Wrestling legend Jack Brisco dead at 68

Monday February 1, 2010 6:02 PM By Alfonso Castillo

I was saddened today to learn of the passing of former NWA world heavyweight champion and true wrestling legend Jack Brisco, who died following complications from heart surgery at the age of 68. Just two days ago I watched with great admiration as Brisco discussed his NWA title reign in the WWE DVD "The History of the World Heavyweight Championship." The WWE Hall of Fame wrestler is on most any knowdledgable fan's short list of all time great wrestlers.

Here is a press release I received from Shannon Rose, spokesman for Jerry Brisco, that include thoughts from the younger Brisco brother and other peers of Jack Brisco:

(Tampa, FL) - Friends and fans of the late WWE Hall of Famer, Jack Brisco, were saddened to hear that the legendary grappler passed away earlier today from heart complications.

For those fortunate to meet Jack in person, they were greeted with a great smile, a firm handshake and a pleasant but confident demeanor. He will not only be remembered as a tremendous athlete, but also as a wonderful human being.

Royal Rumble preview and predictions

Sunday January 31, 2010 10:20 AM By Alfonso Castillo

The Royal Rumble is one of my favorite wrestling shows of the year. Undoubtedly, the 30-man battle royal has proven to be the most successful gimmick match in all of wrestling. Despite the fact that, each year, there are only between 3 and 5 legitimate candidates to win the match, WWE still manages each year to create tremendous suspense and drama in the match. It’s one of the most intricately booked and masterfully executed matches of the year.

This year’s show also features an above average undercard, highlighted by two unlikely world title matches.

Here’s a look at the card and my picks:

Christian vs. Ezekiel for the ECW Championship: I think’s it’s obvious that Christian is due for a promotion to one of WWE’s two major brands, but there is nobody even near ready to take his place as ECW’s top star. That certainly goes for Ezekiel, who has a great look and an intimidating presence, but is about as green as can be in the ring.  With a little bit of work. And so I predict Christian will hold on to his belt in the night’s opening match, and stick with it in WWE’s C-brand for a bit longer.

Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool for the Women’s Championship: You’d think that the storyline involving Mickie and Michelle would be a parable about image issues, and how woman should be proud of their bodies, no matter how they look. But this is WWE, after all. And if Vince McMahon is trying to send out a lesson, I’d suspect that it’d be along the lines of, “Put down the cheesecake, ladies.” And so Michelle McCool will come out victorious, and Mickie will be given the ultimatum to lose 15 pounds, or be wished well on her future endeavors.

Sheamus vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship: It’s not often you get a heel vs. heel world title match on pay per view, so this one has a lot of intrigue. It seems to be a testing of the waters of sorts for an eventual babyface run for Orton. As such, I’d expect him to subtly play the sympathetic underdog in this match, and be screwed out of a win at end. By out-sinistering the sinister Orton, Sheamus will take another step toward becoming WWE’s top heel.

The Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship: Considering how much both WWE writers and the Undertaker have seemed to look past this match while building intrigue in a Michaels-Taker rematch, it would be easy to predict that the Undertaker will go over easy in this match, clearing the way toward a world title match against Michaels. But there are many other ways this could go – and the outcome of this match may depend on its placement on the card. If it comes before the Rumble match, than it’s a sure bet that the Taker will somehow retain (perhaps in a DQ finish with Michaels interfering.)  Taker having the title is essential toward building drama in Michaels’ pursuit of victory in the battle royal. But if the world title match goes on after the Rumble match, then another very interesting scenario is at play: Michaels wins the Rumble, only to have Undertaker somehow lose the title to Mysterio later in the night. Then Michaels has quite the decision to make – Do you take a world title match at WrestleMania, or give it up in order to challenge the Undertaker?

I’ll bet Taker loses the match by DQ thanks to interference by Michaels – leading to a Michaels-Mysterio match at the Elimination Chamber PPV next month.

30-man Royal Rumble Match for a guaranteed world title match at WrestleMania 26:

The only legitimate candidates to win this match are Michaels, Triple-H, John Cena and Batista. A few others have an outside chance, such as Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase (setting up a possible world title match against Orton at ‘Mania. But each year’s Royal Rumble is all about telling the best story possible with the contestants in the match. To that end, I think, 15 years after winning his first Royal Rumble match, Michaels will do it again. And he’ll toss out Triple-H last to win the match, and further plant the seeds for an eventual DX showdown in the future. 

Here’s the official list of participants in this year’s Rumble, with some possible last-minute entrants added at the bottom. Print them up and add the number they drew next to them to keep track during the match:

ROYAL RUMBLE 2010 PARTICIPANTS

Batista________

Chris Jericho________

C.M. Punk________

Kane________

Great Khali________

Matt Hardy________

R-Truth________

William Regal________

Shelton Benjamin________

Yoshi Tatsu________

Zack Ryder________

John Cena________

Triple H________

Shawn Michaels________

Ted DiBiase________

Cody Rhodes________

MVP________

The Miz________

Kofi Kingston________

Mark Henry________

Jack Swagger________

Big Show________

Evan Bourne________

Carlito________

Chris Masters________

POSSIBLE:

John Morrison

Dolph Ziggler

Santino Marella

Mike Knox

Booker T

Rob Van Dam talks about WrestleReunion 4

Friday January 29, 2010 6:06 PM By Alfonso Castillo

Earlier this week, I conducted an extensive interview with Rob Van Dam that included some pretty compelling discussion on a number of topics – some of them quite controversial. I hope to get that all up soon, but for the moment, I wanted to at least post the portion of the interview where RVD discusses his big gig this weekend in Los Angeles.

WrestleReunion 4 is a major wrestling event, lasting from today to Sunday at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles. More information is available at WrestleReunion.com.

The event includes several autograph signings, and a Ring of Honor live wrestling event tonight.

Seeing as how if you’re reading this you probably live on Long Island, I’m guessing that not many of you plan to attend. But nevertheless, at least check out the web site and maybe buy some merchandise. Or, what the heck, jump on a plane at the last minute and fly across the country. You’ll get to meet Koko B. Ware, for goodness sake.

So check out this short portion of my interview, in which RVD talks about his involvement with WrestleReunion. I’ll be back soon with the rest of our conversation.

AC: Why don’t you tell me more about this WrestleReunion show in Los Angeles, how it came together and what fans will see?

RVD: This is going to be a huge three-day event which is very rare on the West Coast. Wrestling doesn’t even come to the West Coast often enough. When WWE comes to the Staples Center, maybe once or twice a year, they sell out every time. Even the wrestlers can’t get tickets for their friends. So they wait for a year. So there’s a demand for it out here. I think they’re going to do really well with this huge, three-day event where the wrestlers are signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans in the daytime. And in the nighttime there’s matches. There’s legends and there’s young guys coming up, and everything in between. My part will take place on Saturday, the 20th. I’ll be signing autographs in the daytime, and then I’ll have my first domestic match in a few years that night. So I’m very much looking forward to it, as are all the fans that have let me know around Los Angeles the last several days. I think they’re running commercials or something on us, so everybody’s stoked.

AC: Terrific. Who are some of the names that people might have heard of that are going to be at the show?

RVD: Well, I’m looking forward to seeing Stan Hansen, Bret Hart, DDP, of course Scotty Too Hotty, Road Warrior Animal, Demolition, Sunny, Japanese wrestlers Muta and Jushin “Thunder” Liger. There’s Ring of Honor wrestlers – I think Chris Hero. WrestleReunion 4 is the name of the thing. If you look at WrestleReunion.com, I believe, it will give you all the details and the times that wrestlers will be appearing. There’s also a deal – like a super ticket, where if somebody gets it they get access to everything. Then there’s also going to be other wrestlers how are there with vendors who rent tables. Dan Severn “The Beast” will be there. Chavo Guerrero “Classico” will be there. There’s a lot of guys I’m looking forward to seeing – Bruno Sammartino, Larry Zbyszko, and probably 50 guys I forgot.

AC: Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve been to some of these conventions and you hope for a handful of names like that, and you’ve got tons of them.

RVD: It’s huge.

AC: Is this your first time trying your hand at the promoting end?

RVD: You know what? I live in Los Angeles, so I don’t have to fly in. But besides that, I took this booking just like I would take any overseas booking like I’ve been doing for the last few years. I just got back in December form a four-week tour of Europe where I wrestled. They started in England, and then France, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria – and a little time off in Amsterdam.

AC: Heh-heh. I wonder why you went to Amsterdam?

RVD: Yeah. I’ve been doing that for the last few years – just going overseas for a few weeks at a time. This deal is so big that they were able to meet my R-V-Diva demands, and that’s what got me hooked in. I told the guy, “Hey if you’ve got some interviews that you want me to do, let me know.” And he sure does. Just helping get the word out.

NYWC "Psycho Circus" this Saturday in Deer Park

Friday January 29, 2010 11:03 AM By Alfonso Castillo

Hi everybody, I wanted to drop in with a couple important posts. I’ll try to be back later this weekend, possibly as eary as today, with an exclusive interview with Rob Van Dam, in which he discusses several topics you won’t hear him talk about anywhere else – including his relationship with the Ultimate Warrior, his thoughts on John Edwards, and why he refused to go to Iraq for WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops.

I’ll also be by with my preview of this Sunday’s Royal Rumble – one of my favorite WWE shows of the annual pay per view calendar, and one that is particularly compelling this year.

Right now, I wanted to let you know about a big independent show taking place tomorrow night (Saryrday, January 30) right here on Long Island. The New York Wrestling Connections is hosting what is typically thebiggest show of the year, “The Pyscho Circus 7” at the NYWC Sportatorium (The Deer Park Recreational Center) at 435-13 Brook Ave in Deer Park. Doors open at 6 p.m., and bell time is at 7. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information visit nywcwrestling.com.

The annual Pyscho Circus match pits teams of five against each other in an elimination bout in which weapons, including tables, ladders, chairs and barbed wire, are legal. What’s more, all of NYWC’s championships will be on the line in this year’s match. This year’s Pyscho Circus features NYWC Champion King Mega, NYWC Interstate Champion Alex Reynolds, NYWC Hi-Fi Champion Dan Eckos & NYWC Tag Team Champions Michael & Kieran Mansfield taking on. Maverick, Joey Braggiol, John Silver, Ryan Rush & Tony Burma.

The Psycho Circus match is a unique concept, and is guaranteed to offer some big thrills each year – such as when Terry Funk joined the action back in 2008.

Check out this video preview of the match:

Founded in 2003, the NYWC is  Long Island’s longest-running, and probably best-known independent wrestling promotion – and it’s produced some fairly big names, with the help of NYWC trainer and former ECW heavyweight champion Mikey Whipwreck.

“With Mikey on board, it was time for the NYWC to take things to a new level,” said NYWC spokesman Kenny Lippe. “Over the course of these years we have produced top talents such as current WWE Superstars as Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins and Trent Barreta and former WWE Spirit Squad member Mikey. Our current roster is filled with stars of tomorrow, like fan favorites Maverick, John Silver and Francis Kipland Stevens. There is something for everyone at our shows.”

 

Thoughts on Tyson, WrestleMania, TNA, & EVOLVE

Tuesday January 12, 2010 12:15 PM By Alfonso Castillo

A rare post just to give my thoughts on some wrestling headlines:

Ludvig Borga dies

Sunday January 10, 2010 5:35 PM By Seth Mates

Prowrestling.net is reporting that Tony Halme -- who wrestled worldwide but gained his most fame in the U.S. as Ludvig Borga in the WWE -- has died at 47.

The Borga character is best known for ending Tatanka's undefeated streak in late 1993. It's rumored he was slated for a WWE Title run at one point, but a severe injury cut his run short.

Halme had great success after leaving the ring, competing in MMA and also becoming a successful politician.

Condolences to his family and friends, as well as to those of Umaga and Dr. Death Steve Williams ...

TNA Wrestling in Westbury tonight

Friday January 8, 2010 11:52 AM By Alfonso Castillo

Just a reminder that Total Nonstop Action comes to Long Island tonight with a 7:30 p.m. show at the Capital One Bank Theatre in Westbury.

For more information on tonight's show and how to get tickets, check out my cover story today in Xplore LI.

Thoughts on last night's big shows

Tuesday January 5, 2010 3:04 PM By Alfonso Castillo

I wrote a lengthy blog post that was pretty scathing about last night's historic TNA Impact minutes after it went on the air, but sure enough I acceidentally lost it. Rather than re-type the whole thing, I went to bed.

It may have been for the best, because, after sleeping on it, I probably have a little clearer and better perspective of the program than I did right after watching it.

I'll still say this much: I did not like the show. I thought it was plagued with much of the undisciplined and oblivious booking style that has been a hallmark of Vince Russo's career (whether he booked last night's show or not) and has been a cancer on TNA for years.

That said, there is no question that the show was one of the most of the most newsworthy of any Monday night wrestling program in a long time. Surely, there are a lot of fans who loved the excitement that came with a steady stream of surprises and hot debuts. If that was TNA's goal, then last night's show was an unquestionable success.

What's more, I don't doubt that the ratings for the show will exceed a lot of expectations. Going into last night, I thought Impact would draw in the range of a 0.8. Now, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it drew double that, especially as news spread among fans that Jeff Hardy - one of the most popular wrestlers of the last decade and a proven draw - debuted in the first segment of the show.

But all that said, I still cannot call this a good wrestling show. Last night, I would have said it was terrible and disastrous. Today, I will only say it was tremendously frustrating and quite discouraging.

But I'm willing to give TNA's new regime some time for its vision to take hold, before writing it off as a complete failure. My favorite television show of all time, Cheers, came in dead last in the ratings in its first season - and for good reason. The characters were shallow, and the writing was weak. But NBC gave the show some time to improve, and it went on to last more than a decade and become one of the most beloved and successful sitcoms in history.

Now, I don't think for a second TNA has the necessary leadership and vision to ever even seriously compete with WWE, much less conquer it. But, hopefully, some of the company's decision makers will learn from what worked last night and what didn't. I don't have much confidence that they will.

To me, it was apparent that TNA had not learned from its past mistakes from nearly the first minute the show went on the air. After the supremely annoying Hulk Hogan crony, Bubba The Love Sponge, interviewed several of the kind of wrestling fans that make me embarassed to call myself one (including a mother of a young child who proclaimed that wrestling needs more chair shots,) we were greeted to the ridiculous and ugly red bird cage that symbolized one of TNA's biggest problems in recent years - inefficient booking and convoluted gimmick matches.

Just as they have been for years, the competitors in TNA's X-Division - potentially the company's most valuable asset - were sent out for a short, meaningless spot fest. What's worse, it had a moronic non-finish, and sloppy, botched angle at the end.

What came after that? The celebrated return of a wrestler who is currently facing drug trafficking charges. I should say that, if given the opportunity, I don't doubt that WWE, too, would jump at the chance of signing Jeff Hardy. It's hard to deny his star power and value to a wrestling company. But is this really the message you want to send in the first segment of the first night of the new TNA - especially when you've got Scott Hall returning on the same show? Who's next - TNA General Manager Jake "The Snake" Roberts?

My frustration's only grew during the most anticipated segment of the night - the first in-ring appearance of Hulk Hogan. "The Hulkster" has been saying all the right things in the media in recent weeks - how he wanted to fire all of TNA's writers and get back to basic wrestling storytelling and a focus on the company's young talent.

But what did we get instead? A segment that included no fewer than five men in their 50s (including Sting in the rafters in a rehash of his 1996 gimmick). They talked about minority ownerships, corporations, television formats, wrestlers earning spots, and camera men potentially losing their jobs.

Things got worse during the Jeff Jarrett segment, in which Jeff ad nauseum reminded us how he "founded" TNA, and Hulk Hogan went on about how Jarrett held down westlers and destroyed the company. Until TNA began this stupid storyline months ago, for the vast majority of fans Jeff Jarrett was nothing more than a wrestler. And that's exactly the way it should have been.

I watched all this "Wink-wink" nonsense and kept thinking, "Who cares?" Taz may have said it best in my interview with him last week. Wrestling booking should be as simple as "wrestler A dislikes wrestler B, and they're going to have a fight." But TNA remains obsessed with acknowledging wrestling's inner workings through convoluted "worked shoot angles" that serve only to alienate the very audience that they are intended to target: the Internet fans.

The fans who follow wrestling's inner workings the most, including myself, don't want that side of the business discussed on TV. On the contrary, we want easy-to-digest stories that feature a good guy, a bad guy and an issue between them that makes us want to see them fight. There was almost none of that on this show. Hulk Hogan was supposed to be a babyface, but he aligned himself with the clearly heel nWo. However, as was always the problem with Hall, Nash and Waltman, they played for cheers by trying to be overly cool. Eric Bichoff was supposed to be cast as a good guy, but in typical Bischoff fashion, came off as smug, arrogant and mean. Jarrett was supposed to be a heel, but instead cut a babyface promo that caused fans to cheer him, and boo Hogan for berating him. Mick Foley is supposed to be a bad guy - I think. I lose track with his near-weekly character changes. But he was attacked in the end by the heel nWo, which is led by the babyface Hogan.

What a complete mess. Who are we supposed to like and dislike here? And how does any of this garbage lead up to a match that we want to see?

I understand that it may be unfair to judge the new TNA from this one show, considering that the priority last night was less to put on a solid, fundamental wrestling show, and more to make news and attract new fans. But I would have liked to see more groundwork laid for a sustainable and solid wrestling product.

There were some things to like: Even though it foolishly cost TNA its pay per view main event, A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle had another terrific match in the main event of the show. More satisfying, Styles went over strong on Angle. But technically sound matches by themselves mean nothing unless the wrestlers and the storyline between them are over.

I also liked the foundation being laid for a feud between Jeff Hardy and Homicide, who has proven to have star power and drawing ability in Ring of Honor and Northeast independents, but has meant nothing in TNA.

It was also good to see TNA's new leaders scrap the booked "barb wire bloodbath" garbage match betwene Rhino and Abyss (assuming they ever really intended to do it) in favor of a match that showcased of TNAs most potentially valuable commodities, Samoa Joe.

I also thought that the wrestlers seemed more loosely scripted than usual - particularly in the Hogan segments. Hogan, himself, came off as a major star and spoke with the confidence that had been missing from his act from years. He also looked amazing, especially while standing next to wrestlers who are younger and in considerably worse shape.

But, for my money, there was a lot more bad than good here. Coming off of the rush of seeing a parade of debuting stars and big angles all night, it may be tempting to call last night's Impact a home run of a show. But, when the one-time novelty of watching several stars make their first appearance on TNA wears off, what are you left with? We were left with little reason to believe that any of TNA's new acquisitions will be put in a position to make much of a difference.

As for that other wrestling show last night...

Aside from the blockbuster return of Bret Hart, WWE put forth a rather pedestrian edition of Raw. And really, if you put aside the fact that TNA was on live at the same time, therw would be nothing wrong with that. WWE still has a month to go before its next pay per view, and is staying the course with a number of solid storyline developments. WWE did not need to do to much tonight, and it did not.

As for Bret's return, I thought it at least met, and possible exceded expectations. There were two truly historic moments with Hart reuniting with Shawn Michaels and later with Vince McMahon. As well, WWE wisely did not overexpose Bret, instead featuring him in only the two in-ring segments, and a brief angle with Chris Jericho backstage. Thankfully, he was not out at the rampway booking a Pink and Black Divas Lingerie match.

I'll give Bret's performance a mixed review. It has to be pointed out that Bret Hart has aged considerably since most fans last saw him. It may be unfair to judge him alongside the likes of Shawn Michaels, who has had to keep himself in ring shape and has had the benefit of aging gradually in front of fans and not all of a sudden appearing in front of HD cameras after being away for 12 years. But Bret didn't do himself any favors in how he chose to present himself. He should have trimmed, colored and styled his hair and put on a decent pair of jeans and black boots rather than those ill-fitting shorts and sneakers.

Bret handled himself quite well, all things considered. He was visibly nervous, but that is to be expected considering his history with WWE. It probably didn't help matters that WWE's writers insist on scripting nearly every word uttered by its wrestlers. I think that took away a bit of the sincerity and emotion of Bret's promos throughout the night.

Bret's exchange with Shawn Michaels was really terrific and satisfying. Although it was a "work," there was certainly a lot of truth in what both men had to say to each other. And their embrace at the end felt real - right down to the bit of hesitancy both men had while hugging each other. Good stuff.

Then there was the big pay off - the showdown between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon. This, too, was booked tremendously well. Even I was starting to believe that we'd get a happy ending and that the show would close with both men celebrating with their hands in the air. But, alas, the sinister Mr. McMahon opten to deliver a low blow to Bret instead. And, ever the worker, Bret sold it like a champ.

The angle clearly got the ball moving on what will likely be the biggest storyline headed into this year's WrestleMania.

There was a good guy that we like, a bad guy that we hate, and an angle that made us want to see them fight each other.

It really is that simple

10 Not-so-obvious questions I’m looking forward to having answered tonight

Monday January 4, 2010 3:03 PM By Alfonso Castillo

January 4 – a date that has been on the tongues of wrestling fans for months now – is finally upon us.

For the first time in nine years, two nationally televised wrestling companies will go head-to-head live on a Monday night. And for the mini-Monday Night War, both sides have pulled out their biggest guns. For TNA, that means the debut of Hulk Hogan, and the potential fulfillment of months of promises to radically shake up the product.

For WWE, it means the return of Bret “The Hitman” Hart to a WWE wrestling ring for the first time in 12 years.

For weeks now, several questions about tonight have dominated the wrestling world? What role will Hogan take? Will Bret have a showdown with Vince McMahon?

But I’ve come up with several other questions that, while not so obvious, may be pretty intriguing:

1. What entrance music will Hogan use? When Hogan left WWE to join WCW 15 years ago, he was forced to leave behind “Real American” in favor of reasonably close facsimile titled “American Made.” But, if I’m not mistaken, WWE now owns that song too. Has Jimmy Hart returned to the studio and penned a third yet another patriotic rock song? Perhaps, “Made in America, For Real.”
 

2. Will Bret Hart grease up his hair? The “Hitman’s” dripping wet locks were one of his signatures during his 13-year run in WWE. But, in recent appearances, Hart has opted for the dry look. He’s also gone considerably gray, and put on some weight. Will Bret do what he can to look like the “Hitman” WWE fans remember from a dozen years ago?
 

3. When will Hogan and Bret appear? In the peak years of the Monday Night Wars, WWE and WCW would typically wait until the very last segment of their shows to deliver a much-anticipated bombshell. But that might not be the case tonight. In recent weeks, Impact’s ratings have shrunk throughout the course of its program – so it would be foolish to wait until almost 11 p.m. – when Raw’s ratings are often at their highest – to unveil the Hulkster. A smarter strategy would be to do so at the very top of the program at 8 p.m., before Raw comes on the air. As for Raw – seeing as how Bret Hart is supposed to be the “guest host,” you’d think he’d come out early in the night to make some announcements about the night’s show. But having Hart act just as any other guest host could water down the significance of his return. I’d wait until the last segment to bring out the Hitman. It’s not like they have to worry about TNA beating them in any quarter hour.
 

4. Will Hogan be any good on the mic? When I recently watched WWE’s newest Hulk Hogan DVD compilation, I was blown away but what a great talker he was in his day. Without a script, Hogan would cut these amazing, passionate interviews that would frequently involve fighting whales in the Pacific Ocean or tying his opponent to the back of his Harley and dragging him up and down Venice Beach. But in the few times he’s been given a live mic in recent years, Hogan has seemed confused, unsure of himself and tripped all over his words. That was the case when he delivered the bombshell about TNA going live during a UFC broadcast several weeks ago. With Hogan vowing to move away from scripted promos for wrestlers, it will be interesting to see is Hogan sinks or swims behind the microphone tonight.
 

5. Will Bret Hart give a damn? During his wrestling career, few wrestlers seemed to put as much passion into their work as Bret Hart. In fact, it’s Bret’s penchant for taking his performances so seriously that has earned him a reputation for being a mark for himself. But in the few wrestling appearances he’s done in recent years, Bret has appeared anything but passionate. While it should be taken into consideration that Bret suffered brain damage and a stroke years ago, it’s still the case that Bret looked downright disinterested in what he was doing during his appearances for Ring of Honor over the summer. What’s more, with so much real-life bad feelings between him and WWE, will Bret be willing and able to put his worker’s shoes on and really sell a “fake angle” that would presumably lead up to a WrestleMania pay off, or will he just go through the motions?
 

6. Is TNA really crazy enough to do business with Scott Hall? One of the big rumors floating around is that the Outsiders will reunite today, with Scott Hall and possibly Sean Waltman joining Kevin Nash in TNA. Lest we forget, the last time we saw Scott Hall in TNA, he crashed a show and sat in the front row with the Insane Clown Posse and made a fool of himself. Before that, he no-showed a much hyped pay per view main event in 2007. Hall’s problems with drugs and alcohol are well documented, and there’s no reason to believe they are a thing of the past. Investing any money or TV time in Hall could have disastrous results.
 

7. Who else will show up on TNA? We’ve heard lots of promises of big surprises for tonight’s show, and we know the free agents that are out there. As I mentioned, there’s a chance we’ll see a reunited New World Order tonight. The most likely other surprises TNA could pull out would include Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam and Ken Anderson (although Taz suggested in my interview with him that there are reasons why TNA has not picked him up so far.) And with Hogan in the mix, there’s always a chance we could see the likes of Brutus Beefcake and the Nasty Boys. How about some long shots? Jeff Hardy made a comment over the weekend that he would be in the Impact Zone tonight with his friend Shannon Moore. Some have speculated that Paul Heyman would be a great addition to TNA’s creative team. Hogan has even mentioned Randy “Macho Man” Savage as being on his wish list of wrestlers to bring on board. I’m keeping my expectations low, although I would love to see the Ultimate Warrior back.
 

8. Will WWE do anything else to counter-program TNA? One train of thought is that, if WWE really loads up its show tonight, it’s a tacit admission that it considers TNA competition. WWE can reasonably argue that it was just a coincidence that Bret Hart was available for tonight’s show, but if Vince McMahon hot shots some other big angles or matches tonight, it does stand to inadvertently legitimize TNA. That said, I expect to see Jeri-Show win back the tag team championship tonight. As well, WWE has already teased some advancement of the Undertaker-Shawn Michaels rematch storyline. WWE women’s champion Melina was injured over the weekend, so we may see a match to decide a new champion tonight. As well, Sheamus is still without a challenger for his world title at the Royal Rumble. So will Bret Hart’s return just be the tip of the iceberg on a fully-loaded Raw tonight?
 

9. How many sides will TNA’s ring have tonight? Hogan has said that he has visions from a complete overhaul of TNA, that could even include doing away with its six-sided ring (I would welcome that. If you’ve ever seen it in person, the ring is tiny.) How about a new name for the company? A lot of people feel the asinine “TNA” name has held back the company. Maybe Hogan debuts a new moniker for the company tonight. Whatever the case, I hope Hogan’s mission statement has more than just meaningless rhetoric about wanting to “shake things up” without any specifics – much like the speech Dixie Carter gave weeks ago.
 

10. Will John Cena be around? It’s the biggest Monday night the wrestling world has arguably seen in years, and wrestling’s biggest star may not be a part of it. Word is that Cena is taking part in Rose Bowl festivities today and will, therefore, be unable to make it to Dayton, Ohio for tonight’s Raw. I’d think we’d at least see Cena “via satellite” in a promo to further his feud with Cena. But considering the stakes, will WWE go as far as to charter a jet to have its biggest attraction in the building live?