Hailey's Newsies - Issue 84 - May 16th 2010

Rob Terry's Push


Is TNA pushing Rob Terry to get back at WWE?


Rob Terry's Push

Back in January of this year, Rob Terry made history twice in the same night.

While the company was doing a tour of Europe, they stopped by his home country of Wales to do a house show. That night, TNA decided to surprise the audience with a last minute title switch. Rob Terry defeated Eric Young to win the TNA Global Championship.

The history books will now list Rob Terry's win as the first time a TNA championship changed hands at a house show. It was also the first time that a TNA championship changed hands outside of the United States.

The title change came as a surprise.

The sustained push, however, came as an even bigger surprise.

Take That, WWE

There are some that believe that TNA wants to make a big star out of Rob Terry to show up WWE.

Back in 2007, Rob Terry was just a bodybuilder. Someone in WWE management noticed him and offered him a developmental deal. He was sent down to Florida Championship Wrestling to learn the trade.

A year later, WWE was not impressed enough, and Rob Terry was promptly released.

In a brilliant career move, though, Rob Terry sought out the help of two of the smartest guys in the business. He signed up for the Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment.

His connection with Brother Ray and Brother Devon helped him get picked up by TNA.

Management was wise at first to utilize him as an enforcer for Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus. It enabled Rob Terry to get television exposure while also giving him to continue his development.

If TNA can turn Rob Terry into a star, then they can easily look at WWE and know that they did something that Vince McMahon could not do. Wrestling companies have enjoyed the rush from that for years.

You don't think Vince McMahon looks at Eric Bischoff when he thinks back at how he turned Steve Austin and Chris Jericho into superstars? You don't think Paul Heyman looks at Vince McMahon when he remembers how he turned Johnny Polo into ECW legend Raven?

It's a little game of upsmanship that people love to play in wrestling.

Not So Fast

Regardless of the reason why TNA is choosing to push Rob Terry, they have to keep in mind to take things slowly.

Rob Terry might be holding a championship belt in his hands, but he's far from being a polished product. He occassional has lapses in the ring where he struggles to make things look realistic. Management would be wise to book him in matches where he can still be protected as he's learning his way.

Push him too fast, and both companies will be forced to say that they failed on him.

Multiple Roles


One of the things that WWE needs to start doing is utilizing wrestlers in multiple uses.


Multiple Roles

A lot of people in this world wear a lot of different hats. Some wear more than one hat at a time.

The waiter that served you might also be the one that rings up the check at the end of the meal. The guy that designs the website might also be the one that handles the marketing. The kid that delivers your newspaper might also be the one that washes your car.

You get the idea.

Hopefully, the WWE writing staff will get it as well.

It would be great if management started using wrestlers in more than one role at a time.

Multitask

There's a handful of examples.

When Natalya Neidhart was brought into WWE, she was used as a wrestler in the divas division. You look at her now, and she has been relegated to simply being a valet for Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith. There's no reason why she couldn't be used as a challenger for Eve's title.

WWE did a wise thing in pairing Luke Gallows up with CM Punk. It made him a lot more relevant than if he were on his own. However, what the company is failing to do is to build credibility for him. Luke Gallows can be CM Punk's sidekick and have feuds of his own at the same time.

There's also a bunch of singles wrestlers that could be utilized to help add depth to the tag team division. For example, Dolph Ziggler is trying to work his way up the singles division. That doesn't mean that he can't pair up with Chris Masters and challenge for the tag team titles.

Using wrestlers in mutliple roles allows WWE to add depth to the various divisions.

A Diva For All

The divas could also be utilized a bit better.

Everyone knows that the divas are there to be eye candy. Even when they're wrestling, the target audience is men.

Why not use them even more as eye candy?

A simple move like pairing up each diva with a male counterpart would do wonders. It would enable fans to see more of the divas. It would also benefit the midcard wrestlers to be paired up with an attractive guy. Might help them connect with the audience more.

Take a positive and make it even more positive.

Raw Results - May 10, 2010

Sheamus Gaining Credibility


Sheamus has been gaining more credibility as of late. There is one mistake that WWE needs to avoid, though.


Off on the Wrong Foot

When Sheamus signed a developmental contract with WWE back in 2007, he was confident that he was going to make it.

Of course, even the cockiest of individuals would have a hard time believing that they would get a rocket ship push like Sheamus ended up getting from WWE.

Sheamus, whose real name is Stephen Farrelly, went from being a FCW developmental wrestler to being an ECW call up to being a Raw superstar to being WWE Heavyweight Champion. All of that took in the span of a couple of months.

Wrestling fans immediately resented Sheamus because of the push. Many were upset because there were other deserving wrestlers in line. Others were bothered by the fact that Sheamus had grown to become real life friends with political powerhouse Triple H.

To say that Sheamus was unpopular would have been an understatement.

Sheamus Gaining Credibility

However, an odd thing happened along the way.

Slowly but surely, Sheamus started gaining credibility.

There's still some resentment towards him. His title win did come far too fast. Wrestling fans in general, though, have a short attention span. They can learn to forgive and forget.

Sheamus started gaining credibility by working against top level guys. When you're around those guys, wrestling fans will generally start perceiving you as a main event wrestler as well. Sheamus has also done a solid job of showing that he can hang with the big boys.

He might not be a superstar, but he's not embarassing himself either.

Not Yet

There is one mistake that WWE needs to avoid in order to sustain Sheamus' push.

They cannot put the WWE Heavyweight Championship around his waist again for a very long time. Doing that would bring back memories to the fans that have already forgiven him.

Keep him around the main event, though. Fans can accept him as a challenger for the belt. They just don't want to see him with the belt.

Also, WWE should definitely not bring Sheamus down to the Intercontinental Championship level either. Even though he lacks longevity, Sheamus is currently at a position where he's above that particular title.

Another thing that WWE needs to consider is variety of opponents. Fans will soon start getting tired of seeing Sheamus working programs with just Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton. It would not hurt for them to mix in a midcard wrestler once in a while. John Morrison is a good candidate for that.

Some day, Sheamus is going to be WWE Heavyweight Champion again.

Just don't do it yet.

John Cena Never Give Up Shirt


Despite having been out for quite some time now, the latest John Cena shirt is still one of the top selling items for WWE.

Here's a view of the back of the shirt.



Kurt Angle and the Rock


Kurt Angle and Dwayne Johnson have been talking a lot lately about working together again.


Kurt Angle and the Rock

If things go as planned, we'll get to see Kurt Angle and Dwayne Johnson working together again.

This time, though, it won't be in a wrestling ring.

With Kurt Angle looking to further his acting career, he has sought advice from Dwayne Johnson, who gained international fame while working as the Rock in WWE. They speak regularly about the types of roles that Kurt Angle should be going for.

Kurt Angle and Dwayne Johnson have also talked about working together on a future movie project.

TNA Signs Mary Kate Duignan


TNA signs a new Knockout that's supposed to be the next Awesome Kong.


TNA Signs Mary Kate Duignan

Big is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to the Knockouts division. Unlike their WWE counterpart, the Knockouts division is more than willing to employ larger women.

It's a formula that has worked for TNA.

The formula has led them to sign Mary Kate Duignan.

Mary Kate Duignan is a graduate of Team 3D's Wrestling Academy. She has experience through the independent wrestling circuit.

She recently made headlines when she was involved in a tryout match with Daffney. Prior to the April 20, 2010 TNA iMPACT! tapings, Mary Kate Duignan ended up injuring Daffney in the match. Daffney suffered a bruised sternum and temporary spinal trauma after taking a bonsai drop.

RVD Discusses WWE Politics


Rob Van Dam talks about how backstage politics in WWE works.


RVD Discusses WWE Politics

It takes more than just good performances to become a main event guy for WWE.

Well, according to Rob Van Dam, that is.

In a recent interview, Rob Van Dam was asked to compare how he was utilized in WWE with how he is currently being utilized in TNA. He also talks about merchandise and pushes.

The following is what he had to say.



"In WWE, a lot of times friends would come to the show and say, 'Wow, you get the loudest reaction out of all the wrestlers here, how come you're not in the main event and how come they don't have any RVD T-shirts?' and that's what I always dealt with before. Now, I feel like I'm in a great position as champ. I have no doubt I'm going to do my part to show the best matches anybody has seen in TNA, so it's pretty exciting."

Jordan Involved in Kanyon's Suicide


Friends of Chris Kanyon say that Orlando Jordan played a part in Kanyon's suicide.


Orlando Jordan Involved in Kanyon's Suicide

With death, there comes a lot of emotions.

When someone commits suicide, the person leaves behind a trail of friends and family members who are seeking answers and pointing fingers.

Within weeks of Chris Kanyon taking his own life, some friends of his have started pointing the finger at Orlando Jordan and TNA. They state that the gimmick that Orlando Jordan is playing was one that Chris Kanyon desperately wanted to portray. It was a gimmick that he has unsuccessfully pitched to both TNA and WWE.

Some of his friends have even pointed to Orlando Jordan's debut of the gimmick as the final straw for Chris Kanyon.

One of his friends had the following comment to make in regards to the debut setting off Chris Kanyon.

Jack Swagger's Biggest Challenge


The biggest challenge of Jack Swagger's career is going to come at Summerslam this fall.


Jack Swagger's Biggest Challenge

When it comes to professional wrestling, very few things are as big as the Undertaker.

For about 20 years now, the Undertaker has been entertaining wrestling fans across the globe. He's certainly made a name for himself and has guaranteed himself a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame whenever he is ready to be inducted.

To say that he's a legend would be an understatement.

For a young wrestler hoping to some day become a legend himself, it is a dream to step into the ring against the Undertaker. It is an even bigger dream to be stepping into the ring with him as the headline title match at one of the biggest pay per views in wrestling history.

The current plan for Summerslam right now is to feature a title match between Jack Swagger and the Undertaker.

Premier Preview

Based on their encounter on Smackdown a few weeks back, WWE definitely chose the right match for Summerslam.

Jack Swagger had his best performance to date in a non title match against the Undertaker that night. He showed that he can do extremely well when paired with a ring general like the Undertaker. The World Heavyweight Champion finally got a chance to show that he understood ring psychology.

The match was critically acclaimed, and Jack Swagger began to look like a legitimate star in the eyes of the internet wrestling community.

Now, imagine how well the match will be received when there's an actual storyline behind it.

That's what Summerslam 2010 is going to be.

Here's the Ball

When Jack Swagger was first given the World Heavyweight Champion, not a lot of fans thought that he was going to be given a long reign.

Unless he screws it up first, the All American American has a big ticket to superstardom at Summerslam 2010.

This is clearly a sign that management has faith in him. He was not just a transitional champion. He was not just a champion because management wanted to surprise the audience.

He is the real deal.

From now until Summerslam, it is up to Jack Swagger to carry the ball and up to management to make sure that he has a clear path.

In order to do that, management is going to have to build up even more credibility and momentum for Jack Swagger before the big match against Undertaker. He's going to need to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship until it is time to start building towards the Summerslam program. Victories over guys like Christian, Rey Mysterio, and the Big Show would be beneficial.

Then, it is up to Jack Swagger to run to the end zone.

Kurt Angle's Return Date


When exactly is Kurt Angle returning to TNA? How long will he stay once he returns?


Kurt Angle's Return Date

Kurt Angle's break from the action is almost over.

The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion is scheduled to return in time for next week's iMPACT! tapings. Kurt Angle has been taking time off to heal some injuries. He also spent the time focusing on his outside business ventures.

This is expected to be the final big run for Kurt Angle. Management will more than likely utilize him in the title scene until the end of the year. The Olympic gold medalist has told friends that he plans on cutting his schedule in half next year and focus on his acting career.

Shelton Benjamin's Next Move


Just days after his release from WWE, Shelton Benjamin's next move is about to take place. The plan actually started before his release.


Shelton Benjamin's Next Move

There's more to life than just the wrestling ring.

While a lot of wrestlers end up going broke after their in-ring career ends, some do take steps to ensure that they will have a life after wrestling.

Guys like Brock Lesnar jumped over to MMA while his body was still fit enough for the sport. Guys like Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson moved on to Hollywood. Guys like Charlie Haas set up business ventures in their home town.

For Shelton Benjamin, though, he is making sure that he has a college degree to fall back upon.

The former WWE World Tag Team Champion started attending classes at the University of Minnesota again a few months ago. Shelton Benjamin was getting his education while still going on the road and touring for WWE. He is expected to receive his degree before the summer.

After receiving his degree, it is expected that Shelton Benjamin will take a close look at opportunities in TNA. The company is highly interested in signing him and his former tag team partner, Charlie Haas. Kurt Angle has also been pushing hard for both sides to come to an agreement.

Smackdown Heel Turn


Smackdown needs another top level heel. Let's take a look at the candidates for the heel turn.


Smackdown Heel Turn

Over the last few days, management has been looking over the Smackdown roster and brainstorming heavily.

The reason for this is because Vince McMahon wants another top level heel on the brand. He doesn't feel that the heel side of things are strong enough on Smackdown. World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger and Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre are the top two heels right now, and that's not going to cut it.

Let's take a look at some potential new heels.

• Big Show - He just recently turned into a babyface, so turning him back right now might not be a good idea. Besides, wrestling fans are looking for something fresh from him. Big Show really grew stale as a heel sidekick for Chris Jericho and the Miz.
  
• Christian - Here's a guy that can be a top level heel or babyface. If a heel turn means that he gets pushed, then we should all be rooting for it to happen.
  
• JTG - Even with a heel turn, it's highly unlikely that JTG gets anywhere near the top level main event scene.
  
• Kane - At this point in his career, Kane is just a role player. Fans will cheer for him simply because he's a legend. Let him leave the game that way.
  
• Kofi Kingston - This is one of the top choices by management. However, he has so much potential to be a top level babyface. Much harder to find those.
  
• Matt Hardy - He had a heel run not too long ago. Management changed their minds rather quickly on that. He's better off as a being a babyface right now.
  
• MVP - This is another top choice by management. He's been able to make his babyface character work. However, he showed a lot more main event potential back when he was a cocky heel. He needs something to get him going again.
  
• Rey Mysterio - Not sure if it would work. Actually, pretty sure that it won't work. Kids love him too much. Plus, his merchandise sells too well.
  
• Undertaker - He could still pull it off. However, with no top level babyface on Smackdown, it would be wise to keep Undertaker around in that role.
  

Extreme Rules 2010 DVD


The brand new Extreme Rules DVD has been released. If you purchase it now, you save 40% off the retail price.

The following matches are on the DVD.

http://www.wweshop.com/item/extreme-rules-2010-dvd/NewReleases/35-00700

TNA Sacrifice 2010 Card


The card has been finalized for this weekend's TNA Sacrifice pay per view. Couple of last minute changes.


The following are matches that have been officially booked for the show.

The event will take place on May 16, 2010.

Bobby Lashley's Next Opponent


Bobby Lashley officially has an opponent now for the June 16, 2010 Strikeforce event.


Bobby Lashley's Next Opponent

On June 16, 2010, Strikeforce is going to be holding on of their events in Los Angeles, California.

Bobby Lashley has been officially booked for the show. He will be fighting against Ron Sparks.

Nicknamed "the Monster", Ron Sparks stands at 6'5" and weighs 285 pounds. He has a record of 5-0.

Why Beth Phoenix Lost


WWE management had to make a last minute decision to strip the WWE Women's Championship off of Beth Phoenix this week.


Why Beth Phoenix Lost

When WWE announced that Layla El and Michelle McCool were both going to be challenging for the WWE Women's Championship on Smackdown this week, very few people expected to see a title change. Many just assumed that it was going to be another typical television title defense where the champion goes over after a short match.

Boy, were we shocked.

Layla El ended up capturing the belt for the very first time in her career.

Well, it turns out that the reason why management took the belt off of Beth Phoenix was to give her some time off. The New York native, whose real name is Elizabeth Kocanski Carolan, will be having surgery to repair a sprained MCL and torn ACL on Tuesday. The surgery will be performed by the world renown Dr James Andrews, the man who performs surgery on the biggest professional athletes and top level WWE superstars.

Nothing is official yet, but Beth Phoenix is expected to miss several months.

Sacrifice Main Event


This weekend, we will see the sixth ever Sacrifice pay per view. Let's see just how far TNA has come in that time period.


Sacrifice Main Event

The following matches have headlined the various Sacrifice pay per views over the years.

Compared to Jeff Hardy


Justin Gabriel gets compared to Jeff Hardy by none other than Matt Hardy.


Compared to Jeff Hardy

If there's anyone in this business or world that knows Jeff Hardy better, it has got to be Matt Hardy.

After all, Matt Hardy has been a part of his little brother's life for all 32 years that he has been on this planet. They're also a lot closer to one another than most brothers are. Matt Hardy knows his little brother's strengths and weaknesses.

That's why it raised eyebrows when he recently made a comparison between his NXT rookie Justin Gabriel and Jeff Hardy.

The following is what he said.


"It reminds me of myself and my brother, Jeff (Hardy), because I know he can do all of these beautiful moves, but sometimes it’s not about doing a move but where you do a move, or how you do the move, at what point of what match.”

Credit: WrestlingRevealed

Power 25 Divas - May 15th 2010

25 - Eve


The Divas Champion hasn't be able to enjoy her reign thanks to the vicious Maryse. It won't be long before these two talented Divas have a serious showdown in the ring.
Last Week: 25

21 - Maryse

Not only did the gorgeous Diva take out a Jiu-Jitsu instructor on Raw, but she picked up a tag team victory on "WWE Superstars." Is the Divas Championship next?
Last Week: 22

18 - Michelle McCool

Team Lay-Cool worked together to destroy Beth Phoenix and take her Women's Championship on Friday night.
Last Week: 18

16 - Layla

Thanks to a helping hand from Michelle McCool, Layla scored the biggest win of her career, pinning Beth Phoenix to win the Women's Championship in a Handicap Match on SmackDown.
Last Week: 18

Falling Off The List
Beth Phoenix: It was an awful week for The Glamazon as she fell to Team Lay-Cool, lost her Women's Championship and looked to be in serious pain.

Credit: WWE.com