The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 11.14.08

Hiya, folks — and thanks again for tuning in to this week’s FreeThinks for your regularly scheduled week-end dose of intrawebz ‘rasslin’ optimism. A huge thanks to Steve Cook for stepping up to the plate on short notice and covering for Mee with last week’s column, as some two solid weeks of non-work-shenanigans finally caught up with Mee (complete with two days’ of Halloween festivities, a zombie walk, my birthday, and living in Washington, D.C. during a Presidential election), leaving work and school commitments at an all time high (translation: two days to complete some 40 pages of research due for class, and a full-out overhaul of a university website).

Anyhow — BIG THANKS, STEVE! And be sure to have a drink for Mee (I know you will).

Before we get started, I believe that Boss Larry was the first to post this particular gem on the site, but it’s simply too good not to warrant a re-post one last time as we close out the wrestling week that was:

Here’s to you, The Mike Adamle.

You!

Will!

Never!

CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNGE!!!

In this feature, we’ll make a quick note of those mini-news story items that have either already been covered in greater detail by other writers, or that haven’t quite yet materialized into full-blown mega stories of their own. In either case, these items seem to warrant a brief mention nonetheless so that we can keep better tabs on what all’s developing (and — in theory — end up with a better perspective in the long run) along the way.

The Doghouse: Performers who’ve landed in hot water over the past week.
TNA iMPACT! Video Games (TNA) – saw price slashed by up to 60% this week to curb low sales.

Notes: The TNA iMPACT! game woes are covered in complete detail below.

The Debuts: New and/or newly returning performers of the past week.
Oliver Biney (ECW) – Local talent from England made one-time appearance on WWE television this week.

Notes: Biney’s WWE appearance was on this week’s ECW, where he faced Mark Henry in a losing effort. He is not believed to have signed a WWE contract.

The Departures: Obituaries and/or performers whose contracts have ended this week.
Paul London (WWE) – Released by WWE on Nov. 7.
Chuck Palumbo (WWE) – Released by WWE on Nov. 7.
Super Crazy (WWE) – Requested his WWE release late last week.
Lena Yada (WWE) – Released by WWE on Nov. 10.
Elijah Burke (WWE) – Released by WWE on Nov. 10.
Kenny Dykstra (WWE) – Released by WWE on Nov. 10.

Notes: These releases are covered in complete detail below.

The Drama: Developing scandals and/or budding backstage rumors.
Rhino (TNA) – miffed at TNA management.

Notes: Rhino was not informed by TNA management that Hall would be present at ringside during his match. In addition, he felt that Hall and the Insane Clown Posse’s presence at ringside (which garnered a lot of camera time during the bout) ultimately hurt the way that the match came across on television. Can’t say I disagree with him, either — and as for why TNA didn’t have the professionalism to inform their CONTRACTED performers that a trio of UNADVERTISED, NON-CONTRACTED talents would be stealing camera time from their previously advertised, PAY-PER-VIEW encounter? Well, your guess is as good as mine. This is just the latest in a long line of frustrations for the War Machine, and so don’t be surprised it rumors start swirling that Rhino may soon be weighing his options and sending out feelers for a WWE return.

The Disabled List: Performers who’ve gone down to injury or suspension in the past week.
None

Notes: No major injuries were reported this week.

WWE Releases Six Performers
Fall Cleaning Trims Company Roster

Obviously the biggest news out of WWE headquarters this week is that the company released a half a dozen performers, likely in response to the ailing economy and slagging third quarter results. In addition to helping free up some extra cash, these measures boast the added benefit of “trimming the fat” on the WWE payroll — but they certainly come at a high price for those talents who’ve received their walking papers. As such, MeeThinks it’s probably in our best interests to tackle each of these releases on a case-by-case basis.

Elijah Burke – Clearly the biggest loss of the latest round of roster cuts, Elijah Burke is also perhaps the single *least* surprising of the bunch. Burke hadn’t been seen on WWE programming since May 30 of this year, and murmurings of an upcoming departure from WWE started circulating as early as October 24 of this year. Elijah is a phenomenal talent with a great look, a killer moveset, and a natural ability behind the microphone. Sadly, he became lost in the shuffle both behind the scenes (where three separate writing staffs had once championed his onscreen push) and in front of the camera, as two rounds of onscreen roster reshufflings and an influx of the “New Talent Initiative” would leave only Burke and Tommy Dreamer (and Matt Striker — now a commentator) as “ECW 2.o Originals” who still remain members of the current ECW roster. Hard to believe that a scant two and a half years ago, Burke was the veritable face of the “New Breed Unleashed” relaunch of ECW — alongside such fellow performers as The Sandman, Kelly Kelly, RVD, Sabu, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Mike Knox, CM Punk, Paul Heyman, Danny & Doug Basham, Balls Mahony, Kevin Thorne, Ariel, Marcus Cor Von… all of whom no longer perform for the ECW brand. Bottom line was that “The Black Pope” pretty much became something of “the white elephant” of the failed experiment that was the originally relaunched and now four-times-overhauled ECW brand (first the Originals/New Breed era, then the Lashley/Big Show era, then the Benoit/Morrison/Punk era, and now the Matt Hardy era), and so it may just be best for all parties involved to let wrestling fans forget for a bit while Burke freshens up for a possible return some time down the road. With such a strong skill set at his disposal, MeeThinks we’ve certainly not seen the last of Elijah Burke in a major North American professional wrestling promotion.

Verdict: A tough loss, but a necessary one given the long and underwhelming history of the newly revived ECW brand. Burke is gold, and should be re-hired the moment WWE/ECW gets their affairs in order and a few extra bucks to spend. If his past performances are any indication of his future success, the guy is well worth the investment.

Kenny Dykstra – Once hailed as the NEXT “next big thing” to come up through the WWE developmental ranks, Kenny Dykstra’s once-promising singles’ career hit a major roadblock the moment the Spirit Squad left (or was that “came into?”) the picture. The stench of failure was all over the five male cheerleaders following their ill-fated stint as Mr. McMahon’s latest troupe of lackeys (see: Mean Street Posse, The), and so each of the stable’s stars struggled to be taken seriously after a quick trip back through the developmental ranks before a series of quietly repackaged re-debuts saw them arrive once more on WWE television. Though Kenny didn’t do himself any favors by spending a huge chunk of 2008 nursing an injury all while developing a backstage reputation for being something of an entitled prick (see: Orton, Randy), this may well have been little more than a case of insult to injury, and Dykstra is merely the latest casualty in a long line of Spirit Squad alumni firings, as he joins fellow Squadders Mikey (Mike Mondo), Nick “Mitch” Mitchell, and Johnny (a.k.a. Johnny Jeter) in the list of those WWE performers who’ve received walking papers over the past 18 months. To date, only Nicky — a.k.a. Nick Nemeth, a.k.a. “Dolph Ziggler” — still remains on a WWE payroll (though I’d be shocked if he’s still with WWE by this time next year). On the bright side, ALL of these performers — Dykstra included — are still very young and very new to the wrestling business, and perhaps some time awawy from the WWE spotlight will do wonders to rejuvinate their careers, especially with the Spirit Squad stigma still haunting them at every turn over the past year and a half. So take solace, Spirit Squad fans — given the chance to mature and distance himself from one of the single most unenviable gimmicks in wrestling history, I would not be surprised in the least to see Kenny Dykstra get another shot at a WWE contract… likely within the next two to three years.

Verdict: Dykstra was a smart cut at this stage in the game, as WWE can save some coin and let the kid hone his craft (and smarten up his attitude) on someone else’s watch over the next few years. He’s young, and will be well-served to spend some time carving out a niche separate from that of his days in the Spirit Squad.

Paul London – Once the “London” surname was assigned to William Regal’s valet just about two weeks ago, it seemed that the handwriting was on the wall for this former Hooligan’s WWE tenure to wrapping up in short order. Paul London hadn’t been seen on WWE television since July 21, and had twice before run afoul of the good graces of WWE’s creative staff (first by busting out banned moves in defiance of company policy, and then again by smiling during the Vince McMahon limo-bombing segment of two summers ago). Though he is incredibly talented in the ring, London is seriously deficient in the all-important charisma department. And with fellow RoH alum-turned-WWE sensation Evan Bourne now doing just about everything that London was capable of between the ropes (and more! AND with a better backstage rep!), it seems as if the company only had one spot reserved for “flashy young upstart with a cool moveset,” and so London’s release was a long time coming. A return to Ring of Honor seems all but certain for London, who should have no trouble finding work and plying his trade in this and other small, wrestling-driven promotions around the world.

Verdict: Paul London was always an awkward fit at best in World Wrestling Entertainment, and so this cut was a good one. In a land where size deficiency is rarely overcome by anything but a real charismatic “it” factor (see: Jericho, Chris), his best “Entertainment” days were behind him and so the decision to cut him was a no-brainer. In a wrestling-driven promtion, however, London should flourish.

Chuck Palumbo – Palumbo was brought back with much fanfare just shy of three years ago, partly because of his good reputation from post-WWE work in Japan, and partly because his brother, Chris Palumbo, is a decorated war veteran and an active duty military serviceman that was featured on WWE’s ever media-friendly “Tribute to the Troops” broadcast. Unfortunately for Chuck, Vince McMahon wasn’t particularly impressed with Palumbo’s progress, and quickly grew tired of the one-dimensional biker schtick (for those counting at home, this makes three separate examples of WWF/E wrestlers donning “biker” gimmicks in just under 10 years time — first Crush and the Disciples Of Apocalypse, then “Biker”Taker, and now Chuck Palumbo), and so the returning tag-champ soon found himself spinning his wheels in midcard obscurity on Smackdown! before being traded to RAW in this year’s draft — though he’d never make it to television. Long story short is that Palumbo needed WWE a lot more than WWE needed him, and so this cut comes as no surprise. Presently, the former WWE talent is rumored to be seeking work south of the border in a number of Mexico-based promotions, thanks to his longstanding industry contacts in former WCW/WWE colleagues Mark Jindrak and Johnny “The Bull” Samboli (a.k.a. relliK). In addition, Palumbo has also managed to carve out a respectable side-business outside of the wrestling profession, where he’s started his own motorcycle customizing company.

Verdict: He’s better than Ryan Braddock, but that’s about it. Palumbo is no loss.

Super Crazy – Crazy is something of an anomaly in the recent round of roster cuts, as this former ECW star actually *requested* his walking papers, and even went as far as to waive his guaranteed pay, 30-day no-complete cause in order to begin accepting booking dates with independent promotions as soon as possible. Since Super Crazy wasn’t really doing much anything of note on WWE television, one really can’t blame the guy for getting out on his own terms before they finally got around to canning him… which probably would not have been all that far in the future, given the company’s recent turn toward cost-cutting measures. Super Crazy is nowhere near the performer he once was back in the mid-nineties heyday of the original ECW (yay weight and age!), and so he is really no loss to WWE fans or any of the company’s three brands, but he is still a perfectly serviceable talent with enough of a recognizable name value all the less, and so MeeThinks he should have no problems finding employment on the independent and international circuits in short order.

Verdict: As a much-needed lower card comedy act, WWE loses a reliable asset in Super Crazy. But if the guy is looking to make more of his career than a few punch lines? This was a smart move for all parties involved.

Lena Yada – I should start by saying that Lena Yada is absolutely no loss whatsoever. No talent in the ring, no talent behind the microphone, and nothing in the way of charisma or a marketable gimmick that brought so much as one new paying customer through the WWE turnstiles, period. That not withstanding, a lot of fans have gotten their collective panties in a twist over rumors that have surfaced regarding Lena Yada’s dismissal from WWE. Allegedly, Stephanie and Shane McMahon chose to axe Lena after hiring former TNA Knockouts Champion (and fellow Asian American performer) Gail Kim, reportedly because the two stars “looked too much alike.” Assuming that the aforementioned quote is true, for a second, a LOT of folks have been quick to play the proverbial race card, accusing WWE’s bosses of discriminating based on the ethnicity of the talents they choose to employ. MeeThinks? Though race is obviously the main reason why Gail and Lena bear a resemblance, the fact that WWE honchos would choose to change or can a performer based on their similar physical appearance to another is hardly a new phenomenon — nor indeed one that is merely dictated by race in any way whatsoever. Ask Frankie Kazarian, who was asked during his brief run with the company to cut his hair because he looked to similar to then-WWE star Rob Van Dam. Ask Christian and Test, who likewise were told to trim their long locks lest they be confused for “generic independent wrestlers.” Shoot, ask Evan Bourne (a.k.a. Matt Sydal), who was forced to drop his very ring name, lest he be confused for fellow ECW star Matt Hardy. And while each of these attempts may seem petty and laughable, the bottom line is that WWE (like every other wrestling promotion) is in the business of BRANDING, and they need to rely on unique products (a.k.a. “performers”) in order to continue selling their merchandise (and pay per views, and tickets to live events, etc.). Television writers are often taught to “write for the dumbest person in the room” so as not to confuse even the simplest-minded of their fans. (wanna’ see what happens when you defy this maxim? Ask the wickedly smart but criminally underviewed “Arrested Development”), and the fact of the matter is that Lena did absolutely nothing to distinguish herself on WWE programming save but for the fact that she played the role of “that cute Asian chick.” And if that’s all she brought to the table? You can see why WWE honchos would be quick to can her once a more unique, marketable and distinguished “cute Asian chick” happened to sign a contract. So why water down Gail’s appeal by keeping the dead weight of a financially useless though physically similar talent on the payroll?

Verdict: Lena is absolutely no loss whatsoever. If you really miss her that much, just Google the word “boobies.”

Christian Cage Leaving TNA?
Captain Charisma Could be Headed Back to WWE

In the biggest North American professional wrestling news item of the week (and that goes for BOTH major US companies), rumors have begun swirling that Christian Cage — a.k.a. WWE’s “Christian” — could soon be wrapping up his tenure with Total Nonstop Action and heading back north to his former home in World Wrestling Entertainment. Obviously, this news has TNA fans in a bit of a tizzy, particularly because it marks the first time a former TNA World Champion is considering a jump back across the battle lines to WWE.

In fairness, of course, Christian is hardly the first TNA alum to seek his fortunes in the verdant pastures of McMahon-land. Sure, Monty Brown/Marcus Cor Von was a sizable hit at the time, but he flamed out in a hurry and both companies seem to be better off without him. Jeff Hardy, meanwhile, was an unreliable mess during his TNA stint, and is a much better fit within the WWE environment. Kaz’s departure barely registered a blip on the radar of either promotion, as he was back in TNA within a year. And Chris Harris/Braden Walker? Don’t make Mee laugh.

But regardless of whether or not Christian is the first “major” TNA star to weigh a move to WWE (he’s not, by the way — that honor probably is owed to Gail Kim), the mere fact that he’s even considering such a move still marks a pretty substantial turning point in professional wrestling history nonetheless… and it might just change the face of the industry for the better in the long run, believe it or not.

Why’s that?

Christian left WWE and arrive in TNA to much fanfare almost three years ago TO DATE (on Nov. 13, 2005). At the time, his jump to this rival promotion signaled a huge shakeup to the North American professional wrestling industry, as Christian actually left WWE *on his own terms* (rather than being fired, as had Rhyno, or being told that “creative had nothing for him,” as had Team 3D). Christian was a solid upper midcarder when he decided to walk away from his WWE contract, and his move to TNA made the company look all the more impressive as a result (more on that below).

But here’s where Christian’s TNA exit may well pave the way for a new era of professional wrestling. Specifically, because he’s likely to be re-signing with WWE *not* because he merely walked out on good terms to ease up and “collect a paycheck” during his time away from the company, but instead because he BUSTED HIS ASS while away from the WWE ranks, and did a tremendous deal to increase his drawing power and marketability as a result. In effect then, he’s basically told fellow TNA talents that the best way to walk back into WWE is by proving that they were wrong to can you in the first place (i.e. – by working hard in TNA or elsewhere). Not only does this benefit him personally, but it also benefitted TNA in the meantime (since they got a solid three year stint and a bona fide main event effort out fo the guy), AND it benefitted WWE in the long run (since they’re likely to be rehiring a guy that’s actually going to be an even bigger draw today than when he left three years ago).

This is a classic case of “win, win, win” — and it sets a tremendous precedent for other performers to do exactly the same thing.

(Matt Morgan and Shiek Abdul Bashir, for example, seem to be doing precisely this same thing).

But if TNA continues to pad their roster with WWE-jects who merely head down south for an easier work schedule? Very soon, hens come home to roost and those same talents who found themselves “coasting” in a TNA ring (at the expense of many a homegrown star’s momentum) quickly learn that they are no longer in such high demand by *any* employer in their profession. And just like that, hard work is again rewarded (simply because laziness doesn’t even get you a second look from your former employer), and so TNA no longer feels obligated to keep the “WWE-jects” at the forefront of their storylines simply because these old-timers once just so happened to work for that other company up north.

(Such was the case for the ever-brief TNA careers of Rikishi and Test).

So let’s look at what this all means to the bigger picture, for a second…

In my very first column for this site in November, 2005, I remarked at lengthe on the potential impact that this move might make, saying :

Long story short –- the guy had been reduced to “jobber to the stars” status despite remaining massively over with mark and smart fans alike. All reports indicate that Vinny Mac hoped to re-sign the guy for another couple of years at the same type of money he was making with his old contract, but Reso just simply got fed up with the fact that he’d be accepting less money that he believed he was worth (and, incidentally, he might be right) just so that he could continue to spin his wheels as a glorified jobber in the lower-midcard of the WWE.

…

If TNA can continue to provide a fresh and exciting “alternative” to the WWE product, then they have the power to light a fire under WWE’s ass, and thus step up the overall quality of the business as a whole. But since TNA can’t compete with WWE’s deep pockets, they’re fighting an uphill battle to convince the fans that they are, in fact an alternative and not just some bush-league “halfway house” for the WWE castaways (‘E-jects?) and old timers that are way past their prime.

So –

In order to prove that they are, in fact, an “alternative” and not just a second-rate promotion, TNA needs to do its very best to build its own stars while at the same time being on the lookout to hire away a few WWE employees who have NOT been axed by Vinny Mac and company. Looking at the birth of the “Monday Night Wars,” you’ll note that the biggest immediate impacts were made not by those employees who had been tossed aside by their former employer (their time to shine came later), but rather by those who’d chosen to sign with one promotion despite the fact that they had every opportunity to stay with their competitor.

And in Christian’s jump to TNA mere weeks after that column’s publication, Captain Charisma fired the first shot in a war that promised to do exactly that. No longer was TNA just an also-ran promotion for “old guys” simply retiring in place to collect a paycheck, nor was it merely a “halfway house” for wrestlers who simply couldn’t hack it on the grander stage. Instead, Christian brought the company a tremendous deal of credibility — painting the fed as a proving ground for young lions willing to sacrifice their best in a company where hard work was rewarded. Instantly (if only for a fleeting moment), TNA looked like a credible young upstart *ALTERNATIVE* promotion, as demonstrated by the fact that they could lure a well-recognized up-and-comer like Christian Cage simply because they could give him the opportunity to show that he was a far more capable performer than he had ever been given the chance to prove while trapped under the proverbial “glass ceiling” of that rival wrestling promotion up north. Simply put, it was a great hire and a great move for both parties.

But somewhere along the way, things went sour.

Unfortunately for Christian (and even moreso for TNA), this new hire not only signalled the chance for WWE’s disgruntled “up and comers” to join a rival promotion’s ranks to prove that hard work could pay off, it also set a precedent for a number of subsequent (and — retrospectively — BAD) TNA hires to follow. Instead of attracting young bucks who’d gladly trade a smaller paycheck for a bigger chance to prove their worth, TNA began to attract an alarming influx of overexposed (and/or burnt out) top-tier WWE talents, many of whom simply signed with the smaller company for the reduced work schedule and a guaranteed spot in the main event picture.
Way back in January of this year, I said:

[This] leads us to TNA’s biggest problem of 2007: Rinse & Repeat Booking Mistakes.

PLENTY of IWC “know-it-alls” have routinely voiced their displeasure at TNA for “bringing in WWE-jects and pushing them at the expense of the homegrown talent,” but the problem is much actually broader and deeper than that one. Let’s face it, certain performers (Booker T, Angle, Christian, whoever) simply *are* a proven and marketable commodity… and so once they depart WWE for “free agency,” TNA would have to be pretty freakin’ dumb to let these acts slip away so long as they’re affordable and willing to play ball. Let Mee repeat: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SIGNING A WWE ALUMNI, if the price is right and the guy can draw. Because once a guy the likes of an Angle or a Booker T arrives, he *obviously* shows up with a no-brainer degree of credibility that fans have proven they’re more than willing to plunk down their hard-earned coin to see.

But this is precisely where the problem begins —

Instead of bringing in the latest “big name” WWE-ject with a proven drawing power (a GOOD idea) and putting him in a fresh, high-profile feud with a homegrown guy — even if the guy isn’t necessarily *as* proven a draw himself (a GOOD idea) and getting two stars for the price of one, TNA insists on:

a) Bringing in not just the “big name” WWE-jects, but just about every other guy EVER fired from WWE
b) Hotshotting these guys onto TV with no real direction (contract?!) or longevity, and…
c) Rinse & repeating the cycle once the initial buzz wears off.

Whether it’s main-eventers (Christian, Angle, Booker), mid-carders (Test, Fatu) or curtain-jerkers (Shannon Moore, The Bashams) — TNA sets a disheartening precedent that their fans are supposed to receive each “new acquisition” as if they were a bigger deal than anything that they’d ever seen before in a TNA ring. Which would be all well and good if it were just a simple marketing tool (because let’s face it: EVERY company in the world will pretty much tell you that the latest and greatest thing they’re trying to sell you is a million times better than anything you’ve ever had or seen before) — but the kicker, of course, is that TNA insists on doing this sort of thing at the expense of:

a) Their established titles (“nevermind the match outcome — LOOK WHO’S HERE!”)
b) Their established characters (remember when Chris Harris was actually a threat to the main event picture?), and…
c) Their established storylines (you can barely count the number of inexplicably scrapped turns/angles TNA has churned out this year)

Sadly, this sends fans a pretty loud and clear message as to where, exactly, the company’s priorities lie with each new turn. Momentum is lost, fans are told that something even better is on the way “real soon, we promise!” — and everybody dumb enough to stick around in the mean time looks like an absolute chump, as the only people getting anything resembling a sustained push are those who recently received walking papers from WWE.

This “rinse & repeat” booking philosophy isn’t working, and the PPV buyrates across the board show it. Bringing in new stars, twists and turns is essential to keep fans guessing (and can be vital when “freshening up” your promotion as need be) — but repeatedly sacrificing *everything* that might otherwise remotely resemble something in the way of forward momentum simply for the sake of hanging all of your company’s hopes (and your fans’ interest) on the latest hotshot “concept match” (electified/barbed wire/exploding/on a pole/etc.), “free agent” signing, or “big announcement” revelation (a third hour of tv? a cure for cancer?!) is both ineffective and silly.

All told?

This pretty much brings us back full circle, and leads us right back the main reason why Christian left WWE in the first place — simply because he was tired of playing second fiddle and felt he’d have a better shot of making a name for himself elsewere. But with the Main Event Mafia (the majority of whom were quickly-signed TNA acquisitions of high-profile WWE castoffs in their own right) storyline now in full swing? Christian is, at best, reduced to no higher than sixth in the pecking order — well behind Angle, Sting, Booker, AJ, and Samoa Joe. In short, the guy is back to being stuck as an upper midcarder… albeit for a much smaller salary than he was making for playing the same role in WWE.

In addition, TNA finds itself pretty much in the exact same place as they were some 11 months ago — rinse and repeat booking of the exact same mistakes:

Last month’s “free agent” signing? MICK FOLEY! (complete with obligatory scads of television time at the expense of existing TNA stars, along with the pre-requisite open mic platform to talk smack on his tenure with WWE).

This month’s “big announcement guaranteed to change the wrestling world as we know it?” Mick Foley, kayfabe co-owner!

TNA seems committed to giving the Main Event Mafia versus TNA Originals storyline a fair deal of television time over the coming months, and so there’s every reason to believe that we’ve seen the last of their “free agent signings” and “ground-breaking announcements” at least for the immediately forseeable future. But this sort of thing only works so long as TNA is willing to fight the temptation to scrap what homegrown momentum they’ve established in order to pick up the latest round of WWE-jects and throw them smack-dab into the middle of their biggest angle (though I’ll admit, hiring Elijah Burke as a WWE defecting, TNA-Originals sympathizer looks mighty tempting).

On top of that —

The Main Event Mafia, fresh off of their clean sweep of victories at this past Sunday’s pay per view, is currently riding high as the resident baddies-to-beat in TNA. Though a concincing string of wins certainly helped boost the stable’s credibility as *the* force to be reckoned with in Orlando, every longterm wrestling fan knows that a killer heel stable is only ever as impressive not only as the opponents they can defeat *in* the ring, but also as the opponents they’re willing to ambush *outside* of it (see: Rhodes, Dusty and Horsemen, The Four). As a result? This week’s Main Event Mafia beatdown on Christian Cage — one that could well serve as his final appearance (for now) on TNA programming — will certainly go a long way in helping to establish the group’s staying power as TNA’s resident band of ass-kicking baddies. If nothing else, then, TNA benefits from Christian’s impending departure by virtue of the fact that the company’s current main event power players gain a massive rub by taking (kayfabe) credit for putting a two-time former World Champion out of the company “for good” (ala Awesome Kong and Gail Kim).

As for Christian?

If he’s playing sixth-best or worse for a smaller paycheck (and a rapidly growing tour schedule), he might as well take his TNA-increased star stature and make a run for things back up north in WWE. Were he to “start out small” in ECW, Christian makes for the perfect foil for Matt Hardy, meaning that he’d immediately be rewarded with a long-storied and high-profile title program in reward for his return to the WWE “Universe” (shudder).

On Smackdown? Edge has spent months on the shelf and seems poised to take the main event picture by storm at any moment. Be it against Jeff Hardy or Triple H (or The Big Show, for that matter), The Rated R Superstar would make a seemless fit back into the blue brand’s top-level storylines, and one might even argue that his return would be all the more impressive were he to be paired with (or AGAINST!) a familiar face like Christian shortly thereafter. So at worst, this would put Christian no further than one program away from inserting himself into a no-brainer title shot of his own.

And when it comes to Monday nights, RAW doesn’t have a credible main event heel outside of Randy Orton and Chris Jericho (sorry JBL), but the red brand is pretty much THE place to be for newly returning stars (see: Jericho, Chris), and Christian is a natural heel. On the flipside, if CM Punk can make such an immediate splash as a babyface main eventer? Christian should have no trouble following in the same path towards success in a program where he’d easily be no worse off than third in line for a title shot behind Batista and John Cena (especially because RAW’s main event mainstay good guy in Shawn Michaels seems otherwise occupied).

Stay tuned on this one, as we should have more news coming down the line any day now. But if we really are looking at the end of Christian’s tenure in TNA, MeeThinks there are a great deal of positives to be gained when all is said and done.

TNA Invites Sarah Palin to Final Resolution
Company Offers $50,000 Donation to Alaska Governor’s Charity of Choice

In a small but noteworthy news item, TNA recently garnered themselves a good deal of free publicity by offering Alaska Governor and former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin a healthy sum of $50,000 (to be donated to the youth hockey league and/or charity of her choice) if she is willing to appear at the company’s Dec. 7 Final Resolution PPV and be inducted as an “honorary member” of the Beautiful People stable. TNA President Dixie Carter even offered to fly Palin and her entire family in on a private jet (at Carter’s own expense) in return for this politico-turned-celebrity crossover cameo. Though Gov. Palin has yet to comment on the issue, not surprisingly, TNA’s offer was immediately mentioned in a number of high-profile news sites, including USAToday and FoxNews.com.

Now before anyone goes off screaming about how there’s absolutely no chance of Gov. Palin appearing on the TNA pay-per-view whatsoever, it probably warrants mention that this sort of thing is not wholly unprecedented, believe it or not. In fact, this is not the first time in recent history that politics and professional wrestling have crossed paths. Lest we forget: