Wrestling Rumblings #54
February 12, 2010
By: Jose Marrero of WrestleView.com
It would seem as of late that the wrestling world is buzzing with the sound of change. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have started there regime in TNA and with that there is plenty of change, Vince McMahon has decided to rebrand the Sy Fy show and effectively kill ECW and with this new NXT show that is debuting there will also be plenty of change. Usually after Wrestlemania we see WWE undergo major roster upheavals with their draft show and there ‘spring cleaning? releases. One thing I have been thinking a lot about this week is who do I expect to see moving on from WWE or TNA or just moving on from the wrestling business in general?you?re reading ?Wrestling Rumblings?.
First off before anyone emails me about how morbid a column this is going to be I just want to say this is 100% pure speculation and is not endorsed by anyone else affiliated with Wrestleview. The simple truth of the matter is with Wrestlemania just a couple of months off and this new NXT show bringing in more wrestlers there is not going to be room for some guys in the WWE Universe, same is true for TNA with all the additions that have been made as of late. Some would say the best addition is by subtraction I don?t know about that but I imagine both promotions will test that theory out. This is who I think will not be with their current company come Wrestlemania 27 time.
Shawn Micheals- His case will be most unique as Shawn will not become ?future endeavored? and will not be jumping ship to TNA; I just feel he is going to finally hang it up this year. I have been asking myself for the last few weeks how if the Shawn Micheals vs. Undertaker match at Wrestlemania is not a title match how can it possibly close off the show without upstaging the world titles and then Shawn cut a promo mentioning his career being over and it hit me: Career vs. Streak. I really think this is the way the storyline is going to go and since I don?t see Shawn Micheals breaking the streak and giving us that Wrestlemania moment I see him losing the match and giving us a different Wrestlemania moment altogether with the retirement of ?The Icon, The Showstopper, The Main Event?. It should be an interesting next couple of months.
The Nasty Boys- Come on, anyone with eyes can see that they are not long for TNA. This is just a payday and to be quite honest there isn?t much you can do with them after this match with Team 3D if they wanted to stick around. I?m not really sure what TNA is going to get out of them now but my thought process would say not much due to their ages and the fact that in this author’s opinion they were never really that good to begin with. The nostalgia tour should end sooner rather than later.
Goldust- It’s been really nice to have him back with this latest run on ECW. Maybe the Goldust character isn?t what it was in its heyday but Dustin Runnels can still go out there and perform. However without a brand that is going to give him ringtime his WWE run and probably his career could be coming to an end. I?m sure there are some that would argue against it but I would love to see him inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and hang it up and call it a career.
Consequences Creed- I really feel bad for him, I mean his TNA career never really got off on the right track from the moment that Ron Killings left TNA had no idea really of what to do with him. While I am not a fan of his in ring work I do think the guy has some ability and the truth of the matter is everyone can?t possibly shine on a roster and you do need guys to go over on but I think even in the role of being just roadkill the current TNA regime just really isn?t interested in him. I?d be very surprised if he made it through the next holiday season in TNA.
Trent Baretta and Caylen Croft- I?ve been following these guys for quite some time as they are still currently competing in FCW as two thirds of the ?Dudebusters? with Curt Hawkins and while I have found some of their FCW stuff to be very entertaining I just don?t think it will translate to their current WWE personas. Can anyone even tell me there gimmicks? It would seem to me that they are WWE’s rib on indy wrestlers and a joke will only take you so far in this world. I actually like Caylen Croft a lot and he has been a part of WWE through developmental for the better part of 7 years now. There is some potential within him but I don?t think he is going to get that chance unless he winds up staying on this NXT show in some fashion.
Bobby Lashley- It wasn?t that long ago that TNA picked up Lashley and we had Dixie Carter on Impact touting what a great signing it was and how they were going to attempt to do something that was never done in having Lashley be a meaningful part of their show and still attempt to take on the world of MMA. It’s very funny how time can change things, Hulk Hogan of course joined TNA and with that signing came the announcement on Spike TV during a UFC event, Lashley of course is now a contracted Strikeforce talent which is UFC’s direct competition and I think with that there are several issues now that make a divorce between the sides seem more and more likely. I don?t feel Strikeforce is happy about having Lashley on a show that doesn?t promote his fights not to upset the almighty UFC and at the same time I don?t think Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are too keen on pushing a guy who can get knocked out and lose his credibility to wrestling at any point in time. I?d be extremely shocked to see Lashley in a wrestling ring a year from now much less in a TNA one.
Mike Knox- With the influx of ECW talent into Raw and Smackdown in the next few weeks I see less and less of a place on either roster for Mike Knox. The simple fact is WWE has invested about 5 years in Mike Knox and hasn?t got much of a return on that investment. His size has kept him from being ?future endeavored? but with guys such as Vance Archer, Vladmir Koslov and Ezekiel Jackson potentially floating to the brands it would seem that there is really no room on any roster for a Mike Knox. To be quite honest with you I can?t see TNA picking him up either so look for Mike Knox at your local independent sometime during this upcoming year.
Raven and Dr. Stevie- These are two of the most underutilized guys in wrestling right now but at the same time I can somewhat understand why. Both of them have had long careers and are just not what they used to be and with all the influx of talent on the TNA roster it’s just really hard to pull a guy aside and say ?Hey come up with something for Raven and Dr. Stevie?. Plus I am a big believer that wrestling types hold grudges that get in the way of business and I feel Eric Bischoff is one of those wrestling types. I don?t feel he has forgotten about Raven walking out of WCW and with that coupled in with his recent lawsuit against WWE challenging the independent contractor status of wrestlers would probably spell his demise in TNA. I see Eric convincing Hulk Hogan and others that Raven is a potential troublemaker that can?t be on the team and since Raven has burned that bridge with WWE this just might be the end of ?The Man from the Bowery? and his lackey.
Hornswoggle- I know the kids like him and I know for a while he has been a very strong merchandise seller but I feel his run is just about over. This latest run of DX is just about at its end and with no one to feud with and not much to do with a vertically challenged wrestler creatively I think Hornswoggle is going to start losing his appeal to those in power. Let’s give the little guy his due though I can?t think of a little person in wrestling who has enjoyed the fame or notoriety of Hornswoggle ever.
Sting- I think the only reason TNA went after Ric Flair so hard was so that Ric Flair could have one more match with Sting and that’s how it would end for the ?Stinger?. I think Sting hanging out in the rafters will eventually lead to maybe another match with him and AJ Styles followed by a match with Ric Flair in which he will finally call it a career.
Matt Hardy- Is it just me or does he want to be released at this point? It seems he disobeys every WWE edict thrown at him about his public comments and well one of his latest ones where he was ?joking? about jumping ship may have put him in even more hot water. I think Matt is not as confident in himself as he would tell others and knows that without Jeff around there really isn?t much to his act in WWE as no one there has any faith in him. If Jeff truly has signed with TNA I don?t think Matt Hardy will last another year in WWE.
Now I know there are many names that I didn?t put on this list that some fans would speculate are sure to wind up switching rosters or on someone’s ?future endeavored? list but even though the signs are there for some I just don?t see it happening. Here is those who will be saved for at least another year.
Eric Young- It would seem that those in charge have really lost interest in the leader of ?World Elite? and make no bones about it, he is on the endangered species list when it comes to wrestling but I see Eric as being such a company guy and a guy who has been there from almost day one and I think at the end of the day TNA will reward his loyalty and willingness to do anything and allow him to remain with the company for now.
Chavo Guerrero- After losing repeatedly to Hornswoggle over the last year you would think there is not really much value to having Chavo Guerrero around right? Well you would be wrong in that assessment. I do expect to see Chavo take a break from being on TV but do see him as being the guy you work with in your dark match tryouts and potentially being someone on this new NXT show in the same role he served on Tough Enough years ago. Chavo is what the veterans would call ?a good hand? and I don?t think he is going anywhere anytime soon.
Jay Lethal- I know they haven?t done much with him but I always hear from people in TNA about how much of a fan Hulk Hogan is of the Black Machismo gimmick. This guy may not be the youngest guy on the roster anymore but at 24 years old he still hasn?t hit the prime of his career. I expect something to be done with Jay Lethal that gives him at least one more year to prove himself.
The Colons- I?ve heard much speculation about the Colon’s in recent weeks but I don?t think they will be going anywhere. The ties between WWE and Carlos Colon go back over 30 years and I think Vince McMahon has enough respect for Carlos Colon to keep both his sons on the payroll. As unruly and unhappy as Carlito can be at times I think he also has enough respect for his father to understand what the WWE relationship means to Carlos and how much damage angering WWE by getting himself released and going to TNA could do to WWC. If anything I wouldn?t be surprised to see another Colon in WWE or at least WWE developmental by this time next year and that would be Orlando ?La Pesadilla? Colon.
Vince Russo- This will shock people since I think most would have expected Russo to not even last this long but I think he is somehow going to get through to at least the next Wrestlemania under this current regime. As a matter of fact I will go out on a limb and say that if and when Vince Russo leaves TNA it will not be because he was fired but because he resigned. Eric Bischoff gets a lot of praise from many people but one thing no one has ever praised him for is his ability to write a TV show and there is a reason for that ?he can?t. Last I checked, neither could Hulk Hogan. This may surprise some people but I don?t see many creative talents out there with more pedigree than Russo that would anxiously take the TNA job, plus I also feel that Hogan and Bischoff would want to use Russo as a scapegoat if things don?t work out. He is staying put?for now.
MVP- I know there are many people who constantly put this guy on death watch when it comes to getting released but I feel he is going to make it through this year. He may have many enemies on the internet and backstage but he is just one good push from being the darling of everyone all over again. It wasn?t that long ago that he was on a terrible losing streak that had many questioning his longevity and he rebounded with a US title run and a short program with a red hot Randy Orton. There is no reason to feel that he can?t rebound again.
Lacey Von Erich- Yes she can?t work and yes she can?t even cut a good promo but there aren?t too many more gorgeous women in professional wrestling than her right now. While I don?t like to see her in a match I would be flat out lying if I told you I didn?t like to see her on TV. She makes it through for now.
That about does it for this week but for those who can?t get enough there will be a new written feature starting on Wrestleview VIP by the name of ?Outside Interference? where yours truly will chime in from time to time with things like DVD and book reviews and anything extra I have for that particular edition. I am not committing to a regular schedule only because I don?t want to feel pigeonholed to write a weekly column when there may be weeks where I want to write 2 or 3 columns or even a month where I may not write one but it’s definitely something to look out for as the debut column should be up soon (hopefully by the time you read this one) and I look forward to your feedback on it as well as this column. How do you do that? Well you can always email me at wrestlingrumblings@hotmail.com. Many of you have asked me about Facebook and I will once again reiterate that I don?t give out my facebook here for the simple reason that I don?t do anything wrestling related at all on that page and it’s a personal page that I just don?t feel any of you should really have access to. Of course many of you have ignored me and sent me requests (those that went out of their way to find me anyway) and I have accommodated. I am considering maybe making a fanpage for the column but that seems a little too self serving to me but if I change my mind you will all be welcome to send your requests there. Anyway that does it for this week, next week I will try to do better and until then I am out.
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