, and the match was official. Austin Aries will challenge Bobby Roode for the World Heavyweight Championship at Destination X—in the main event.

So what did this accomplish? It accomplishes a lot. But first, the lone drawback. The X-Division was once considered an equal division to the heavyweight division. It main evented PPV events. It was seen as a major draw of the company. But now, it will forever be inferior to the World Championship. And I’m not sure that it’s a bad thing.

But what did it accomplish? First off, Austin Aries was already the best champion the division had ever seen. He held the title longer than anyone, and he had no legitimate threats left. Therefore, he isn’t dropping the title to move up the card. He’s not losing a match to Zema Ion or Kid Kash—which he shouldn’t be losing—to be elevated. And he can return to the division at any time, as he has a built in reason to demand an X-Division Championship match. Second, the title now has more meaning and direction than it has in years. The months leading up to Destination X will be especially exciting, as the champion (and his challengers) can become desperate to get that world title shot. It also ensures that every year a “cruiserweight” will be in a PPV main event, wrestling against the company’s top champion.

Were there other options? Sure. It would have been easy for Hogan to declare that if Aries wins the title, he has to vacate the championship. But that’s too easy. Aries had to make a decision, and much like he’s done all year in TNA, he did things according to his own rules.

The final thing the segment (and the decision) did was made Aries look like a threat. I was hoping we’d actually get the non-title Open Fight Night match that Aries asked for, so he could sneak a pin in on the champion to further build their match. But either way, I am now a buyer of the Destination X PPV.

It also leaves a lot of questions regarding the X-Division. What do you do with the title? For me, the answer is simple. Four to six qualifying matches, on the PPV, with the winners squaring off in an Ultimate X Match for the title. Throw in a Bound For Glory Series 12-man match (possibly a 12-man tag) and you pretty much have the card. It’s a great way to introduce new X-Division stars, and still focus on the Bound For Glory Series concept. Sounds like a win-win to me!

You Decide: If you were Austin Aries, what would you have done?

I gave birth to a new graphic? Who’s the father? Yes, I will be on Maury Povich in a couple of weeks.
Posted By: The Great Capt. Smooth

I’ve been waiting for TNA to step it up for a LOOONG time, and it seems like they are finally, legitimately taking the initiative to moving up.
I agree with you about Otunga. Say what you want about his limited ring skill, but he plays his role to perfection. Slimy, weaselly, arrogant brown nosing heel. He could be a highlight if his ring skills got better.
Posted By: SS87

More than just now, TNA has been making this move since last fall. They’re finally in a spot where it’s all clicking on a more consistent basis.

As for Otunga, you can’t have a company full of Cenas and Ortons. They call that Ring of Honor. You need the David Otungas and Santinos and the Divas to balance things out.

You would have a point on TNA being so amazing the past few months, if they got more than a 1.0 rating…still…
Posted By: Guest#6526

Show quality doesn’t equate to ratings. sound marketing and promotion will drive eyes to the product, and show quality will keep them there.

Kelly will win this in a landslide. She’s about to quit wrestling and that seems to be the quickest way to get a top spot on Greg’s list.
Posted By: Guest#0057

It’s not “Greg’s” list. Guest #0057, YOU have more say on who makes the list than I do.

Why haven’t Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler been inducted to your list yet? They are both hotter than Trish, more popular as eye candy, and were both there for her entire run.
Posted By: Guest#2747

Because they lost to women currently in the hall. And again…it’s not my list!

A big part of it has been TNA’s ability to push guys, while WWE has been exposed for burying most of what is a reasonably talented roster. This leads to predictable results. I heard a WWE radio ad recently and it characterized Cena’s character as “never say die”.
Now this is not to put down the man, but why would the wrestler ever give up? He is never even on his heels, much less in danger of losing a big match, much less a feud. If it is that predictable at the top who would follow the rest of the card?
Posted By: Guest#4062

You’re 100% right. Being unbeatable is only useful when you lose. And not to The Rock…

What’s with the trolls accusing wrestlers of “quitting”? Are they supposed to stay in the wrestling business until they are old as dirt(Hogan, Flair etc) or end up 6 feet under?
Posted By: z.

You answered your own question there Z-Man, with the fourth word of your posting.

You made a good point about Abyss unmasked. He has great facial expressions. Oddly enough, unmasked Kane has great facial expressions as well. Unmasked Kane, IMO, is a much better heel than masked Kane. Kane and Abyss are both better faces while masked. Unmasked Kane is much more adept at showing emotion through his facial expressions, which makes him much more effective on the mic. When unmasked Kane speaks, one can see the evil on his face.
I know that Kane stopped wearing his mask so he could add more depth to his character, mainly through facial expressions. I might be wrong, but I imagine that Abyss wanted to try the same thing. He hit a home run with it.
So why would TNA and WWE keep these guys masked for lengthy periods of time, when they arguably work better without the mask? My only guess is that they are already over with the mask on, so why fix what isn’t broken?
Posted By: HHH’s nose

Kane’s current mask allows for more facial expressions, but he’s more human now anyways. Early Kane didn’t need to show emotion. Joseph Park and Abyss really are apples and oranges, so it’s hard to make that comparison.

DeMarco lays out the Storm/Roode dilemma for TNA extremely well.
I really think it would be a mistake to move Bobby Roode off the top spot. He’s firing on all cylinders and let’s not forget the sheer number of babyfaces for him to work with.
If you give Storm the title, who does he work with besides Roode and Bully Ray? I also liked his character more when he brought some humor and played the drinking good old boy. The fierce and serious Storm just doesn’t work for me yet.
Last year when Roode was a face, I thought he was TNA’s top guy and I still think he is as a heel today.
It seems like the plan is to go with Roode vs. Storm at Bound for Glory and it makes all the sense in the world for Storm to win, so by all means give the fans their moment.
What I do starting now is align Storm with a friend/partner (Magnus?) and give Roode 2 guys (Bully Ray & Gunner? or Kaz/Daniels?). Keep in mind these should not be a faction/alliance but rather just allies/friends. But them in random tags or give them small backstage moments. Then as you begin the build to BFG, make it more obvious through Tenay/Taz and put them in the main event on Impact at least twice.
So Roode drops the title to Storm at BFG.
Then at the next PPV, Storm’s partner loses to Roode’s due to interference from the other Roode ally. They beat the hell out of him and leave him bloody. Maybe show him being taken to the hospital for tests/stitches and have him ask if Storm is at the arena yet, but nobody knows.
In the Storm/Roode return match, Storm gets the upper hand and after a ref bump, Roode’s guys jump Storm. The ref comes to and Roode covers, but Storm kicks out. They go at it and it’s 50/50, when the ref goes down again.
Storm’s ally hits the ring with his head bandaged and a chair in his hands. Tenay and Taz sell it like he rushed back from the hospital to protect Storm and ensure a fair fight…and he proceeds to lay out Storm, giving Roode the win.
This way you get the belt back on Roode where it belongs, keep Storm strong as he still has a claim to the title, and give him a hot feud with a new heel.
I just really think Roode should stay on top, but Storm should still be given time to adjust to the more serious character.
Posted By: Barry O

Long post, but full of quality. I, too, think Roode has top drop he belt to Storm and win it back at the next PPV. Seems to be the best option.

Aries is a talented guy…I think he’s a natural heel as the cocky arrogance doesn’t make a babyface (I feel the same about Punk so what do I know), but I digress.

I just don’t get why it’s necessary to take him from the X-division. He’s done a great job making the belt matter again. Now if this is a creative way to get the belt off of him, have him give Roode a run for the money and lose, then come back to reclaim what’s rightfully his, then I’m all for it.
Posted By: RVMC

Is it just me, or is that comedy belt upside down?
Posted By: Guest#8740

I think it’s supposed to be that way, that’s how I found it posted…

Needs more Scarlett.
Posted By: John

How can I resist?

TNA has been better than WWE since the botching of the Summer of Punk and I can more than understand those who’ve given up on TNA because of past disappointments, but you shoul to give it one more shot since they’ve shown consistency for nearly a year…thank you Bruce Prichard.
Bobby Roode should go over Storm at BFG. Roode has been perfect and Storm still needs to refine his new persona…and lose that generic, pop-country song of his and cut a Johnny Cash style song in it’s place. Intro music matters!!!
Aries is awesome…but he belongs in the semi-main event picture. Let him rule the X-division and bring him some new talent to work with that is his size. For me he’s like Mysterio in that I can’t buy him against big guys, but when paired with those closer to his stature, he’s fantastic.
Gotta say no buy for No Way Out. WWE is so much like WCW in 2000 it’s scary. They struggle to put together coherent storylines and continue to rehash the tired “Evil Authority Figure” as the main event. It worked 15 years ago because Vince was excellent and Austin was a rebel. Ace is a vanilla giant and Cena is about as rebellious as Richie Cunningham.
As for PPV main events, I think the title match should always be last except for a Rock/Cena or Cena/Brock exception…but since WWE has two titles they’re already diluted so I don’t know that it matters.
Having two “World” titles is like the NFL calling the NFC and AFC world champs and foregoing the Superbowl or MLB claiming two worlds champs, one for the NL and the other for the AL.
WWE has treated their titles like props for 10 years now, so it’s fitting that they place “world” title matches as curtain jerking or mid-card matches.
Posted By: Chico Santana

Man, you guys were passionate about TNA this week! And people say no one cares about TNA.

The WWE clearly does have the better talent, but TNA is using theirs a whole lot better right now.
Posted By: Boycott WWE

Exactly! TNA is getting the most out of their talent. The WWE has plenty of wasted talent.

Just want to second the earlier statement regarding Aries needing to stay with guys close to his size…unless the bigger guys learn how to work with him.
Case in point: Samoa Joe and Bully Ray.
Samoa Joe did a fantastic job. He did not oversell/or bump for Aries punches or kicks and had a phenomenal match at Slammiversary.
Bully Ray on the other hand flipped and flopped for all Aries blows at Sacrifice. I love Ray and his new character, but he killed my suspension of disbelief.
If Aries is going to work with bigger guys, he has to work from underneath and be a plucky underdog…not Mr. Cocky McArrogance.
He should just stay with the other cruiserweights and keep the X-Division strong.
Posted By: Jose

I don’t know, I think TNA needs to push him up regardless of size. I think it makes the X=Division stronger that he can compete with anyone.

The two “World” title made sense when WWE was a monopoly with all the talent and was intent on doing the brand split, but now with a thin roster and having abandoned the brand split long ago, it’s time to unify.
Posted By: Capt. Obvious

Thank you, Captain Obvious! (I had to do that)

I did want to state my agreement with you regarding the Joseph Park storyline. Chris Park has revealed talents I never suspected he had. Joseph’s search for his brother Chris — you know, Abyss — started small and has grown wonderfully. Like you, I’m a little concerned about how they’re going to resolve this in a way which will continue to entertain us, but for the time being, I’m going to continue to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Posted By: the ghost of Buddy Rogers

The scary part is that this all leads to the return of Abyss.

Aries is the X-Division and the main event picture does not need him. He should lose clean to Roode, then go back and chase whoever the new champ is. I’d love to see them bring in some new blood, but if that’s not in the budget, let The Pope win the belt. I think he and Aries could do some great stuff together.
Posted By: Gonad the Destroyer

I’m torn on Pope in the X-Division. He once main evented Lockdown challenging for the world title—but that was against X-Division legend AJ Styles.

Money in the Bank has completely watered down the title and it’s rich history, as it is tainted by people who aren’t ready for it, or who flat out didn’t deserve to be called the best. Money in the Bank gave a superstar the ability to essentially become a heel whenever he wanted, by CHEATING someone out of a title – No compelling match required. Atleast traditional heels get the opportunity to have a match and THEN cheat to win, MitB winners never even earned that right. You can argue that the ladder match gave them that right, that’s fine, but they should NEVER have been able to use it on an incapacitated champion.
Posted By: Banz

It’s an interesting perspective for sure. Jack Swagger immediately comes to mind, and possibly CM Punk’s first reign. Alberto Del Rio was ready, and I’d argue that The Miz was as well.

He’s too small to be in the main event. I’m sure many will get pissed from this, but it’s the truth. And it’s not just height it’s stature as well, so don’t bring up Chris or Eddie as they had pharmaceuticals to compensate for their height. Don’t bring up Rey either as his main event stay was short and he was booked to look weak.
Aries is too small to work with Roode, Bully, Joe, Angle, and the top TNA guys. The exception would be Daniels…but that’s it. I just think the suspension of disbelief is important and I don’t want to see a guy who could be riding in the next Kentucky Derby wrestling anybody other than a fellow potential jockeys.
Posted By: Guest#8627

Aries can’t work with the bigger guys? What about Daniel Bryan working with Kane? Hell, CM Punk is closer in size to Austin Aries than you think. The size argument is idiotic in 2012. That’s all in the booking and ring work.

So I tend to get these comments…

It’s perfect logic. If you want to rank women on hotness, either stick with current ones, or open the floodgates and include everyone, past and present. When people talk about hot models or actresses, I don’t see them comparing them to the ones of yesteryear. Only wrestling nerds do.
Posted By: Guest#0600 (Guest) on June 17, 2012 at 01:26 PM

But I didn’t need to respond, this guy did! (I love when this happens…)

I’ve seen more than one list of SI Swimsuit models that has Cindy Crawford, Irina Shayk, Christie Brinkley, so that kind of negates your argument.
Also remember that women in wrestling were a gimmick like midgets and attractiveness did not come into play.
In the mid-80’s we got Elizabeth, Sunshine, Precious, Missy, Woman. That a 25 year history. So if DeMarco stuck to only currently employed talent and has to fill 52 Versus a year, he would run out of current chicks pretty fast.
You should just accept the results of the marketplace and pull your panties out of your ass. If Trish/Stacy/Torrie beat Velvet/Kelly/Layla…then that’s what the market says and your opinion is the minority. Quit crying about it.
Posted By: Guest#1365

I really haven’t infused any “old school” talents since we’ve gone the poll route. I’m really interested to see what happens when I do, and I’ll likely do that sooner rather than later.

But then we have this guy…

Market? It’s just a group of nerds voting for the past divas out of nostalgia. Go look at stuff like Facebook likes, Twitter followers, etc. I bet you the current divas dominate that stuff. Look at how Trish gets zero reaction when she shows up on WWE shows. You really want to argue she’s the most popular diva out there?
Posted By: Guest#4099

I think you underestimate my readers. It’s a pretty good pool of casual and hardcore fans, based on the messages, comments and emails I get. It’s not a direct representation (the percentage of casual fans is too low for that), but with the poll voting it’s more accurate than you think.

I hope people take time to read your section on TNA because it was great. Couldn’t agree more.
Posted By: Guest#5866

Cameron got more support than I expected, and I am glad she did!

I actually think the live Impact that TNA put out there the Thursday after their PPV was MUCH better than the 3-hour Raw that WWE put out just days beforehand. And by no means am I a WWE fanboy or a TNA fanboy, I’m a wrestling fanboy in general — and TNA getting their shit together and putting out an awesome product lately excites me as a wrestling fan. Honestly, if WWE’s production and marketing machine could couple with TNA’s roster (along with the strong roster members of the E) — it’s be the biggest wrestlegasm the world has ever witnessed.
Posted By: Jason King

I couldn’t agree with you more. TNA needs a better marketing machine behind them. I am actually fine with most of their production.

Since October, TNA has been superior to WWE.
In my opinion, it’s not even been close and I would challenge anybody who’s consistently watched both companies to argue with that.
I’m not a TNA fan or a WWE fan, I’m a wrestling fan, so I don’t care which company gives me an entertaining show.
I’m sure those who love WWE and refuse to give TNA a shot will go on the attack (TNA fans do the same thing, so it’s equal opportunity bullshit), but you should at least give TNA a shot. If you can keep an open mind, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Posted By: Nick

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Nick. He’s the smartest motherfucker in here. Every room has one.

TNA has been great and they have shown the people that have always believed in them that there is hope.
Roode vs Storm needs to be built as the Main Event match of 2012. They need to give both of them major momentum and keep both of them on even ground to create anticipation for the match.
Storm has to dominate the BFG Series and add a submission move to his moveset. He obviously won’t win with the move but a babyface submission move always gets cheers from the crowd. I would suggest the Texas Cloverleaf since it looks similar to the sharpshooter.
Roode needs to win decisively until his match with Storm. Have him beat Aries clean after a 25 minute match devoid of shenanigans. Aries can say he can stand in the Main Event and Roode looks great by beating the man who is clearly surpassing AJ as the ace of the promotion. As you also said Roode needs to beat Sting one on one cleanly and in a dominant manner to give the ability to call himself the first man to beat the first TNA hall of famer.
After the Roode and Storm match in which Storm needs to win to give the AUDIENCE A PAYOFF Roode could easily go on to a three man alliance with Joe and Magnus against Storm, Angle and AJ. The feud should be based on competition and not on DQ’s and interference. Have Roode get his title shot first while Joe and Magnus battle Angle and AJ. After that give Roode and PPV match against AJ while Joe get his World title match and Magnus looks great losing to AJ. Next PPV have Roode beat AJ while Angle beats Joe and Magnus loses to Storm. from there you can have triple treats, Fatal Four ways and Six Man Ladder matches. Best of all you still have 7 other Main Eventers in RVD, Hardy, Anderson, most importantly Aries, Bully Ray. Cristopher Daniels and the overlooked Kazarian. TNA could have 13 Main Event caliber wrestlers and 14 if you want to count Abyss.
This is the best time for TNA to rise while WWE is quickly losing Main Eventer due to Age, Injuries and bad storylines. This is their Time and they must ride the series of excellent PPV’s to solidify themselves as a Sports Entertainment company with excellent matches and most importantly SOLID LOGICAL STORYLINES BASED ON THEIR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND PROVING WHO IS THE BEST.
Posted By: Dr Wiki

This comment was so long, but it warranted inclusion. Well said.

And then on the other side of the spectrum, we have this guy.

TNA still sucks. and the WWE world titles are still great.
Posted By: Guest#3324

Thanks for playing!

As you know by now, I’ve been covering TNA’s Gut Check segments from the start. I think there’s potential in mixing reality with wrestling, and Gut Check, staged or otherwise, is a really good example of that mix. But when I found out that Taeler Hendrix would be the contestant, I knew that it was only fair to give that space to my friend Steve Cook. Cook has dedicated a lot of time and space to Taeler’s career, but his column doesn’t hit until Monday night. I thought it was only fair that he write about her first.

Steve Cook’s Take: Gut Check Participant Taeler Hendrix
Greg mentions every week how independent wrestling is the future of this business. Many of you probably shrug him off when he says that, but it’s the number one reason I follow the indy scene. It’s where the stars of tomorrow are born. There’s nothing like watching somebody on a show at a flea market that was the best worker on the show by a mile eventually make it in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Karl “Machine Gun” Anderson and become one half of a dominant tag team. I watched CM Punk & Daniel Bryan wrestle on a card in a national guard armory that drew less than fifty people, and seven years later I watched them defend major championships at the Royal Rumble. You can’t put a price tag on stuff like that. It’s my favorite thing about being a wrestling fan.

Many people in the Louisville area have stories just like that. They got to watch Randy Orton when he was just starting out. They saw John Cena when he was a Prototype, and Batista when he was Leviathan. During its time as a WWE developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling was where many wrestling stars learned their craft. YouTube wasn’t a big thing yet, so Louisville fans got to see these guys before the rest of the world did. There was a drop off after WWE took their talents to Florida, but now Impact Wrestling has joined up with OVW to find talent. It remains to be seen whether or not they will have the same success that WWE did, but TNA has sent people there that they think have potential, and are discovering people there that they think can be stars. This week they brought in a girl that should be familiar to many of you by now given how much I talk about her: Taeler Hendrix.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Taeler on a few occasions over the past several months. She contacted me after I’d started using her pictures in my News From Cook’s Corner column, and after an e-mail or two I knew she would be a wonderful person to have on the 411 podcasts. We had her on the 411 on Wrestling two times, and she’s also appeared on Greg’s show twice. She isn’t like a lot of wrestlers that you see going on these shows who are looking to bury people that have done them wrong and explain how they know everything about the wrestling business & everybody else is wrong. Quite the opposite. Taeler’s a ridiculously positive person that has big goals and won’t quit until she achieves them. In addition to her positive mental attitude and her determination, she has the look that the top wrestling promotions look for. I’m sure Greg’s got a picture or two posted in this column to showcase that. The girl’s a hottie, what can I say?

I never had any doubt that Taeler would make it to one of the major promotions, and I figured it would happen very soon. When TNA started the Gut Check challenge and featured an OVW wrestler the first time, I kind of expected her to be the second participant. She wasn’t, but when she posted on Facebook & Twitter that she was going to Florida on Thursday, I had a feeling that she was going to be the third. How did she do?

Taeler did an interview talking about her goals & aspirations. She also talked about the cancer scare she had a couple of years ago, which she mentioned in our first interview. It wasn’t mentioned in anything I’d seen about her online, so if you listen to that interview you can tell I’m kind of taken aback after she mentions it. It added an emotional twist to the promo, while at the end she got across the fact that she wants to dominate the Knockout Division. Taeler came across as being very positive & determined, which if you can’t tell by now are the two words I use most to describe her.

Tara was a fitting choice for Taeler’s opponent, as she’s the most experienced of the Knockouts and also got her start in OVW back in the day. Taeler got worked over by Tara for the first part of the match, then turned things around with a nifty little kick to the head. Taeler’s kicks are a strong point of her offense, she did a really good one between the ropes with Tara charging towards her. She threw some good forearms and took Tara down a few times, and seemed to win the Impact Zone crowd over…and of course that was when Tara hit the Widow’s Peak and got the win. It was a short match, as is typical for Impact, but I thought Taeler did a really good job in there. No mistakes that I could see, her offense was effective and her selling was on point.

If you ask me, Taeler Hendrix earned a spot on the Impact Wrestling roster. The girl knocked it out of the park and delivered exactly what they asked her to. Lord knows what to expect from the judging process next week, and maybe it’s a bad sign that I’ve been wrong on each of the Gut Check verdicts so far. I’ll be hoping that the third time’s the charm, and that one of my favorites gets the chance to shine on national television on a regular basis. Out of all the things I’ve enjoyed in over twenty years as a wrestling fan, seeing Taeler succeed on a major level would be at the top of the list. I’m proud of what she‘s done so far, but I know that she’s only just begun.

And I can’t wait to see what’s next.

DeMarco’s Take: After seeing her match with Tara, I thought Taeler looked like she belongs. She passes the “eye test,” and she definitely has the in-ring ability. I loved the story told by the match, where Tara constantly asked her if she really wanted to be a knockout—then showing Taeler respect after the match. One thing I think that could be added to the backstage review of Taeler next week is the judges getting Tara’s take (or even making Tara a surprise judge). I know that the division is crowded, but I think there is a place for Taeler Hendrix in the Knockouts division.

You Decide: Did Taeler Hendrix earn a contract?

Are you an independent wrestling promoter, wrestler or fan looking to get more exposure for your promotion? Send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will check it out! Each week, one independent promotion will be featured in this column. Because independent wrestling is the future of the business.

This week’s independent promotion is…
ZERO 1 USA’s PURE PRO WRESTLING

Professionalism. Courage. Respect. Pride. Honor. Desire. Wrestling. Sport. Action. Greatness. Tradition. Fighting Athletes. Strong Syle. These are the virtues listed on the homepage for Arizona’s Zero-1 USA affiliate Pure Pro Wrestling. The company started earlier this year, and runs their events every 6-8 weeks out of the Burning Heart Dojo In Mesa, Arizona. They have provided some early memorable moments with The Almighy Sheik battling Val Venis in the company’s first main event, an anticipated match between Venis and local star Dom Vitalli, and now the main event of June 23rd’s Honor & Strength as he Almights Sheik puts The Unified World Championship on the line against Ryan Castellucci.

Don’t know much about Ryan Castellucci? Check out his interview on my show this week, and see his message for The Sheik…

It definitely got The Almighty Sheik’s attention, eliciting a rare response from the Unified Champion…

Unified World Championship
The Almighty Sheik (champion) vs. Ryan Castellucci (challenger)

This is a huge match for Ryan, and a big part of the promotion’s growth moving forward. I will be in attendance, and am excited to see both guys, as well as some other friends I have in the back.

For more information, hit up Zero 1 USA and Pure Pro Wrestling .

The Greg DeMarco Show with Barbi Hayden, Ryan Castellucci and Baltimore Sun journalist Adam Testa!

The Greg DeMarco Show, presented by 411Mania.com/Wrestling, streams all weekend at VOCNation.com. Greg and Patrick O’Dowd are joined by regular contributors Tony Acero, Justin Freemyer and Chad Perry! Plus, you never know who might call in or stop by “The Snake Pit” (chatroom).

This week: The Greg DeMarco Show welcomes back one of the beautiful DeMarcettes in the Texas Bombshell Barbi Hayden! Barbi talks about the Texas Rose Tournament—where she made it to the finals during Father’s Day Weekend. She also details her relationship with her father, and the role he played on her going into wrestling.

Arizona based independent wrestler Ryan Castellucci comes on the show to talk about his big Unified World Championship match against The Almighty Sheik in Mesa, Arizona, as well as the history he and show host Greg DeMarco have as part of the Arizona indies.

Finally, Baltimore Sun wrestling reporter Adam Testa joins the show to discuss the June 30 All American Pro Wrestling “Summer Chaos” show.

Listen to the show here:

You can also listen to the show stream all weekend at VOCNation.com!

Plus more wrestling talk as Andy Critchell sits in for the Patrick O’Dowd for the first half of the program (and sticks around after Patrick returns to air), 411Mania’s Tony Acero covers RAW, Justin Freemyer takes a look at wrestling history, and Chad Perry previews WWE No Way Out!

About the show:
The Greg DeMarco Show with Greg DeMarco & Patrick O’Dowd, presented by 411Mania and streaming worldwide through the Voice of Choice Nation—airs live every Tuesday at 10:30 PM eastern time and is heard by over 10,000 listeners throughout each week. Discussing current events in professional wrestling—including WWE RAW, WWE Smackdown, TNA, Ring of Honor and many US independent promotions and regularly featuring guests from Ring of Honor, Extreme Reunion, Chikara Pro, and countless other promotions, Greg and Patrick present opinionated analysis on the wrestling world that remains rooted in a love, passion and respect for the business. The show is presented live on Tuesday nights by 411Mania at http://www.411wrestling.com/wrestling and streams worldwide each Saturday through Monday via Bruce Wirt’s Voice of Choice Nation at http://www.vocnation.com. You can reach the show via e-mail at [email protected], Facebook by searching for “Greg DeMarco Show” or Twitter @gregdemarcoshow.

This week we go old school as Jerry Lawler battles Randy savage inside of a steel chicken wire cage!

Hit up the ‘Mania on the TWITTER (so Ashish will like me, okay?)

http://www.twitter.com/411mania
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http://www.twitter.com/gregdemarcoshow – that’s me!

A favorite amongst the Northeast indy fans, and I think she can become a favorite of yours as well!

Get reading!

Randle’s Wrestling News Experience!
The News from Cook’s Corner!
Kelly’s Sports Entertainment News Report!
Napier’s Handicapping the News!

And definitely give this Fact or Fiction a read. Tony Sly is an independent wrestler that supports the 411 on Wrestling Podcast and The Greg DeMarco Show, and he’s a good dude in general. Both he and 411 legend Scott Slimmer offer a great perspective on the eight questions asked.

Tony Acero presents The Low End Theory!

Plenty to talk about in the comments!
How will Buggy do in the WWE?
Did RAW miss any opportunities?
Is Taeler Hendrix going to be signed as a Knockout?
What do you think of Ryan Castellucci vs. The Almighty Sheik?
Any thoughts on Marti Belle?
Plus, vote in the poll above—Christy Hemme vs. Mickie James!

Until next time…

Find me:

Listen to the show!

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