Christian Would Be Better Utilized in TNA.

For me: I must concur with that statement!  He is yet another amazing talent that was hired and forgotten by WWE and WWE Universe.

I personally have only begun watching wrestling again since the end of 2009 beginning of 2010 with my now husband Brad. Previously I watched as a child in the days of Andre the Giant (My Mom’s Favorite), The Iron Sheik and the like. So I sort of came into watching again with fresh eyes. My favorite to watch for the most part is WWE. That said we often watched TNA as well. At the time Christian was making his journey from TNA to WWE. From what I had saw of him in TNA you could tell he was well loved.  I saw him weekly on TNA then the switch to WWE happened and I’ve barely seen him since.

We have seen Christian hold various titles within both WWE & TNA. Between the two companies He has won a total of 22 championships. They include being a six time world champion, two time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, two time ECW Champion, and two time World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, a WWF Hardcore Champion, a WWF European Champion, four time WWF/E Intercontinental Champion, and a nine-time World Tag Team Champion. In addition to these Christian is the twenty-third Triple Crown Champion and the eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. That’s a lot of success for one man so WHOOP WHOOP Christian!  With that success you would assume that WWE would want to package him in his return in such a way as to reflect all he has done! Nope, didn’t happen!

I looked up on Youtube February 20, 2011 where Christian made his return from injury at the Elimination Chamber saving his pal, Edge from an attack by Alberto Del Rio. The clip I saw lasted 30 seconds, the commentary on his return was average and the crowd was moderately pleased to see him! A couple of moths later Christian won a 20 man Battle Royal thus securing his spot at Extreme Rules to face Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. At the pay per-view, Christian defeated Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Making him the first man to have held the NWA, ECW and World Heavyweight Championships,as well as the third man to ever be world champion of both the NWA and WWE, after Buddy Rogers and Ric Flair. Then five days later Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton and gained a whine. It would appear that WWE gave with one hand and took with the other. While offering him a gimmick of a whine bag! Oh the injustice! We just never really saw from “Christian” at WWE what we saw from “Christian Cage” at TNA and in my opinion that is not due to his lack of ability or stage presence but more due to his lack of promotion from WWE. There doesn’t appear to be a crazed Christian fan base at WWE.

Mid 2012 Christian took leave from WWE due to a shoulder injury. (Which by all accounts is healed yet no TV time as of yet for Christian).

Now let’s talk TNA Slammiversary and Christians visit…there is absolutely no comparison to the return. I watched a 5min 50sec Youtube clip of this and the fans were out of their minds! He wasn’t even wrestling!!! There was massive standing ovations, chanting welcome back, please come back and general fan hysteria! Now back to the previous mentioned bleacher report and I have to say not only are the fans giddy about Christian Cage but so also is The President of TNA Dixie Carter! Who would she most like see return to TNA none other than Christian Cage himself! Talking about Christian being family and always welcome. I truly don’t believe he will ever get that kind of “LOVE” from WWE or WWE Universe.  How do you go from being one of the best loved wrestlers in one organization to one of the many misused, forgotten talents in another.  It was like WWE was putting him in his place for being so darn popular at TNA.  Let’s knock this guy down a peg or two and see if he is still so loved.

Bottom line, would Christian Be Better Utilized in TNA in my opinion a thousand times YES!!

You see, the man known in WWE as Santino Marella, the Italian clown that’s got a terrible finisher was a Russian kick boxing fighter in OVW. He was dominant and when I say dominant, I mean really a destructive machine ready to plow through any opponent that was in his way. It’s really astonishing that he was given a joke of a gimmick when he could have been dominating opponents like they were ragdolls.

Here is a video of what I’m talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZMrOV22rRc

If you just finished watching the clip, you must be agreeing with me right now. How come he never debuted as Boris Alexiev in WWE? Or at least with the gimmick? Is it because he was not ”WWE made” like John Cena or is it something else? Either way, this version of Santino is the one the WWE Universe should witness.

Seriously, think about it. How could he not be a strong contender for the WWE title after showing this passion and aggressiveness  Right now he’s just a goofy clown but if I had my way with his character, I would have him losing matches and highlighting his frustration in the ring. After weeks of losing, I would have him break character backstage claiming he is done being treated as a joke. He would knock out the security guards and toss people around. The week after that, I would have him come on the opening part of Raw explaining why he did what he did and that he’s no longer gonna be known as a joke. He would be addressed by ”his real name” Boris Alexiev, the Russian destroyer and that he’s waiting for his first victim.

After dominating his victims, he would finally go after the WWE Champion John Cena and vow that he will break his spirit. It’s Summerslam and Boris is out to break Cena in half and take his title in the process. After an initial struggle, he beats him and subsequently breaks his arm with the dreaded Kimura lock. Boris Alexiev then stands over Cenas body as he is booed out of the building.

That’s how I would use him. At this current time, many people unfamiliar with his old gimmick think that he’s just a big joke and that there is no way for him to gain any credibility. Santino fits perfectly in the PG product, but for the sake of everyone involved, from the WWE to the fans, he needs a gimmick change. I have no doubt that he would fit on the top of the card. But I’m not in charge here, the Creative team at WWE are. Will Santino ever be taken seriously? Time will only tell.

Raw Preview

The official preview from WWE:

Alberto Del Rio proved his mettle at Extreme Rules when he forced Jack Swagger to say “I Quit,” thereby earning the sole title of No. 1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. But now comes Del Rio’s greatest challenge: defeating the man who took the title from him in the first place, Dolph Ziggler. The Showoff’s been absent for a couple weeks now while he recuperates from a concussion, but look for the dynamic World Heavyweight Champion to make his return sooner rather than later as he prepares to face Del Rio.

If The Shield’s dominance was ever in question, Extreme Rules erased all doubt that the former NXT standouts are here for the long haul in WWE: Following Dean Ambrose’s conquest of U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns’ dethroning of Team Hell No as WWE Tag Team Champions, all three Shield members now wear championship gold around their waists. Having secured their spot in the current pantheon of WWE’s elite, how will they begin their three-pronged reign of terror on Monday night?

The Champ isn’t REALLY injured: But let’s not mince words: He’s lucky to be saying so. Last night’s brutal Last Man Standing Match between WWE Champion John Cena and Ryback ended in viciously indecisive fashion — neither man was able to answer the 10-count after crashing through the stage, causing Cena to retain his title by default. With Ryback having come closer than ever to seizing the WWE Title for himself, look for the “Human Wrecking Ball” to make another play for the title as WWE Payback approaches. As for Cena, he dodged the proverbial bullet Sunday, so look for Ryback to strike while The Champ is still in his weakened state.

Triple H may have won the battle against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, but it was Lesnar who ended their war at Extreme Rules. He defeated The King of Kings in a grueling Steel Cage Match with a punishing sledgehammer strike and F-5 that sealed The Game’s fate inside the confines of the steel. With Lesnar having reasserted his dominance via his hard-fought victory, what does the future hold for “The Beast Incarnate”? Only time will tell, but given that Paul Heyman has never let a victory for his camp slide by un-celebrated, there’s a strong possibility tomorrow will provide some answers.

Chris Jericho certainly wasn’t about to let Fandango’s lofty rhetoric slide after losing to the dancing Superstar at WrestleMania. Stewing over continued humiliation at Fandango’s hands, the first Undisputed Champion in WWE history paid the newcomer back in full at Extreme Rules, unleashing a heart-stopping Codebreaker that left the dancing fiend in ruins on the mat. With Fandango’s score against Jericho now at an even 1-1, does the two-stepper have another twist in mind for The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla?

Obviously, we’ll get reactions to what went down at WWE Extreme Rules 2013, as well as how we’re moving forward to Payback.

Go to the next page for results and our live reaction.

Brock Lesnar

The most popular choice for a storyline when Punk returns is for him to turn face and feud with The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar. Now an immediate face turn upon his return would be a little far fetched. It would need to be a gradual face in order for it to be believable in my opinion. It would make NO sense for Punk to come back and be like, “Hey, guys! Sorry I turned my back on you and acted like an asshole!”

Now to be fair, they really made his departure a few weeks back look like he had a change of heart, but to me, it felt like he was more fed up with crowd. Anyway, back on topic.

The main focal point in this feud would, of course, be Paul Heyman. And honestly it would be interesting to see how Punk, Brock, and Paul would all interact in the same segment together. It would be the first time ever that Brock and Punk have interacted since Heyman’s return to the WWE. It honestly would be interesting to see how they would book this and how Punk and Brock would interact with each other if it ever were to happen. If I was on the WWE booking staff, I would totally book Punk in this feud.

John Cena

Honestly, this will probably be the most likely choice. Since Punk isn’t due back till either before the Payback PPV or sometime in the summer, that’ll give John boy and Creative enough time to wrap up things with The Ryback. This would be the 500th time these two have feuded since Punk’s pipebomb. They keep cranking out good matches, but how many times can you build up this feud? To me, the match is only 50% of a storyline. The other 50% is the build up. In order for me to care about a match or a rivalry, I have to get invested in the story behind it. When Punk dropped the Pipebomb before Money In The Bank 2011, I was mad as hell that I didn’t see that match. Honestly, there’s absolutely no way that I can get invested in this if it happens. So if it was up to me, good match or not, I wouldn’t book it.

Randy Orton

The Viper, Randy Orton. This is probably the least likely to happen seeing as how the only way it can work is if Randy turns heel and Punk turns face. Seeing as how WWE creative absolutely refuses to turn Randy heel for some reason, it won’t see the light of day. Even though we saw this rivalry at Wrestlemania 27, I guess it would be kind of cool to see the proper follow-up feud for when Randy punted Punk in the head at Unforgiven 2008 and ended his first World Title reign. Punk as a face, Randy as a heel. I don’t think they ever really did that. But still, it kind of falls into the same category as the Cena angle; how would you book this? They already used the punt card in the last feud. And since Punk has had literally no interaction with Randy since 2011, they would have to turn Randy heel before Punk’s return, and like I said, they’re probably never gonna turn him heel at all. So I don’t see that happening. But if it were up to me, I’d probably book it. I would’ve turned Randy heel at Wrestlemania.

So, what do you guys think? How would you book Punk’s return?

Tonight we’ll be posting another live blog. This time, powered by Twitter and written by all of the FTW writing staff (that are tweeting throughout the show).

Join us for the full show and comment with your reactions.

Our Predictions

Listen to FTW164 – WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Preview and Predictions

Or, read WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Predictions for the full run down. In brief:

• Miz (8) over Cody Rhodes (6)
• Fandango (10) over Jericho (4)
• TTC: Reigns/Rollins (14) over Team Hell No (0)
• USC: Dean Ambrose (14) over Kofi (0)
• Mark Henry (10) over Sheamus (3) – Strap Match
• Orton (11) over Big Show (1) – Extreme Rules Match
• DC: AJ (13) over Kaitlyn (0)
• Brock Lesnar (10) over HHH (3) – Steel Cage match
• Del Rio (10) over Swagger (4) – WHC #1 Contenders Match
• WWEC: Cena (9) over Ryback (5) – Last Man Standing Match

Brief Results

• Miz d Cody Rhodes
• Jericho d. Fandango
• USC: Dean Ambrose d Kofi
• Sheamus d. Mark Henry – Strap Match
• Del Rio d Swagger – WHC #1 Contenders Match
• TTC: Reigns/Rollins d Team Hell No
• Orton d. Big Show – Extreme Rules Match
• WWEC: Cena vs Ryback went to a draw – Last Man Standing Match
• Brock Lesnar d HHH – Steel Cage match

Live Blog

Live blog starts at 8pm ET

Tweets from all of the FTW Writers and On-Air Guys during WWE Extreme Rules 2013.

YouTube: Miz (8) vs. Cody Rhodes (6)

Andre: I gotta pick Cody. He’s due for a singles win. He needs to separate himself from Sandow and branch out on his own. Winner: Rhodes

Ben Woodburn: Cody, really want to see this guy go places and it’s frustrating to watch him being held back. Winner: Rhodes

Chris: “Battle of the Misused Talents”, PPV edition. Cody is dying a slow, agonizing death due to a chronic case of gimmick-itis, and Miz couldn’t get over as a face if he came to the ring with a ladder. But could this become a poor man’s Austin/Hart double turn? I’m hoping. Winner: Miz, by dastardly means

Corey: I see this as being the start of what could be a decent feud over the summer. Rhodes wins this one by cheating. Winner: Cody Rhodes

Deuce: Rhodes is in real danger of becoming a “legacy” that languishes in the realm of mid-card oblivion. He needs a serious push. Sure, he’s had good time in the spotlight with various titles but never really getting close to any of the big ones. He should win this match but it won’t help his career any since it’s against someone who is inconsequential. Winner: Rhodes

Eric: The Miz has become all things WWE; Movie Star, Part-Time Announcer, Talk Show Host, ect… What he hasn’t become is a winner. That is why I am going with Cody Rhodes. This kid is ready for a singles push, and it starts this Sunday. Winner: Rhodes

Garvin: Their choices were to give Wade Barrett a random opponent to defend the IC title against, or keep him off the card to push another random filler match. I think random filler match is better than a random opponent with no build for the IC title. I hate to say it, but it’s true. We’ll complain either way, though. Winner: Miz

Harrison: Winner: Miz

Joe: There’s no reason for this match other than to have these two guys work, and for Miz to appear on his show — YouTube PPV pre-show! Miz wins for the cheap pop. Winner: Miz

Kyle: Even by the standards of the pre-show, this is a meaningless match. Rhodes is a solid worker who hasn’t been given the chance to prove himself, and Miz is, at best, average. I suspect they’ll want to get the night off to a positive start, and so the most unloved face in recent memory will pick up the W. Winner: Miz

Lee: Winner: Miz

Michelle: Cody Rhodes has had a series of unfortunate gimmicks. He has such great potential & a “legacy” rich in wrestling. I would love to see WWE do something great with him! Miz does more talking than wrestling so I have to say Winner: Cody Rhodes

Rob: Winner : The Miz

Robert Carmichael: This is a throw away match . Winner : The Miz

Fandango (10) vs. Jericho (4)

Andre: Jericho has been the enhancement talent as of late and if there’s anyone who needs enhancement, it’s Fandango. Fandango needs to pick up some steam because his charm seems to be fading and fading fast. Winner: Fandango

Ben Woodburn: Fandango should win this one given Jericho’s ability to put people over lately, looking forward to seeing more of Fandango in the ring as the jury’s still out for me with him. If his latest segment of Raw is anything to go by Fandango is really going all out with the heel role so maybe the match will finish with a top rope leg drop onto a foreign object placed across Jericho. Winner: Fandango

Chris: Fandango is Vince’s pet project, and so far, only his song has gotten over. I don’t think Vince wants to turn Fandango yet, and I don’t think he’s putting this much money into comic relief. I say Fandango goes extreme on Jericho, and cements himself as a nasty heel. Winner: Fandango

Corey: Jericho said on Raw after the attack that the fun and games were over. I see Y2J taking this one using heel tactics to the delight of us fans.
Winner: Chris Jericho

Deuce: I’d like to see “Fandango” working with talent other than Jericho (who is feeling more and more like a crutch for him). He needs to put more and better work in before he becomes nothing more than a gimmick which is on its death bed already. This match could go either way but “Fandango” will likely win in spite of not showing anything new or significant.
Winner: Fandango

Eric: After their hyped flop at Wrestlemania, WWE brass decide to do try it again. This time, we will get a much better match,and a slightly different outcome. Fandago has proven he is willing to cheat in order to win, which is why Chris Jericho wins this Sunday. Fandango will get disqualified. Winner: Y2J

Garvin: Much like I said for their encounter at WrestleMania, I think this match has the perfect storm to be the match of the night. And really, their last match was almost there, except for the ending. If they keep the ending from looking sloppy, these two could, and should, steal the show. Winner: Fandango

Harrison: Winner: Fandango

Joe: I’ve been enjoying the program between these two, because it’s good to see Jericho push Curtis up. That being said, the feud needs to end, and the old fashion way — with the face winning. Jericho takes it. Winner: Jericho

Kyle: Despite the popularity of his song, I think WWE knows that they’re playing on borrowed time with Fandango. Jericho has become the prototypical legend in the last few years, and he’ll continue that legacy by putting Fandango over in a convincing fashion. Winner: Fandango

Lee: Winner: Fandango

Michelle: Jericho is the man who puts the young guys over. Fandango went wild for a few weeks but is quickly dying out. Fandango need a win. Winner: Fandango

Rob: Winner: Fandango

Robert Carmichael: This storyline is kinda weak , there’s no strength nor build behind it. So by default Chris Jericho going get the win. Winner: Chris Jericho

TTC: Team Hell No (0) vs Reigns/Rollins (14)

Andre: After The Shield’s DQ loss on Raw, they NEED to win this match to stay a legitimate threat. Winners : The Shield.

Ben Woodburn: Given the push that the WWE have given the Shield it’s difficult to see anything other than a Reigns/Rollins win or risk them losing serious momentum. With the talent that will be in the ring, especially Bryan and Rollins who have huge chemistry together, it could easily steal the show. Winners : The Shield.

Chris: This one scares me, because I REALLY believe in The Shield; so much so, in fact, that I think a title run is beneath them at this point. However, a Reigns/Rollins win automatically heats up the tag division, and if paired with an Ambrose win, cements them as the most powerful group in the WWE. It also keeps them relevant while keeping them out of the main event picture for a while. Winners : The Shield.

Corey: This is an easy one. It’s time to believe. Winners : The Shield.

Deuce: This is the time to serve youth in WWE. The Shield is the prime example of how a group should be maintained and pushed. They’re a gimmick but not one that’s all-in as far as personal investment. If it ever breaks up, the individuals have their names, reputations, and are building their pedigrees. The tag title win should be a foregone conclusion on this basis alone. In terms of story, Bryan and Kane look disoriented and aimless so the time is right to make the final transition. Winners : The Shield.

Eric: I’m going to have to pick Reigns and Rollins in this one. Team Hell No has become tired and if the WWE wants to once again rejump their tag division, than it is high time they give the straps to a team that can bring credibility to the division. Winners : The Shield.

Garvin: Team Hell No have held onto the titles for long enough. And, you can’t keep using The Shield as this attack group. They need to do something big to keep that momentum, and winning the tag titles would do just that. Winners : The Shield.

Harrison: Winners : The Shield.

Joe: It’s time for the Shield to have a purpose, and we’ll begin at Extreme Rules. Now, we’re righting the tag team division by putting the straps on the Shield. Love it. Shield wins and takes the tag titles home. Winners : The Shield.

Kyle: Being an undirected force of nature can only get The Shield so far, and this match is the perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone. If The Shield can execute flawless teamwork (as they have so far) they can not only take the Tag Team titles from Team Hell No, they can also instigate the breakup of Kane and D-Bry that we’ve all been expecting in time for a SummerSlam grudge match. Winners : The Shield.

Lee: Winners : The Shield.

Michelle: I love Kane-just saying! Team Hell No needs to move on do something new. I would like to see the team dissolve. Reigns/Rollins can potentially help the “break-up” LET’S GET DYSFUNCTIONAL AGAIN! Reigns/Rollins are the force to be reckoned with at WWE at present. Winners : The Shield.

Rob: Winners : The Shield.

Robert Carmichael: The Shield is on fire from the start , from having their first Wrestlemania match and now this is their first title shot. This is their time to capture the tag title from Team Hell No, and maybe build a feud between The Shield and Team Hell No for the tag title. Winners : The Shield.

USC: Kofi (0) vs. Dean Ambrose (14)

Andre: http://www.ftwpodcast.com/why-dean-ambrose-will-take-the-wwe-by-storm/ Winner: Ambrose

Ben Woodburn: Not going to lie I would much prefer to see Rollins or Reigns get the singles match first but such is the talent of all three guys that i’m still hugely excited for this match. Although it does baffle me slightly that Ambrose is not facing Cesaro for this title but i guess the WWE wanted to put him into a program with Orton after Extreme Rules. I don’t think i’m in the minority in thinking Dean Ambrose should win this match. Winner: Ambrose

Chris: I have a freaking man-crush on Dean Ambrose. This is the only way I feel good about them taking the US strap off of Cesaro. Winner: Ambrose

Corey: As with the last pick, this is also an easy one. The Shield will control the Tag and U.S. titles through the summer. This will be the match of the night. No doubt. Winner: Ambrose

Deuce: I feel like this belt was placed on Kofi because Cesaro wasn’t connecting at all with fans and the US title was suffering because of it. Furthermore, Kofi feels like a transitional champion while WWE waits for a challenger who can return purpose and viability to the title. Ambrose is that guy and now is the right time. Winner: Ambrose

Eric: Kofi is a transitional champion. Let’s face it folks, as much as the IWC wants to see Kofi in the Main Event, it’s not going to happen. The Shield will come away from Extreme Rules covered in gold. It doesn’t make sense for only two thirds of the group to be champions, thus giving Ambrose the victory. Winner: Ambrose

Garvin: This match is really random, but I love it. I hate seeing Kofi as being a transitional Champion, but I’m okay with it if it means Ambrose and the rest of the Shield walk out of Extreme Rules with titles. Winner: Ambrose

Harrison: Winner: Ambrose

Joe: Now we see why Kofi came out for a save… Dean Ambrose will take this US title, putting gold on the waists of all of the Shield. What better way to make a statement than to take home all the gold they’ve fought for? Dean wins and takes home the title. Winner: Ambrose

Kyle: This is one of the surest locks of the night. To me, the only question is whether Kofi will fade back into obscurity or continue in the path he’s been on, hopefully to the main event picture. Kofi vs Dolph for the WHC? Take my money now. Winner: Ambrose

Lee: Winner: Ambrose

Michelle: I would like to go against the flow and say Kofi will retain but the reality is The Shield and Ambrose solo are the WWE WINNERS right now! Kofi unfortunately is a means to an end. He is there to lose this time around. Winner: Ambrose

Rob: Winner: Ambrose

Robert Carmichael: It’s time for Kofi to drop the title and move up to the main event , let Dean Ambrose get his shot for the US and win his first strap. Winner: Ambrose

Sheamus (3) vs. Mark Henry (10) – Strap Match

Andre: My gut says Sheamus is gonna get revenge, but if Wrestlemania and Henry’s world record truck pull last Friday have proved anything, it’s that Sheamus is next inductee into the Hall of Pain. Winner: Mark Henry

Ben Woodburn: I like the back and forth that these two have had and picking a winner is going to be tough, both guys are impressively strong and could convincingly win this match up but i’m gonna pick Sheamus purely because I like him best and want him to win but either could win and i’d be happy. Winner: Sheamus

Chris: My Give-a-Crap Meter just tanked. This match is the perfect reason why WWE should no longer do an “Extreme Rules” PPV. Strap matches are nasty, and they should be reserved for some real bad blood. Sheamus’ current whiteout wise-cracker routine just doesn’t fit here. Winner: Me, because I will have stepped away to eat and go to the john. Winner: No Pick

Corey: The winner of this match will, more than likely, be placed as Dolph’s next challenger after ADR/Swagger. Henry needs to be pushed as the monster heel going into the rest of the year, and I’d much rather see Ziggles/Henry than Ziggles/Sheamus. Winner: Mark Henry

Deuce: I called this match a week before it was booked. The only way it can even look like it belongs in “Extreme Rules” is if Sheamus is destroyed with the strap. Look at the guy! He is a blank canvas which should be painted with welts, scratches, and scars if his “fighter” persona is to be at all credible. He bruises easily and they’re obvious when they happen. Aside from that, Henry needs to be made to look like the steamroller he was brought to WWE to be. Winner: Mark Henry

Eric: Sheamus has become John Cena 2.0. Which also means he will be willing job if asked. I’m not completely sure where they are going to take Mark Henry, but wherever it ends up being, I currently like how they are doing it. Winner: Mark Henry

Garvin: I really enjoy the build up of Mark Henry. It feels very old school and raw. If only Sheamus was remotely interesting as a character. He’s just too bland for me to really feel much emotion for this match. Winner of this match needs to be pushed into the World Championship race, and I really think Mark Henry is that guy. Winner: Mark Henry

Harrison: Winner: Mark Henry

Joe: Will they probably book Sheamus over Henry? Most likely, just like Andre suggested. But, I’d really like to see Mark Henry excel after showing off and pulling those damn semis. Wow. Push the Hall of Pain to the World title picture. Mark Henry takes it. Winner: Mark Henry

Kyle: There’s always a question whether WWE will do the smart thing or the safe thing. My gut says Sheamus is going to win this and move back into the World Title hunt, which is the worst thing that could happen. Either way, I expect Sheamus to get painted red by Mark Henry, because, honestly, why else would they put the whitest man in professional wrestling in a strap match. Winner: Sheamus

Lee: Winner: Sheamus

Michelle: I am not a fan of this pairing. I feel like there is a decline in entertainment. Mark Henry bores me with “That’s What I do!” I’m hoping Sheamus takes him out unfortunately I don’t think that will happen. Winner: Mark Henry

Rob: Winner: Mark Henry

Robert Carmichael: I really like Mark Henry , his promo was on point every time he on the mic. Between Sheamus and Mark Henry building toward Extreme Rules was a bit slow and rushed at the same time. I’m going for the Hall of Pain to take the win. Winner: Mark Henry

Orton (11) vs. Big Show (1) – Extreme Rules Match

Andre: No comment. Other than the obvious “Orton needs to turn heel.” Winner: Big Show

Ben Woodburn: Probably the match i’m least looking forward to as i’m really bored of the Big Show and whilst i like Orton he doesn’t seem to be bothered anymore. I suppose i’ll pick Orton for the win but only based on the fact that he has had several matches against Rhodes, Sandow and Cesaro and won them all, the WWE wouldn’t build all that momentum behind him only to have him lose. Winner: Randy Orton

Chris: See my comments for Sheamus/Henry. Winner: Don’t know. Loser: Me, because I’ll have come back from the bathroom and kitchen, and I’ll have to sit through this turd. Winner: No Pick.

Corey: Orton will win after hitting an RKO “OUT OF NOWHERE!” Winner: Randy Orton

Deuce: What’s the point of this? Is it filler? There’s no real rivalry here (see Sheamus / Henry). Is there a stipulation? I seriously forgot because I care so little for either of these guys together. If Orton is to turn, this isn’t the time or place because it will go largely unnoticed. It needs to happen backstage and over time. And he needs to be made interesting to watch because right now he’s almost as stale as John Cena. Oh…I have to pick a winner. *flips coin; lands on edge* Yeah…I don’t care either. Winner: No Pick.

Eric: This match is soooo booooring! I could care less, but I will pick winner just to play along. Winner: Randy Orton

Garvin: Snooze fest. Tired of this combo. Really, tired of both of these guys in general. This will be my bathroom break match. Winner: Randy Orton, not the fans.

Harrison: Winner: Randy Orton

Joe: I…. am…. Randy……………………………………………………. *sigh* …Orton. He wins it because this is a boring feud and we need someone to move on. Winner: Randy Orton

Kyle: RANDY… There’s no reason for this match to happen other than to sell T-shirts and fill time. Randall sells more shirts, so he’ll probably win. Winne… *snore* Randy

Lee: Winner: Randy Orton

Michelle: //These two and the previously mentioned guys seem to be losing our interest. Personally I looked forward to watching Sheamus, Randy & Big Show. They were some of my favorite matches a year or two ago…now it’s ho hum, nothing exciting. I think it’s time for creative to reinvent the wheel so to speak. Give us something to grab ahold of with them… Winner: Randy Orton

Rob: Winner: Randy Orton

Robert Carmichael: Randy is gunning for the world title , so for this match or extreme rules match. It’s going to be a good match. Winner: Randy Orton

DC: Kaitlyn (1) vs. AJ (13)

Andre: This match has like two years of build up. Something other Diva’s Title matches never had. It should be a fairly decent match. But my love for AJ clouds my better judgement. Winner: AJ

Ben Woodburn: I’m gonna pick AJ for this one, hopefully these two will prove that there is still talent left in the Divas division and with Summer Rae, Paige and Emma waiting in the wings the futures looking pretty good for the Divas once again. Winner: AJ

Chris: Don’t care. I would rather they give Orton/Big Show more time…and you can see how I felt about that match. Winner: No Pick

Corey: Dolph/AJ = Champion power couple. Winner: AJ

Deuce: This is gonna end up another pointless match. It only looks like this has been building because the two have been connected for so long. There hasn’t been any kind of rivalry hinted at until recently. And in spite of the women waiting to join the “Divas” division, they’ll suffer the same fate as all the others: stripped of any real move set and any shred of identity. Anyway, this match ends as cheaply as the build to it. Winner: Kaitlyn

Eric: What exactly has Kaitlyn done with the Deva’s Championship again? Oh, that’s right, abso-freaking-nothing! AJ has without a shadow of a doubt been the most entertaining Deva on the entire roster. Give her the strap for crying out loud and lets see what someone with some talent can do with it. Winner: AJ

Garvin: This could be epic. If they keep the camera on the ring and don’t let any of the Divas be on commentary. Kaitlyn’s reign has been kind of a waste, but AJ taking the title could be the much needed spark. Winner: AJ

Harrison: Winner: AJ

Joe: Kaitlin’s been stuck with an uninventive reign for sure, but who else do they have as a face? Just Natalya and the Funkydactyls. Oh, and maybe Layla. (Is she still alive, or did we forget to bring her back from the UK tour?) I see AJ winning, giving more cred to the Ziggler stable, and then we’ll see the rise of Nattie in the next few months to take the title. Once we do, we’ll get the Bellas going after her, calling her fat, because there’s that Be A Star thing still going on. AJ wins. Winner: AJ

Kyle: AJ showed last night that she’s more than a pretty face and nice… other parts. She can actually connect one move to a second move and not kill anyone in the process. Similarly, Kaitlyn can also string a few moves together. This should be a solid Diva’s match if they can focus on the match. Logically, AJ should pick up the title and bring more gold to team Zigglypuff. I’m putting the over/under on times Jerry calls AJ a slut at 4, and taking the over. Winner: AJ

Lee: Winner: AJ

Michelle: I LOVE AJ in the ring! I think she can wrestle, she’s solid! I’m also a Kaitlyn fan. I think it’s a good storyline! I would like to see all the silly AJ stuff go away and actually have her wrestling regularly! Winner: AJ

Rob: Winner: AJ

Robert Carmichael: The diva title need a reboot , need something special, Kaitlyn haven’t done anything or seeing any effort for the title , so I’m hoping AJ Lee bring something to the table when she capture the title. Winner: AJ

Brock Lesnar (10) vs. HHH (3) – Steel Cage match

Andre: Is it needed? No. Have they built it up to where I wanna see it? Yes. This should be a slobber knocker, to say the least. But as for the winner of this rubber match, I gotta go with the King of Kings. Winner: HHH

Ben Woodburn: This match is slightly unpredictable, Lesnar should get his win back, if he doesn’t then how much longer can WWE book him as a monster heel if he continues to lose. This match feels like it’s more about HHH trying to feed his ego but if he’s smart he’ll let Lesnar go over him. Should be a cracking (In more than one way) match though. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Chris: Although I’m tired of the feud, I think the match is going to be pretty enjoyable. Call me gruesome, but I’d love to see someone get busted open the hard way. My concern here is with a Brock loss; if he goes down in two PPV matches in a row, how can you call him a beast? Now, we’ll see just how much of a company man Trips really is. Since he can make the call on the finish, will he choose to puff himself up or give one of his crew some momentum to carry on to another feud? Too close to call. Winner: No Pick

Corey: Since coming back to WWE, Lesnar has yet to win a match. You can’t be but so much of a badass if you keep losing every match. Brock takes this match, setting up Lesnar/Triple H III at Summerslam. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Deuce: How many appearances are left on Lesnar’s contract? That should tell us who wins this one. If he’s almost out, there’s no reason for him to win and HHH (with his ego in his corner) can bury him and send him packing as the vanquished evil or whatever. If he has more than a few appearances left, Lesnar should win. My guess is he wasn’t supposed to be around long after WrestleMania so, not that it matters,… Winner: HHH

Eric: This is a set up match people. Lesnar will be given the push, setting up a future feud between he and John Cena for the WWE Championship. Remember Extreme Rules a year ago? Some were calling the Cena/Lesnar fight the match of the year at the time. Time to revisit that feud. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Garvin: Despite this being a match that most aren’t looking forward to, I like the combination. As long as HBK keeps out of it. Inside of the cell allows for some sparks of Attitude Era that we’ve been missing, especially with these two guys. You’ve got a guy who can break some rules because of his role with the company (HHH) against a guy who is a bit unleashed and willing to slam his head into things (Brock). And the Paul Heyman factor will make this match memorable. Unlike their last match, though, they need to move forward and the only way to do that is to have Brock win. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Harrison: Winner : Brock Lesnar

Joe: I don’t want to see this match. I want HHH to stay out of the ring. Because that’s what I want to see to help move the business forward, I’m sure we’ll see a third match this year, at SummerSlam. Brock needs to win to still be the beast, and to push the storyline there. There’s nothing left for him to do but actually attack Stephanie McMahon-Levesque-Helmsley. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Kyle: I did not expect to have any interest in this match. Their WrestleMania match was sort of a trainwreck, and there isn’t really a reason for them to be having this match. Somehow though, this is a match I’m looking forward to. If Bork still has time on his contract, this match can only end one way. I expect it to be bloody and brutal, and, yeah, awesome. With his win, I hope to see Brock rising to the WWE Title picture. Winner: Bork Laser

Lee: Winner : Brock Lesnar

Michelle: I like these two together. I think Lesnar needs the win. I get his come back wasn’t on a full time bases but I would love to see more of him. While I like Triple HHH in the ring it isn’t a necessity he isn’t going anywhere. Winner : Brock Lesnar

Rob: Winner: HHH

Robert Carmichael: I hoping this would be a match of the night , showing some blood and violent into a steel cage and nothing less from it. Brock Lesnar beat Triple H last year Summerslam , then Triple H beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania . So I’m pulling for Brock Lesnar and once he do that , he’ll be headed for the “Money” (hint, hint). Winner : Brock Lesnar

Swagger (4) vs. Del Rio (10) – WHC #1 Contenders Match

Andre: Well, thanks to Swagger, instead of a triple threat ladder match for the World Title, we now have an I Quit Number One Contender’s match. With Swagger’s court case coming up in June (I believe), I don’t see him in the title picture for very long. Plus I don’t want Ziggler to get another concussion. Winner: Del Rio

Ben Woodburn: I was quite looking forward to this match until Ziggler got sidelined but now it’s two fairly unlikeable guys but the I Quit stipulation leads the way for a decent submission match to take place so all is not lost. Del Rio to win this one which is a shame because he really can’t pull off being a face. Winner: Del Rio

Chris: I was the guy screaming for Swagger’s dismissal a few months ago about the drug charge and the stupid WM29 angle with ADR. Now, add the Ziggler injury to his list of offenses. The more interesting prediction here is what happens to Swagger after this PPV. Winner: Del Rio

Corey: WWE actually has the perfect storyline in place for the outcome of this match. Dolph returns wanting revenge on Swagger, while helping him transition into a face role. It’s been said that Vince has wanted Dolph as a face for a while now, but has been scared to pull the trigger. A Swagger win loads the gun, and sets up a match with Zigglypuff at Payback (makes sense, right?) Look for ADR to say “I Quit” on Smackdown this week, and the audio is played during the match at some point.
Winner: Swagger

Deuce: I honestly don’t care between these two. I still can’t buy into Del Rio as a face. Did JBL pull the plug on his car entrance?..because now he just looks like any other guy. Swagger shouldn’t even be working given his legal and chemical problems (and we all know how concerned WWE is about its image, right?). The political angle needs to die as well…quickly. In the end, ADR gets his rematch against Ziggy because, let’s face it, only the heel ever quits.
Winner: Del Rio

Eric: This match has become a total let down. Thanks for kicking the champ in the head Swagger! Just for that, you lose! Winner: Del Rio

Garvin: I’m really torn on this match. I’m completely behind Swagger and I think a Dolph vs. Swagger match has a lot of story and emotion behind it, especially because they are crediting Swagger for giving Dolph the concussion. Del Rio is awkward at best. I hope they don’t give him the push. Winner: Swagger

Harrison: Winner: Swagger

Joe: Swagger needs to win this match to put himself and this gimmick back on top. he deserves it. He’s working the controversial angle, and he’s great in the ring. He’s come a long way from his ECW and World title reigns, and I’m proud of the man for what he’s done…. But WWE is going to book this for a Del Rio win. Del Rio is going to win and do a couple months of work with Ziggler, provided he can wrestle again soon, and then we’ll see ADR vs Orton. Winner: Del Rio

Kyle: I’m sick to death of seeing ADR in the World Title picture. It feels like he’s either been champion or one of the top two contenders for the past couple years. He is only moderately over, and what reaction he does get from the crowd is largely because Ricardo is such a great manager. If this was a match that could end in a draw, that’s what I’d predict, because a ladder match between ADR, Swagger, and Dolph would be a good thing to watch. Since there has to be a winner, and Swagger has already taken out Dolph, I expect the match to end with Swagger breaking ADR’s ankle and sidelining him for a couple months. Winner: Swagger

Lee: Winner: Del Rio

Michelle: You know my take on this one. I think that Jack Swagger will once again fade to the background. Court date fast approaching an I Quit match seems somewhat convenient don’t you think? I think Swagger will lose and Alberto Del Rio & Ziggler will pick up the rivalry and continue on. Winner: Del Rio

Rob: Winner: Del Rio

Robert Carmichael: WWE don’t want a star who have a DUI case over their head as a World Champion. Winner: Del Rio

WWEC: Cena (9) vs. Ryback (5) – Last Man Standing Match

Andre: This is a tricky match. Ryback has just turned heel and loss in this match would kill all momentum he had (if he had any coming in). Cena just won the title at Wrestlemania and it would be really stupid for him to drop the title this soon. Especially to Ryback. So it’s really tough for me to say. But I gotta say: FEED ME MORE! I love heel Ryback. And him as champ would make him look unstoppable. Winner: Ryback

Ben Woodburn: It’s hard to see Cena lose the title after one month but it would give Ryback a huge push and seeing him kick the snot out of SuperCena would win over large numbers of doubters. The match itself should be nothing special, i think there’s a combined 9 moves available between these two. Cena is my pick to win this match. Winner: Cena

Chris: Ryback’s character is dead if he loses. He won’t. And with the heel ‘injury’ angle, there’s grounds for at least two rematches going into the summer. Winner: Ryback

Corey: If Cena’s injury was more severe than it is, I’d say Ryback. However, after Cena being able to compete on Monday night, this seems like they’ve turned this into yet another Cena overcomes the odds style storyline. Winner: Cena

Deuce: Why is this even a question? If WWE is known for anything, it’s dropping the ball on pushing guys in the right direction and keeping them viable. You know their premise is Ryback losing and having some huge revenge motive to carry for the next few months (or if Rock comes back to steal the main event slot again). It’s a scenario like this which makes me almost not care about the WWE title because of who is carrying it. I hope CM Punk comes back and reclaims it in the not-so-distant future. Until then,… Winner: Cena

Eric: As I stated earlier, I believe the WWE is setting up a John Cena/Brock Lesnar feud, which means I’m sorry Ryback, but it’s not your time yet. Your PPV losing streak will continue. Winner: Cena

Garvin: Ryback Rules. Winner: Ryback

Harrison: Winner: Ryback

Joe: As much as I think Ryback winning the title is the right booking to push the character, it won’t happen. Super Cena will win. But if fantasy booking can still make an appearance, I would hope that the Shield stops Ryback from winning the title and lays out both men, causing a double 10 count and a draw. It would then keep Ryback on the strong side, but still keep the title on Cena, giving them more time to get Ryback over and cemented as his own heel instead of Generic Heel 2.0 (aka Randy Orton). Winner: Cena

Kyle: Ryback Rules isn’t a thing. I think WWE might be fucking with me (can we curse here, if not, change it to “screwing”) because this is two straight pay-per-views where I actually want Cena to win. Yes. I want John Cena to win. Ryback does not deserve to be in the WWE Title picture. He’s done nothing but lose every match of consequence, and, well, I just don’t like him. He’s got an admittedly compelling story coming in to this match, which I fully admit, but it’s not enough. Cena is keeping the belt warm until CM Punk comes back. Winner: Cena

Lee: Winner: Cena

Michelle: //It’s time. . . Heel Ryback!!! GIVE HIM THE BELT! Will it not make everyone crazy, will it not make everyone watch more in hopes that somehow, someway, someone will knock him off his high horse and get the belt from him??? GOOD FOR BUSINESS! John Cena likes to be the winner BUT Winner: Ryback

Rob: Winner: Cena

Robert Carmichael: It’s way too early for John Cena to drop the title and it’s a bad move for Ryback to turn heel with his 0-5 PPV record . Winner: Cena

And those are your predictions for the night. US, Divas, and Tag Titles will change hands. Cena retains and Del Rio vs. Dolph at Payback. Those are your picks of the night. If you watch it live, make sure to tweet us your reactions, or post in our Facebook Group, or chat with us over on TWRNetwork.com

Kyle: ORTON

Brock Lesnar is a three-time WWE Champion. His accolades outside of the WWE are unmatched; UFC Champion, amateur wrestling champion in junior college AND division 1. He lived up to his former nickname of the Next Big Thing.

But that’s all in the past. Brock is no longer a full-time employee for WWE. He’s a part-timer, like everyone’s favorite Superstar, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Reception towards him winning, say, the World Heavyweight Title might not be the best. But when Brock isn’t on WWE TV, he’s not off making movies like Dwayne. He’s either kicking back and relaxing or training. If WWE did book Brock to win a title, I’m sure Brock wouldn’t mind the schedule. Plus, since he has Paul Heyman, he doesn’t need to be there every week. He has a mouth piece to take over for him when he can’t be there. That’s why Dwayne’s title reign didn’t work. He couldn’t be there every week and he didn’t have anybody to fill in for him and help build up his match with Cena.

If Brock were to become champion again, the IWC would eat it up. Unlike his part-time counterpart, The Rock, he’s not an actor. Like he said himself, he’s an ass-kicker. He’s an ass-kicker for hire. If WWE were to put a title on him, he would draw major money. And that would please both Brock and the WWE. I’m not saying WWE NEEDS to put a title on Lesnar. But if they were smart, they would put a title on him for a short time, like Rocky, and see how it goes. If goes well, keep the title on him longer. If it doesn’t work, have him lose the title either back to Ziggler or to someone else deserving of it.

We know that Brock draws money. Whether they want to admit it or not, the IWC is looking forward to the Steel Cage match between him and The Game. After the way they built it up, with the Steel Cage segment on Raw this past Monday and Brock destroying Triple H’s office last week, it has the potential to be the show-stealing match on the card. Especially since Dolph isn’t competing.

Brock Lesnar is The Beast Incarnate. He’s a force to be reckoned with and putting a title on him now will not only draw money, but solidify Brock’s place as one of the greatest and most dominate champions in WWE history.

WWE has an entire locker room full of great talent, and they have Khali (see what I did there?). Why is it that these guys can’t catch a break? It isn’t that they don’t have the fan support. Since 2008, Kofi Kingston has been one of the top fan favorites among the roster. He’s a multi-time Tag, Intercontinental, and U.S. champ, but he’s never seen that main event push that, really, he’s earned.

Antonio Cesaro came in with force. He impressed many fans that didn’t know him from ROH with his style and strength. Plus, he knows how to speak five different languages! Khali can barely speak at all. Yet, over the past weeks, Cesaro has gone from U.S. champ, to jobber for no real reason. A situation that has left many of us scratching out heads in confusion, and mainly just hoping he has something bigger coming soon.

I’d love to say that The Shield will enter either the WWE or World title picture, but the only titles they’ll be getting shots at for the near future is the Tag and U.S. championships respectively. Ryback isn’t ready to be the man quite yet, and the same can be said for Rhodes, Sandow, and Langston. Not to mention Miz, Ryder, 3MB….the list just goes on and on.

Imagine what would have happened if Cena’s injury was worse that what it was. Imagine if Dolph’s injury was of Bret Hart proportions. WWE would have had both of their major singles titles up in the air without a solid back up plan in place. They continue to keep the same guys at the top, while keeping the guys in the mid/low card in their current place without any thought of a push. So, who is to blame for this? Vince? Creative? Why do they not give more guys shots at the top that have earned it? Sound off. Leave comments and let me know below.

P.S., Khali sucks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5nZ0hKEsR8

Preview courtesy of ImpactWrestling.com:

Preview Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 8/7c as the road to the June “Slammiversary” event continues! Reminder: Beginning May 30, IMPACT moves back to its old time at 9/8c on SpikeTV! Thursdays at 8/7C until then!

- Thursday’s broadcast will feature the World Title contract signing between Bully Ray and Sting for their main event bout at Slammiversary! Sting and Bully Ray will make the match official on Thursday on SpikeTV – the question is, will all hell break loose between champion and challenger? Don’t miss the contract signing on Thursday!

- “The Monster” Abyss made his surprise return to TNA this past week, joining Sting and Kurt Angle to defeat The Aces and Eights! Will we hear from Abyss this Thursday? Where has he been? How will Joseph Park react to his brother’s return? Don’t miss it!

- The X Division Championship will be on the line on Thursday as Kenny King defends in a three-way match against Chris Sabin and Petey Williams! Can Sabin continue his amazing comeback to regain the gold? Will Williams reclaim his spot atop the division? Or, will King continue to reign supreme?

- The World Tag Team Champions will be in action on Thursday in separate matches as Chavo Guerrero faces Bobby Roode, while Hernandez battles Christopher Daniels!

- Thursday’s IMPACT will also feature Knockouts action as Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky takes on longtime rival Gail Kim

- Plus, former Gut Check participants will battle in a tournament for a spot in the upcoming Bound For Glory Series! In the first match on Thursday, Jay Bradley will face Christian York!

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT broadcast on SpikeTV, plus more news on the upcoming “Slammiversary” event!

Slammiversary is on June 2nd, meaning after tonight, we only have 2 episodes of Impact left. There is still plenty of time to build things up, but it looks like TNA wants to answer a lot of questions tonight.

Join us at 8pm ET for the Impact live blog as we find out. Use the comments area below to post your reactions.

Results begin after the jump.

However, before I get to those points, I need to take a moment offer my definition of the word “compete”, because that can mean quite a few different things.  I don’t think TNA will be able to compete head-to-head unless WWE falls apart and loses significant ground for some reason.  Since I don’t see that happening any time soon, I would offer that TNA should look to ‘compete’ with WWE in terms of buzz, similar to the way ECW ‘competed’ with WWE in the late 1990s.

When asked about TNA’s ability to be legitimate competition for WWE, Dixie touched on three points of focus for the company, but neglected to elaborate.  Here are her points, as well as some elaboration on those points, courtesy of yours truly:

1. Go For A Different Audience

Dixie also noted that “it’s not about going after the old WCW audience”.  Interesting that she adds that comment, because that’s EXACTLY what they did by bringing in Hogan and Bischoff, and what they continue to do by perpetually elevating Sting to main-event status.  To compete, TNA must correctly identify core wrestling fans (fans who watch TV shows, buy PPVs, and buy merchandise) who aren’t being served properly by WWE.

MEETING THE CONDITION: WWE has committed to PG programming for the sake of young demographic acquisition and mainstream media attention.  TNA needs to more aggressively counter-program, and despite what Dixie says, TNA needs to program for the “old WCW audience”.  I’m in no way suggesting a WCW rehash; I am suggesting they actively target an older base (25-44 yr old males) – the audience that fueled the Monday Night Wars.  If they properly target this group, they’ll additionally pull in the 15-24 yr-old males, who naturally want to watch the edgiest programming they can see.  Taboo creates buzz.

2. Do Things Differently

Dixie continued the idea of differentiation here, and elaborated with this: “it’s really about creating a new type of programming”.  Uh-oh.  If you listen to the interview audio, I’m pretty sure you can actually hear Hervey and Bischoff whispering in Dixie’s ear.  If “new type of programming” means hearing Jeff Hardy’s thoughts again, I’m not interested.  To compete, TNA must do things differently from WWE, but avoid attempts at pioneering television…because it’s completely unnecessary.

MEETING THE CONDITION: Remember “Wrestling Matters”?  Had TNA made it a mantra, seen it through and continued to differentiate themselves as a WRESTLING company who airs a WRESTLING show with professional WRESTLERS, they’d be in a much better place.  With Bully Ray as champion, they’re on the right path, because the championship means something to him, and he’s a wrestler; not a movie star in waiting, not a male model made up to move merch (you like that purposeful alliteration I did there?).  TNA’s roster is good enough – and deep enough – to make this happen, too.  Please Dixie…drop the idea of revolutionizing television and just put on a WRESTLING show.

One other incredibly important point: to do things differently, TNA must approach things differently.  TNA desperately needs new creative blood, and back in February, I brought up just the guy to get things done: Gabe Sapolsky.  Gabe is a well-respected, young, insightful booker who’s currently tearing it up in Dragon Gate, and who would make the storylines fresh, current, and compelling in today’s world of wrestling.

3. Grow The Fanbase

Dixie added, “[it’s] doing different things worldwide and even expanding beyond what our current base is…” TNA has embraced the international wrestling community, and it’s already paying dividends.  They’re closest to competing with WWE on this front.

MEETING THE CONDITION: TNA needs to do a true brand extension into Europe, similar to Ring Ka King.  They need to then tie that production in with US and online programming to begin to build a truly international brand.  However, none of this can happen without meeting the first two conditions.

So, back to Garvin’s question: how soon can TNA actively compete with WWE?  I don’t think there’s any way to attach a specific time to it, but the sooner they can meet the three conditions Dixie laid out, the better it is for TNA, as well as wrestling fans everywhere.